We’ve spent the last 9 weeks studying Christianity and culture from the very basics of defining what culture is to understanding multiple paradigms through which we, as Christians, can effectively engage the culture from a Christian worldview.  As we near the end of our study, we’ll take a deep dive into Tim Keller’s 4 “cultural camps” and tackle the questions:

Which one does the Bible teach?

And ultimately,

What do I believe?

To get the most out of this lesson, you'll want to reference the accompanying slide presentation, which can be accessed by copying the following URL into your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RsMFropwusMiSExkLaXjbDPOw8in3EKG/preview.

Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about the possibility of cultural change?

Is the current culture redeemable and full of common grace, or fundamentally fallen and lacking common grace?

Our answers to those questions can help us to see where we fit into the spectrum of cultural engagement and also teaches us what we can learn from those who have equally orthodox, but pragmatically different perspectives on the Christian’s role in culture.

To get the most out of this lesson, you'll want to reference the accompanying slide presentation, which can be accessed by copying the following URL into your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RsMFropwusMiSExkLaXjbDPOw8in3EKG/preview.

In this episode of Christ and Culture, Ike Reeder takes a deep dive into Richard Neibur's 5 approaches to confronting the world. To get the most out of this lesson, you'll want to reference the visual chart in the accompanying slide presentation. This chart, which can be accessed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RsMFropwusMiSExkLaXjbDPOw8in3EKG/preview, references a spectrum of Christian views on cultural engagement with explanatory notes that Ike refers to throughout the presentation.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. However, the way we express this out in our day to day lives and in our relationships with others can look very different depending on our philosophical approach to the broader culture. In this episode, join Ike as he concludes our study of C.S. Lewis' "suburbs of Jerusalem" and explores Richard Neibuhr's 5 categories or approaches to Christ and Culture.

If we are called by God to be culture makers through the creation mandate and within the context of the second commandment, how then shall we live?  In lesson 5 of Christ and Culture, Ike Reeder explores the approaches of 2 great thinkers, J. Gresham Machen and C.S. Lewis.  Join Ike as he unpacks their writings on the impact that engaged Christians can can have on our culture.

The 2nd Commandment teaches us that we are not to make image or likeness of anything in heaven and earth. So what does that mean for the creative process? In lesson 5 of Ike Reeder’s Christ and Culture series, we’ll explore what God has to say about artistic intentions, the pitfalls of creative idolatry and how, as Paul instructs us in Colossians 2 and 3, we are to stay rooted in Christ.

To see culture through a biblical lens, particularly as it relates to the arts, we must first understand how God views the creative process. What does God have to say about artistic expression and how are we, as Christian culture-bearers to engage in it? Join Ike Reeder as he reconciles the Creation Mandate with the 2nd Commandment in lesson 4 of Christ and Culture.

What is a Reformed Christian view of cultural engagement? To understand the Bible’s theology of culture and answer the question, we have to go back to the Garden of Eden and connect the creation mandate with the Great Commission in Matthew.

It seems obvious to us that we live in a specific culture, but many of us would struggle to define exactly what culture is and even more-so how, as Christians, we should engage with it. In this lesson in the Christianity and Culture series, Join Ike Reeder, president of Birmingham Theological Seminary, as he shares insights into culture from T.S. Elliot and Hans Rookmaaker, discusses the key elements of culture and introduces us to 4 specific types of culture.