Culture Wars and Christian Ethics

Pastoral Message

Culture arises as people cultivate what God has created. Culture differs from nature in that it is humanly engineered. But are some cultures better than others? We consider a three-fold template for how Christians assess cultural, as well as a possible danger that comes along with each of these three responses. You can watch the entire message that introduced our "Culture Wars & Christian Ethics" Wednesday Night Community series by clicking here.

Additional Resources

Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, by Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch unleashes a stirring manifesto calling Christians to be culture makers. For too long, Christians have had an insufficient view of culture and have waged misguided "culture wars." But we must reclaim the cultural mandate to be the creative cultivators that God designed us to be. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times, by Os Guinness

We live in dark times. Christians wonder: Are the best days of the Christian faith behind us? Has modernity made Christian thought irrelevant and impotent? Is society beyond all hope of redemption and renewal? In Renaissance, Os Guinness declares no. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture, by Kenneth Myers

Today we witness the tremendous power of pop culture to set the pace and priorities of our lives. We simply cannot afford to be indifferent about culture’s influence—nor can we escape it, glibly condemn it, or Christianize it. Cultural expert Ken Myers helps us to engage pop culture from a historical and experiential perspective so that we can live in it with wisdom and discernment. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

The God Who is There, by Francis Schaeffer

Schaeffer's first book presents a wide-ranging analysis of the intellectual and cultural climate of the second half of the twentieth century, from philosophy to art to liberal theology. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Pastoral Message

In a day when many claim something to be “my truth,” Christians must understand the correspondence theory of truth. That is, when a belief corresponds to the way the world is, that belief has the attribute of being true. Further, we see that God has communicated truth both through His Word as well as His world. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity, by Nancy Pearcey

Pearcey passionately argues that Christianity is truth about all reality, not just religious truth, and that to keep it privatized is stripping it of the power to challenge and redeem the whole of culture. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas Groothuis

In this spirited presentation of a solid, biblical and logical perspective, Groothuis unveils how truth has come under attack and how it can be defended in the vital areas of theology, apologetics, ethics and the arts. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Loving God With All Your Mind, by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.

Loving God with All Your Mind shows us that the answer is neither wholesale rejection of intellectual life and culture, nor blind acceptance of it. The answer lies in understanding that Jesus is Lord of all of life and that everything in life must be carefully viewed in the light of what Christ's lordship means. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Pastoral Message

Orthodox Christians believe that the Bible is completely true in all that it affirms (correctly interpreted), the standard for truth (sola Scriptura), and applicable to all of life. It orients us to how we ought to live (ethics). We consider two possible errors we can make when appealing to the Bible for ethics. Finally, we discover that biblical ethics offers us a three-sided gem we must take into account in making our ethical decisions. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics, by Scott Rae

Moral Choices outlines the distinctive elements of Christian ethics while avoiding undue dogmatism. The book also introduces other ethical systems and their key historical proponents, including Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Immanuel Kant. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today, by John Stott

This insightful book invites readers to consider their unique role and purpose at work or in the classroom, at home, and as a member of the global community, as they tackle such issues as work and unemployment, abortion, homosexuality, and AIDS. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Pastoral Message

In this currently contentious topic, Christians must distinguish between “gender ideology,” and those trapped in the ideology. The Bible commands us to refuse to sacrifice either truth or love. We know that humanity’s rebellion in the garden introduced sin into the human experience. And sin has so deeply ravaged what it means to be human, and our experiences of embodied life, that our own identities are deeply fractured. We finally consider historically how gender dysphoria has moved from a rare psychological symptom to a social phenomenon—fed by a particular ideology that comes through educational institutions, and is enabled by a technology we did not have before. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, by Ryan T. Anderson

This book exposes the contrast between the media’s sunny depiction of gender fluidity and the often sad reality of living with gender dysphoria. It gives a voice to people who tried to “transition” by changing their bodies, and found themselves no better off. The book is accessible from Barnes & Noble in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, by Carol Trueman

How did the world arrive at its current, disorienting state of identity politics, and how should the church respond? Historian Carl R. Trueman discusses how influences ranging from traditional institutions to technology and pornography moved modern culture toward an era of “expressive individualism.” The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

"What is a Woman?", film by Matt Walsh

"The Origins of Gender Identity", YouTube video by John Money

Pastoral Message

We consider six areas of general concern in culture if gender ideology is fully embraced. We also look at some other examples of body-dysmorphia, which challenge and refute gender ideology. We also ask practical questions like, “Should I use someone’s preferred name or pronouns?” Finally, from a biblical perspective, is it being “inauthentic” to not go with your subjective feelings of self? You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, by Ryan T. Anderson

This book exposes the contrast between the media’s sunny depiction of gender fluidity and the often sad reality of living with gender dysphoria. It gives a voice to people who tried to “transition” by changing their bodies, and found themselves no better off. The book is accessible from Barnes & Noble in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, by Carol Trueman

How did the world arrive at its current, disorienting state of identity politics, and how should the church respond? Historian Carl R. Trueman discusses how influences ranging from traditional institutions to technology and pornography moved modern culture toward an era of “expressive individualism.” The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, by Abigail Shrier

Irreversible Damage is an exploration of a mystery: Why, in the last decade, has the diagnosis "gender dysphoria", transformed from a vanishingly rare affliction, applying almost exclusively to boys and men, to an epidemic among teenage girls? Author Abigail Shrier presents shocking statistics and stories from real families to show that America and the West have become fertile ground for a "transgender craze" that has nothing to do with real gender dysphoria and everything to do with our cultural frailty. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society, by Debrah Soh

Is our gender something we’re born with, or are we conditioned by society? In The End of Gender, neuroscientist and sexologist Dr. Debra Soh uses a research-based approach to address this hot-button topic, unmasking popular misconceptions about the nature vs. nurture debate and exploring what it means to be a woman or a man in today’s society. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

"What is a Woman?", film by Matt Walsh

"The Origins of Gender Identity", YouTube video by John Money

Pastoral Message

According to the Bible, where do all the different races come from? More importantly, is “race” even a biblical category? We look at the two different early civil rights movements in America—the violent radicals, and the non-violent civil rights activists. And we demonstrate how Critical Race Theory is merely Cultural Marxism, promoting group-based rights, race-based redistribution of wealth, un-checked bureaucratic authority, and active racial discrimination. Lastly, we discover how the Old Testament law planted the seeds for the destruction of racial slavery. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe, by Voddie Baucham

A famed preacher, professor, and cultural anthropologist reveals the cancer of woke theology that has permeated seminaries and that threatens the evangelical church itself. Plus a call to all Christian congregations to eschew the lure of critical theory and hold to the path of an individual relationship with God. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Fire in the Streets: How You Can Confidently Respond to Incendiary Cultural Topics, by Douglas Groothuis

What can we do amidst all the controversies over race and gender in society today? Do we have anything constructive to offer the world? As Jesus's followers, we do, and this book shows the way. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Become Educated About CRT

ChristopherRufo.com

NewDiscourses.com

Thomas Sowell and Shelby Steele, Hoover Institution

Heather Mac Donald, Manhattan Institute

Ian Rowe, American Enterprise Institute

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Pastoral Message

Dick Foth interviews Steve Moore who has been a speech writer for social and political leaders for decades in D.C. and around the world. Steve is a self-described “political junkie.” Together, they paint a picture of what it might look like for those in the kingdom of God to engage with the political world. What hope is there for any sort of unity in America when the nation is so politically splintered? They also respond to questions which were submitted earlier. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Pastoral Message

Jeff Grobaski is the founder and CEO of Epic River. He draws on more than 25 years of experience in software development and product management in his pragmatic approach to tech innovation. Before creating Epic River, Jeff began his career at EDS where he worked as a systems engineer on several logistics and personnel systems in the Pentagon for the Department of Defense. After leaving EDS, Jeff put his top-secret clearance and systems engineering experience to work in the tech startup world. Jeff lays out what Christians need to be aware of when engaging in the various social media platforms, and then takes questions from those in attendance. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

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Non-Curated News

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Pastoral Message

Having the eternal perspective that the Bible offers, tells us that while we’re eternally wired for “intimacy,” we’re only temporarily programed for “sexual attraction/expression.” That is, marriage and sexual expression will not be a part of the new creation. Therefore, your “true, authentic self” cannot be the makeup of your sexual desires. Finally, we realize that we must develop a theology of celibacy from the Bible. You can watch the entire message by clicking here.

Additional Resources

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story, by Christopher Yuan

Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality - chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage - in a practical and relevant manner, equipping listeners with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture, by Sean McDowell

In Chasing Love, Sean McDowell will invite listeners into Jesus’ radical, upside-down approach to love, and in doing so, he’ll answer some of the toughest questions we’re asking about love today: How does Jesus speak to singleness? What does the Gospel say about LGBTQ issues? Can sexual sin truly be forgiven? What if I’m not happy in my marriage? The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.

Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed, by Alisa Childers

Alisa Childers invites you to examine modern lies that are disguised as truths in today’s culture. Everyday messages of peace, fulfillment, and empowerment swirl around social media. On the surface, they seem like sentiments of freedom and hope, but in reality, they are deeply deceptive. The book is accessible on Amazon in print, digital, or audio formats by clicking here.