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Monday

Mar222010

180 is Out!

Twelve Principles for Adult Education

Understanding Theology and Popular Culture

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There are those that would say to engage popular culture is to wrestle with the Devil himself. Indeed there is a sense among some that trying to understand the theological implications of popular culture is like trying to learn good deeds from a serial killer. There too is the completely opposite end of the scale that will see the embedded theology of our popular culture as supremely revelatory and equal to, if not transcendent over and above, our traditional sources. For me the question is; how do we firmly reject an isolationist fundamentalism and strike a way forward without giving into a Universalist ethic?

Lynch states that, “One of the central aims of this book is to help readers to think about what it means to develop a rigorous approach to theological study of popular culture.” (93) What strikes me about the statement is that Lynch is not going to provide a conclusive or authoritative answer to my question. Rather takes the position of a teacher, stating that he will attempt to help us think about what it means develop a rigorous approach. I find this a refreshing statement, as far too many times I see a dogmatic approach by academics and authors that ask you to follow their three or four points of sage advice to the tee if you want the ‘right’ answers. This statement tips me off to the humbleness of Lynch’s thesis and his worldview, and I think it greatly benefits the whole of the book.

The book is structured in roughly 3 main sections with a parting thought; I would outline it as follows:

I. Why should we engage popular culture?

II. How do we critique a theology in popular culture?

III. A few case studies in engagement of popular culture.

IV. Parting Thoughts: Formulating an understanding of aesthetics.

Indeed the depth of this book precludes any exhaustive engagement, so I will instead highlight a few key concepts in the book.

In attempting to understand why it is that we should engage popular culture Lynch sets forward an understanding that religion is functionally approached by seeing it as providing a social function, an existential/hermeneutical function, and a transcendent function. It is from this understanding that Lynch explores how popular culture fits into that functional mold of a religion. Lynch finds that popular culture has elements that meet all three forms of a functional religion, and with that assertion asks us to seriously consider popular culture as an academic source from which to develop a theological critique. I found this approach to understanding the functional religion inherent in popular culture a helpful starting point for building a framework understanding of how to approach the study of popular culture as a source of general revelation.

The second section of the book begins to get at my initial questions of navigating a theological response. I found helpful Lynch’s inclusion of H. Richard Niebuhr’s five approaches of understanding Christ and culture. Ultimately Lynch advocates that Christ above Culture, and Christ the Transformer of Culture are the most helpful understandings from which to begin a theological exploration of popular culture. Christ above Culture understands, “Christ as the completion of human culture.” (100) Christ the Transformer of Culture understands Christ as having created a culture of both paradox and engagement. I personally find Christ the Transformer of Culture to be the more helpful way forward in understanding the dialogue between theology and popular culture. It is from these understandings that Lynch argues that the conversation between theology and popular culture needs to involve questions and answers from both culture and tradition. Lynch believes this is the most helpful way in which to engage the theology of popular culture, “in the context of a pluralist society in which we are confronted by a range of different beliefs, values, practices, and experiences.” (105) For me the question is where does discernment come into play in Lynch’s understanding of cultural engagement? Lynch does argue for a ‘mutually critical’ conversation in which both sides evaluate their own cultural context and tradition. This however does not necessarily resolve my concern of steering a path between fundamentalism and universalism. Indeed this method charts a path well clear of fundamentalism, but in many ways it lacks a corresponding framework to avoid the other end of the pendulum swing. Whether that is a result of Lynch’s perspective, or an inherent caveat in the engagement of popular culture isn’t clear.

Overall I found this book to be invaluable in regards to it’s wealth of application methods and it’s framework for engaging popular culture. I can’t stress enough the importance of developing a missional practice informed by an honest conversation with popular culture, this book helps me engage that thought process in a constructive way.

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Tuesday

Oct072008

We Speak a Dead Language

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Imagine you have been chosen for a top-secret mission. As part of the mission you will be frozen in suspended animation and sent 2,000 years into the future with a message that will help save billions of lives. During those intervening centuries the world has changed drastically and no one speaks your language or understands what you are trying to say. You find the culture is completely alien and your maps for social understanding and communication are completely useless. Although your message is essential to humanity’s survival you are speaking a dead language.

It is from a similar—although not so fantastic—place of profoundly disconnected understanding that Tim Stevens begins to explore the cultural gaps facing the communication of the Gospel, and how popular culture can bridge that divide. Stevens contends that we are facing in era in which the Christian faith as we can currently communicate it is increasingly no longer relevant or meaningful, where our message is, “lost in translation.”

Stevens contends that just as the New Testament writers used the most common language of their day to communicate with their listeners, we must also attempt to use the common arenas of communication to further the message of Jesus Christ. He sets forth five modes of cultural interaction into which churches fall.

1. Condemn the Culture

2. Separate from the Culture

3. Embrace the Culture

4. Ignore the Culture

5. Leverage the Culture

The past 50 years of evangelical church history sees us recovering from a lengthy period of condemnation and separation, and ignorance of pop culture. Perhaps it could be argued many mainline Christians are dealing with the effects of an overly enthusiastic embrace of pop culture. Leveraging culture is Stevens’ answer to the traps of the first four modes of response. The driving question for Stevens is, “how can we leverage the culture to reach as many people as we possibly can without compromising our biblical message?” My heart and spirit resonates with this very timely and important question. In my mind there are at least two distinct challenges hampering our ability to leverage pop culture.

First, for many their contention with pop culture as a spiritual force has been the result of a dualistic belief in a sacred/secular divide. I remember offering up my secular CD’s in penance during a spirited moment at a church gathering as a teenager. Unless it came from Forefront, or some other Christian distributor it was considered a stumbling block on the edge of a slippery slope. This dualistic belief in the sacred and secular drove a wedge between me and those who most needed to hear the story of Jesus Christ. It is from this background of misguided sensibility that I only recently find myself recovering and beginning to explore pop culture with a sense of appreciation and openness to be taught.

Second, a better bumper sticker for today would be ‘Evangelism Happens’. We are constantly being evangelized from many sources. Advertisers evangelize us on their products. Presidential candidates evangelize us on what they can offer you in return for a vote. Media evangelizes us on what songs and music we should be buying, and what issues we should be carrying about. Evangelism has become meaningless from the standpoint that even within the church it has become nothing more than a pre-packaged marketing strategy in many circles. In today’s society it is crucial to communicate authentically. No one wants to feel like a marketing pawn. It is a lot easier to look like you are trying to execute a style or marketing plan than it is to actually be authentic. These two areas of challenge—and I am sure there are more—hint at the complexity facing those that choose to both engage in and utilize pop culture within their worship service experience.

Although I feel that Stevens addresses some of these concerns in a helpful way I feel he may be a bit overly optimistic about the ability of local church leaders to move their congregations into acceptance of what they may perceive to be pluralism. Additionally this book does not adequately address the fallout of those that have fallen and hit their faces. When developing even a broad implementation framework for church leaders we need to be cognizant of the perils as well as the benefits. An exploration of churches where pop culture engagement failed would add immense value to the 20 hopeful examples already provided.

Criticism aside I would again affirm that this book resonates deeply with my heart and spirit. I long for a church fully engaged in discerned appreciation and also discerned production of pop culture. I found this to be a very helpful resource.

This is a book review of Pop Goes the Church by Tim Stevens I completed as an assignment for my Theology and Pop Culture class.

resource: www.popgoesthechurch.com

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Wednesday

Aug272008

The Blue Parakeet

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In The Blue Parakeet, Scot McKnight provides his thoughts around how it is that we should read the Bible, and apply it's words in today's culture. His questions are thought provoking, and his analysis of the lenses through which we peer at the Bible are helpful. He argues for the timelessness of scripture, while exhorting the timeliness of it's importance.

The overreaching question of how we are to live out the Bible in our culture is central to Scot's exploration of biblical study. What I found most helpful was the detail surrounding the question of how do we read the bible. I think it is safe to say that we all fall into default modes of interpretation that are often culturally and traditionally conditioned.

I remember back in the day when every bookstore I went to I saw 'The Bible Code'. The Bible Code was a system of tricks by which the author(s) had claimed to find hidden and timely prophecies encoded within the words of the Bible. As time has proven this was no more than a theory, and I would say a sensationalistic money grab. Scot affirms that we can not use gimmicks to better understand the Bible, we must instead rely upon the narrative story present in scripture from front to back. From creation to consummation the Bible narrates God's story as told from the vantage point of many different authors in many different cultural contexts.

The blue parakeet is a metaphor for those things that are beautifully unique and stand out against the sparrows of the world. At first they are troublesome, scary, and out of place, however as we read the narrative as it is presented and begin to understanding micro/macro nature of the Bible those blue parakeet passages and personas that we don't quite know what to do with become less frightening. In time we begin to listen to the parakeet's distinct song, and discern it's place among it's peers.

The Blue Parakeet is a great introductory study for those interested in understanding how it is that we are to be reading and applying the Bible in our cultural contexts in a way that is both true to our way's today and to the story of God among his people. The language is conversational and accessible; rich with practical application without diving into big academic words.

The last half of the book wrestles with the 'blue parakeet' of women in Christian leadership roles. Scot's analysis in this area while not exhaustive to the topic reveals the heart of this books potential for helping us understand and correctly apply the intent of Paul's letter.

As mentioned earlier the accessible and conversational tone of this book suits it's purpose however it leaves me wanting Scot to further develop his hermeneutic technique in a more academic piece. One that can truly lay the groundwork not just for a personal understanding of the Bible, but a work that provides a more fleshed out framework from which further scholarly study of the Bible can develop.

I recommend this work as a great place to get your feet wet in critical thinking about the Bible, especially as it relates to understanding God's story both within the author's context and today.

The Blue Parakeet will be available generally in November.

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