What are the cultural issues that affect the church in usa?
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The primary challenge modern culture offers Christian faith is that the former is itself the fruit of a historico-cultural process deeply influenced by Christian faith. In many ways modern culture is an elevated, sophisticated one, containing a great variety of precious anthropological insights and strengths, with a surprising adaptability and openness to absorb, to clarify and to unite. However in the present moment it comes across, in many cases, as a ‘culture without faith’, a culture wilfully disconnected from the faith that gave life to it in the first place, and thus, ultimately, a fragile culture. This has led many of those influenced by modern culture to a generalised loss of faith and to a pathology of individualism and ingratitude, as they attempt to live in isolation from their fellows, unprepared to recognise the world they live in and the privileges they enjoy as God’s gifts. This suggests the need to widen the scope of human rationality in two directions: with others and towards others; other humans and ultimately God, the source of all goodness and truth. This study will consider the relationship between culture and Christian faith in terms of the influence of faith on culture and of culture on faith, with a view to understanding (1) how modern culture, formed and informed to an important degree by faith, now challenges faith anew to provide answers to questions that have not been asked before, and (2) how faith can challenge culture anew, not just by providing solutions but also by posing new questions. The topic of course is very ample and complex, and so the study will only provide an introductory reflection.
All in all, it can be said that faith is possible and meaningful because God is ‘trustable’. In effect, one of the key terms the Bible applies to God is that he is ‘faithful’… and the faith of creatures is possible because in the first place God is faithful in his actions and words to the Covenant he established with humans, being at once all-powerful, good and merciful. And in the New Testament the same idea is to be found: God is omnipotent Love, and therefore is worthy of unreserved faith. If God was not faithful then faith would dwindle, slump and die. In other words, faith is not ‘our’ contribution to a religious life, ‘our’ trusting attitude towards ultimate reality… Rather it is the adequate response of humans to a faithful, loving God who reveals himself to us, who infuses the light of his life into our hearts. In that sense it makes no sense to speak of ‘faiths’ in the plural: there is only one ‘faith’ because there is only one God. There are different religions, because God created us as religious beings, “in his image and likeness” (Gn 1:27). But there is only one faith, because there is only one God who reveals. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul says that there “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ef 4:5). “If faith is not one, it is not faith”, to cite Gregory the Great (In Nativ. Domini Sermo, 4, 6).
Interestingly, the terms ‘faith’ and ‘culture’ in the modern and Christian meanings were absent on the whole from the lexicon and world-view of the ancient world.
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All in all, it can be said that faith is possible and meaningful because God is ‘trustable’. In effect, one of the key terms the Bible applies to God is that he is ‘faithful’… and the faith of creatures is possible because in the first place God is faithful in his actions and words to the Covenant he established with humans, being at once all-powerful, good and merciful. And in the New Testament the same idea is to be found: God is omnipotent Love, and therefore is worthy of unreserved faith. If God was not faithful then faith would dwindle, slump and die. In other words, faith is not ‘our’ contribution to a religious life, ‘our’ trusting attitude towards ultimate reality… Rather it is the adequate response of humans to a faithful, loving God who reveals himself to us, who infuses the light of his life into our hearts. In that sense it makes no sense to speak of ‘faiths’ in the plural: there is only one ‘faith’ because there is only one God. There are different religions, because God created us as religious beings, “in his image and likeness” (Gn 1:27). But there is only one faith, because there is only one God who reveals. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul says that there “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ef 4:5). “If faith is not one, it is not faith”, to cite Gregory the Great (In Nativ. Domini Sermo, 4, 6).
Interestingly, the terms ‘faith’ and ‘culture’ in the modern and Christian meanings were absent on the whole from the lexicon and world-view of the ancient world.
HOPE IT HELPS
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