T.S. Eliot and Culture

T.S. Eliot once wrote an essay entitled, "Notes Towards the Definition of Culture." In that essay, which was close to 100 pages long, he attempted to define culture in a normative way instead of the many descriptive means that were already in use.

Eliot described culture as "simply as that which makes life worth living." In this essay, Eliot posited the idea that culture and religion were linked. He wrote, "No culture can appear or develop except in relation to a religion." He made the case that religion and culture are two parts of the same whole, and he openly doubted whether any culture could come into existence without some religious basis.

Interestingly enough, Eliot also believed that while the separation of church and state avoided some problems it presented many more and made it virtually impossible for a Christian society or a Christian culture to exist. So, should we be surprised at where we currently find our own culture? I think not.

Culture is an abstract concept, but according to Eliot, there are standards for it and ways to measure it. To the Christian, this is important because we clearly see that culture has taken a severe left turn. Eliot believed that culture could be measured: they do say that one culture is superior to another in our history and archeology classes. Eliot also recognized that we can look at culture and determine whether it is in a period of decline or progress. Are these not forms of measurement?

As Christians we must not be afraid to make the case that even culture has standards. We sometimes give it a pass because it is abstract and nebulous, but that is only because we don't really understand it. We know, even in cultural things, when they are poor, obscene, unethical, heretical and the list goes on. We know these things, but never say anything because of the nature of culture. Because culture is abstract we are uncomfortable in demanding standards for it, and, as we have been silent, it has gone the way of Sodom.

Eliot called us to cultural humility as confrontation takes place. Is it not time for Christians to stand up and demand standards for even culture? I will leave you with Eliot's words as they are far superior to mine. Blessings!

"We should look for the improvement of society, as we seek our own individual improvement, in relatively minute particulars. We can not say: "I shall make myself into a different person"; we can only say: "I will give up this bad habit, and endeavour to contract this good one." So of society we can only say" "We shall try to improve it in this respect or the other, where excess or defect is evident: we must try at the same time to embrace so much in our view, that we may avoid, in putting one thing right, putting something else wrong."