Paper Category: Christianity and Culture

This paper examines Paul G. Hiebert’s influential “critical contextualization” framework (notably developed in his 1994 book Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues) and proposes the “biblical missions model” as a necessary enhancement for contemporary missiology. While Hiebert’s model has provided valuable guidance for evangelical missionaries navigating cultural complexities, it is time for an updated response to … Read more

Christian theologians and secular cultural critics have increasingly observed and documented the many ways in which modern technologies have had and continue to have deleterious effects on interpersonal relationships, mental health and Christian community and sanctification more broadly. These authors range from twentieth century commentators like Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman to the contemporary social … Read more

Pastors typically spend the bulk of their time interacting with Christians. For this reason, they may not fully appreciate the experiences of their congregants who interact with the non-Christian world on a daily basis. Sermons, for example, from Esther, Daniel, or 1 Peter may be less effective if they fail to grapple with the challenges … Read more

This paper will explore the problems with the use of the label “cultural apologetics,” while at the same time arguing for the importance of a cluster of strategies that are commonly labeled as such. The adjective “cultural” to describe apologetics can suggest that other versions of apologetics could be acultural, understood universally, outside of the … Read more

This paper offers a retrieval of the classical Christian theology of beatific vision. The reason behind this is due to the challenges brought by the progress of digital technology like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and robotics today. The rapid progress threatens the classical view of beatific vision with its version of technological singularity. Hence, the … Read more

Jean François Lyotard, who is credited with first applying the term “postmodern” to the world of philosophy, is perhaps best known for his definition of postmodernity as “incredulity towards metanarratives.” This claim, understood as a statement abjuring absolute truth-claims, has produced a certain notoriety both for Lyotard and for Postmodernism in general amongst Christian thinkers … Read more

Previous and contemporary scholarship has called attention to the increasingly elastic and incoherent nature of evangelical identity in American discourse. The label “evangelical” has been stretched to encompass a wide array of often contradictory cultural, political, and self-identified groups, diluting its theological significance. Critiquing definitions based on culture, self-identification, and socio-historical analysis, this paper contends … Read more

“Sixteen Tons,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Big Bad John,” “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” and “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Coal-mining ballades have landed in the top tier of the charts multiple times in the past 75.00 years. Whether they became radio hits, reached broader culture as soundtrack selections, or went viral on social media, Coal-mining … Read more