The Decreasing Christian Influence...

I have been doing some thinking about the current Christian influence in culture. Many have been writing about the decreasing Christian influence in the west for many years.


Back in 1948, T.S. Eliot published an essay, Notes toward the Definition of Culture. Eliot was concerned about the loss of Christian influence in the culture of the West. Eliot was concerned that Christianity should be a culturally influential force, and not just as an individual belief system. Eliot's fear was that Christians could be in a society in which Christianity has, for all practical purpose died and be quite comfortable. Is Eliot's fear in 1948 a reality in 2009?


Ken Meyers, in his article, Discerning the Barbarians, references Eliot's essay and adds to this idea of Christianity in society,


"My hunch is that few Christians think of the larger concentric circles of time when evaluation the context of their obedience. What is the age or stage of our civilization? What difference does the state of our culture at large make to our loving God and neighbor?"

Pragmatism is alive and well, even in those of us in Christ. We must fight this temptation to live pragmatically as the rest of the world does because when we do live as pragmatic Christians we will easily live while there is no longer a Christian influence in the general culture. Eliot and Myers both reference the difference between the individual faith and the cultural influence, but should there be a difference? Jesus and a handful of faithful, although sinful, followers radically changed culture and the world from the smallest, most insignificant, part of the large Roman world. They went to the centers of society in Palestine and engaged; and most times, it cost them their lives.


How do we stop the decreasing Christian influence? I believe we engage culture through relationships, conversation and belief, and the perfect venue is Christian education. Is Jesus real? Did He die on a cross and rise again three days later and ascend to heaven? Is there such a thing as eternal life? These are questions that can be only answered through a relationship, a conversation and a belief brought by the Holy Spirit. They are questions meant to foster relationships, conversations and beliefs, and they are questions impossible to answer in one setting.

Is there a decreasing Christian influence in our culture? Will a yes answer change us? Blessings!