Is It Time for American Christians to Bow Out of the Culture Wars? Part 1

Last updated on: December 14, 2018 at 8:14 am by Roger E. Olson

Is It Time for American Christians to Bow Out of the Culture Wars? Part 1 2018-12-14T08:14:40-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is It Time for American Christians to Bow out of the Culture Wars? Part 1

First, what do I mean by “the culture wars?” Well, of course, in the broadest sense there have always been culture wars. Anyone who knows anything about American history knows it. There have always been struggles between different religious and political groups over public and private morality, what is shameful, sinful, what should be legal, illegal, etc. One of the “biggest” was the “war” over alcohol that was temporarily won on the legal front by the “temperance movement” composed mostly of conservative Christians. It was called “Prohibition”—a period in American history when the manufacture, distribution and even consumption of alcoholic beverages was illegal. But that’s just one illustration; numerous other examples could be cited—examples of times in American history when people imposed or tried to impose a moral vision on the public at large by legal means.

Second, what culture wars are going on now in America? Well, of course, anyone who is paying any attention to American culture already knows it. The current culture wars are driven mostly by conservative Christians and the two main issues are homosexuality and abortion. I find that many young people are not aware, though, that these are not new issues. Does anyone remember Anita Bryant or Randall Terry?

Third, although the current American culture wars are being driven mainly by conservative Christians and reactions against their moral campaigns, there was a time in American history when progressive Christians were waging their own culture wars—against laissez faire capitalism, for unions, against poverty, for some form of socialism. The Social Gospel was progressive Christians such as Washington Gladden and Walter Rauschenbusch linking up with more secular progressives to promote changes in American culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They weren’t satisfied with merely preaching to their own congregations; they were public voices speaking to legislators about public policy changes (e.g., the full legalization of unions).

*Sidebar: The opinions expressed here are my own (or those of the guest writer); I do not speak for any other person, group or organization; nor do I imply that the opinions expressed here reflect those of any other person, group or organization unless I say so specifically. Before commenting read the entire post and the “Note to commenters” at its end.*

The fact of the matter is that both some conservative and some progressive Christians have always been interfering in matters of public policy—attempting to impose on everyone their own religiously-motivated visions of morality. “You can’t legislate morality” has been resisted by both left-leaning and right-leaning Christians who have always been active in some American culture war.

Things have gotten bad. I speak into the current (second decade of the 21st century) scene in America. Many American Christians, especially conservative ones, mostly new fundamentalists, believe they have a political champion in the current president who claims to be a Christian but whose personal life is fraught with problems. A church historian cannot help but see parallels between this situation and that of Christians in the early fourth century when a Roman emperor named Constantine seemed to let Christians into the halls of political power after a long period when Christians in the Roman Empire felt powerless. Whether this development was good or bad—for Christianity and/or for Western culture in general–is still hotly debated. But there can be little doubt that it represented a major turning point for Christianity which had before been virtually powerless in terms of politics and shaping public policy.

Today, in the second decade of the 21st century, in America, Christians are lined up against each other—over whether and to what extent traditional religious morality should influence public policy and, if so, whose religious morality and how? Today the main dividing line, breaking point, is not between Catholic and Protestants or between infant baptizing Protestants and believer baptizing Protestants or between Protestants who believe in miracles and Protestants who don’t believe in miracles. Today the dividing line is over politics and often even over a single individual political leader. Deep and abiding, long-term and intimate friendships, even among close relatives, are being broken off via social media by these differences. People are shifting church membership over these differences.

Some Christians are saying that Christian involvement in direct or indirect political issues is dangerous to the gospel of Jesus Christ and that especially when Christians adopt a political ideology or party or leader as intimately, even inextricably, associated with the gospel.

The issue being raised by some Christians, evangelicals included, is whether Christians are called to shape public policy ever and by any means at all—as Christians. Some are calling for Christians simply to be salt and light in an American culture that is post-Christian. Any attempt to intervene in politics, they argue, invariably corrupts the church and leads Christians into what some church leaders of the past have called “Satan’s territory.” (Augustine of Hippo sometimes seemed to think this way even though he was not consistent about it. He did call on the empire to suppress heretics.)

A basic question is: Is it too late anyway—for Christian morality (however understood) to influence public policy? Put another way, is America now a post-Christian society much like most European countries, Canada, Australia and other societies that once were strongly Christian at least in terms of listening to and taking seriously Christian pastors, theologians, and public intellectuals? Many Christians now view America as secular and pagan (a strange combination) to the core. “Post-Christian” in the sense that Christian claims make no sense to most people outside of their own church and private spiritual lives if they have any.

Various Christian intellectuals have put forward this thesis (namely, that the answer is “yes”) and have proposed various “models” for Christian involvement in American culture that take seriously its post-Christian condition. Most of these proposals seem to have one thing in common: belief that the church and Christians in general should influence society and culture by example and prayer rather than by political action.

This proposal, in its various varieties, of course, is not new. It harks back to pre-Constantinian Christianity and the Anabaptist approach to “Christ and culture.” Some say it also harks back to monasticism (but, of course, at various times abbots of monasteries had great political power).

So, this is my question to my readers. I don’t have any definite answer. I am torn. One day I tend to think it’s too late and possibly spiritually dangerous (for the churches to attempt to intervene in public morality and policy-making). Then the next day I think “But if Christians don’t speak up in the public square and pressure lawmakers to keep American culture from sinking into total hedonism and decadence, who will?” I have long been torn between Staneley Hauerwas and Reinhold Niebuhr (for those of you who know these two theologians who represent both ends of the spectrum on this issue).

In Part 2 (next) I will float a trial balloon solution to my dilemma and see what others think about it. Watch for it. In the meantime, feel free to share your solutions or agree/disagree and give reasons.

*Note to commenters: This blog is not a discussion board; please respond with a question or comment only to me. If you do not share my evangelical Christian perspective (very broadly defined), feel free to ask a question for clarification, but know that this is not a space for debating incommensurate perspectives/worldviews. In any case, know that there is no guarantee that your question or comment will be posted by the moderator or answered by the writer. If you hope for your question or comment to appear here and be answered or responded to, make sure it is civil, respectful, and “on topic.” Do not comment if you have not read the entire post and do not misrepresent what it says. Keep any comment (including questions) to minimal length; do not post essays, sermons or testimonies here. Do not post links to internet sites here. This is a space for expressions of the blogger’s (or guest writers’) opinions and constructive dialogue among evangelical Christians (very broadly defined).

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 11, 2018

Idolatry on a Billboard?

Next Post

December 17, 2018 Is It Time for American Christians to Bow out of the Culture Wars? Part 2

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In 2 Peter, what does Peter say he will make every effort to help believers do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Always remember these things after his departure Grow in grace Stand firm in faith Avoid false teachers