Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah - The Changing Face of American Society and the Church from Quest Church on Vimeo.
Anthony Bradley:
After looking at the data on global Christianity's center in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and listening to Rah, I was left wondering why it is that Christianity is dead in Western Europe and is dying among whites in the States. Is the fate of Lutheranism and Presbyterianism in the US the same as Lutherans in German of the Presbyterians in Scotland? The PCA will likely suffer the fate of the Church of Scotland. Why?
Question: if the future of the church is Asian, African, and Latin America, why are confessional denominations functioning in the US as if Christianity looks today like it did 50 years? Why are white western cultural norms still at the center of evangelicalism? Thoughts?
6 comments:
God's people have always had a difficult time separating what we do from why we do it. We start with core beliefs and build a culture around them. Over time, we lose sight of the difference.
In preaching, we must mark a clear distinction for the listener between plain statements in Scripture and our own interpretations/applications.
In building the church, we must mark a clear distinction between the gospel and the culture --- between what Scripture says about the church and what we way about the church.
I've seen too many churches and believers get too uptight about things that aren't bad things, they're just not the gospel. They're not what makes us the church.
I don't mean this to be offensive at all, but does the growth of a certain type of church movement dictate that it's somehow inherently superior? Does growth mean better?
I think that's a logical jump that one would be advised not to take lightly. Some would argue that certain types of churches flourish because they are more shallow than others, are more focused on an entertainment form of worship, or don't require the same depth of commitment in various ways. I could put playstations on the backs of pews and get people to come to church. I could serve pizza for communion or have a laser light show with fireworks and get people to come.
Thus, arguing that simply because a certain christian fad (not using that term in a pejorative sense, but just realistically) is causing growth doesn't necessarily mean that this is somehow better than "stodgy old white confessional churches".
If the point of this post is true, then Joel Osteen (or pick your popular fad of any generation) must be one of the great Christian leaders of all time.
Sife,
Good point. I would say "maybe, maybe not" but definitely worth thinking about.
z
Also, note his not so subtle claim that current U.S. Immigration policy is "racist". As much as I dislike Glenn Beck, this is what he's talking about with the subtle "social justice" stuff (using Christianity as a mechanism by which they promote liberal political goals).
His claim that those who want to control immigration is merely to "keep the U.S. a White country" is beyond ridiculous, to the point of being insultingly dumb.
Also, doing a simple Google search, note Rah's involvement with Jim Wallis ("God's Politics") and the "social justice" movement, which confirms what I was saying.
For all I know, he could be a complete nut job, but I like what Anthony says about it and I think it is worthy of discussion.
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