Comments on: Christian Culture http://joshmock.com/2009/christian-culture/ Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:26:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Josh Mock http://joshmock.com/2009/christian-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-1167 Josh Mock Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:53:40 +0000 http://joshmock.com/?p=196#comment-1167 You make a good point, sir. There's a bit of a chicken and egg situation, though, I think, in that if there were no such Christian subculture created in the first place (or at least not one that the rest of the world defines as such due to its high profile), that problem wouldn't be as much of a concern. Certainly it would never fully go away, but if the notion of a "Christian band" et al had been avoided in the first place, it wouldn't be quite as bad. So part of my frustration is at something that's already too late to change. Oh well. If I recall, that Schaeffer book addresses this issue indirectly. I'll try to keep it in mind whenever I get around to writing more about that book. You make a good point, sir. There’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation, though, I think, in that if there were no such Christian subculture created in the first place (or at least not one that the rest of the world defines as such due to its high profile), that problem wouldn’t be as much of a concern.

Certainly it would never fully go away, but if the notion of a “Christian band” et al had been avoided in the first place, it wouldn’t be quite as bad.

So part of my frustration is at something that’s already too late to change. Oh well.

If I recall, that Schaeffer book addresses this issue indirectly. I’ll try to keep it in mind whenever I get around to writing more about that book.

]]> By: Jay http://joshmock.com/2009/christian-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-1166 Jay Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:17:57 +0000 http://joshmock.com/?p=196#comment-1166 I've been a part of this mindset for a while, albeit with some caveats. There's a danger in encouraging libertine expression of faith (i.e., letting artists who are Christians be artists as a part of a trade/skill and not "Christian market" artists) because it it runs the risk of being a little too free with doctrine. There are two separate disciplines, but the unthinking Christian, or unthinking non-Christians, might falsely equate a spiritual freedom of expression with the freedom to create our own theology. That is, if we're not careful. I don't know about you, but if I were left to create my own Christianity, it wouldn't be pretty. We need to keep the essentials closed in a tight fist while allowing inspiration run free with the other, open hand. You might like Roaring Lambs or Addicted to Mediocrity, if you haven't read those. I’ve been a part of this mindset for a while, albeit with some caveats. There’s a danger in encouraging libertine expression of faith (i.e., letting artists who are Christians be artists as a part of a trade/skill and not “Christian market” artists) because it it runs the risk of being a little too free with doctrine. There are two separate disciplines, but the unthinking Christian, or unthinking non-Christians, might falsely equate a spiritual freedom of expression with the freedom to create our own theology. That is, if we’re not careful. I don’t know about you, but if I were left to create my own Christianity, it wouldn’t be pretty.

We need to keep the essentials closed in a tight fist while allowing inspiration run free with the other, open hand.

You might like Roaring Lambs or Addicted to Mediocrity, if you haven’t read those.

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