“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
“I am a sect by myself, as far as I know” Thomas Jefferson wrote on June 25, 1819.
Jefferson was not conformed to the limits of his world but excelled in creativity and genius unmatched by his peers. He drafted the Declaration of Independence and was a chief architect of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
With the same creativity, Jefferson sought to move past what he considered artificial scaffolding in Christian religion—-the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity and resurrection of Jesus, and the divine authority of Scripture. He sought to uphold the ethical teachings of Jesus while rejecting the doctrines of historic Christianity.
Yet 200 years later there remains in America an enduring and maturing commitment to Nicene Christianity—-even in Jefferson’s beloved hometown.
In Charlottesville, Virginia—-home to Jefferson’s university (the University of Virginia) and a few miles from Monticello—-last week the New City Commons pastors forum hosted their third gathering. In partnership with the Kern Family Foundation, pastors from across the evangelical landscape converged to assess, discuss, and imagine the implications of faithful presence for the local church—-faithful to the revelation of God in his Son and present as followers of Jesus in all spheres of culture.
The forum provided an extended exchange on applying Romans 12:1-2 to explore ways the church continues conforming to this world and needs a renewing of our minds.
Foolishness of Christian Sincerity
“Christians need to engage the world not just sincerely, but also wisely,” said James Davison Hunter, author of To Change the World, in his opening remarks at the New City Commons forum. As a sociologist at the University of Virginia and director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, Hunter challenges the prevailing models of Christian engagement (conservative, progressive, and neo-Anabaptist) as based upon a fundamentally flawed understanding of culture and cultural change. [i]
In contrast to the assumptions of idealism and individualism in American Christianity, Hunter contends that cultures change over time through overlapping networks of elites and the institutions they lead. Unless Christians appreciate the role of networks and institutions in cultural change, they will continue to waste significant resources reinforcing the very societal ills they seek to redress, according to Hunter.
Sincerity in Christian engagement is not sufficient; wisdom is also essential.
Danger of False Modesty
The term elite might strike a negative chord, but it is a measurable social reality, not a value judgment. Christians called to servant leadership and humble stewardship on behalf of the “least of these” can superficially dismiss the term. Yet every person reading this article is literate (and in the lingua franca of our day) and has access to incredible amounts of information (all that the internet has to offer). Therefore, one does not need to think of how to become an elite, but rather recognize the existing opportunities to influence others.
“False modesty,” says Greg Thompson, pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church and board member of the New City Commons Foundation, “can lead to the neglect of responsibility.” If we do not think of ourselves as having influence over others or being responsible for the flourishing of our neighbors, “it is easier to justify playing golf four days a week,” he added.
Rather than rejecting the notion of influence, we ought to accept the responsibility with the sobering words of our Lord: “to whom much was given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
Need for Pastoral Stability
Practically, pastors can cultivate these values by pursuing longevity and stability within a particular local church. Shepherding congregations to renew their understanding of cultural engagement, creating or participating in networks and institutions that overlap, and stewarding resources toward the flourishing of our neighbors all require significant amounts of time (or presence). A vision of deep cultural change over time requires a commitment to sustained faithful presence in a particular time and place.
In the forum’s final session, Thompson challenged the pastors to look beyond any temporary conflicts or discontentment in our ministry locations and stay put. It is possible to attend a conference or read a book and begin to dream of doing ministry somewhere other than where God has planted us. Yet many of those thoughts, if we are honest, are motivated by pride and not love.
The calling to proclaim the love of God in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ should work itself out in love toward our congregations and neighbors.
Jefferson, alternately, divided ethics and doctrine before privileging ethics. We do not respond to his challenge most effectively by privileging doctrine but by rejecting the division. May we love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves—-faithful to the revelation of God in his Son and present as followers of Jesus in all spheres of culture.
[i] “As late as 1960, only 2 percent of the population claimed not to believe in God; even today, only 12 to 14 percent of the population would call themselves secularists. This means that in America today, 86 to 88 percent of the people adhere to some faith commitments. And yet our culture—-business culture, law and government, the academic world, popular entertainment—-is intensely materialistic and secular. Only occasionally do we hear references to religious transcendence in these realms, and even these are vague, generic, and void of particularity. If culture is the accumulation of values and choices made by individuals on the basis of these values, then how is that American public culture today is so profoundly secular in its character?” James Davison Hunter, To Change the World (19).
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
