What is "Christian" ?

Part One: Christian Bookstores and an Introduction to Christianity and Pop-Culture

This might sound like a subject on the effect of the protestant ethic in the United States. But, its not. It could be a positive review of an outspoken Christian CEO in America, like Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-Fil-A. But its not. Its actually a sarcastic, maybe obnoxious but hopefully realistic view of one slice of the cultural issues that face Jesus-followers in America. I hope to cover a few different issues in Christian culture. The next article will cover what "Christian" means today. Please remember this is my opinion and I am in no way trying to speak for any other authors on BeTheChurch.com.

Christian bookstores...where do I start? They are often a great resource for ministers, lay people and students for study material, as well as the latest Christian music, software, or even devotionals. These are very helpful things, especially for people in rural areas where choices are limited and the internet is a bit slower.

TOP TEN ITEMS I'M NOT BUYING AT A CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE

What is not useful in a Christian bookstore? Here's a top ten for me. (You could silently to yourself add "Christian" before every one of these. More on that next time.)

1. Clothing

2. Bumper Stickers

3. Jewelry

4. Candy

5. Propaganda (Heartless, impersonal tracts. Ick.)

6. House ware (Cups, plates, etc.)

7. Ornamental, collectible figures and trinkets. (See the figurine above.)

8. Toys (Board Games and action figures, which would include the likes of Bible Monopoly --um, a contradiction anyone? -- and Bible Man.)

9. Health and Beauty (Yea, I'm serious.)

"Around the outside of each Nahara gift box is a breathtaking photograph of the world-famous Yardenit Baptismal Site, the site by the Sea of Galilee where tourists and pilgrims come to be baptized in the Jordan River. The interior of the gift box transforms into a map of Galilee, providing customers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Holy Land. "

10. Pictures, Artwork. (OK, this ain't so bad. But man sometimes people get downright untalented with this stuff, and I have to answer for it as a Christian.)

Bookstore Gallery

Easy targets. Thats what I call these pictures. I could comment on these--well, OK--so I will. Yeah, thats you Jesus. Right there! Gotcha! (Wink!) He reminds me of a used car salesman. Is this plastic Jesus a smaller representation of a larger problem? I believe so.

Here's your everyday Jesus action figure. Capitalism at work in our Christian lives. Has Jesus become irrelevant?

Ah, here we are. This is an innocent little cross, right? I cringe at objects like this. Its clean. Its smooth. It is a false representation of the Christian life and of Christ's sacrifice--and someone's making money on it. This is an example of the sanitizing of the cross. What kind of perception does this object project? Is it more for your kid, or for you to think about your kid? Will life be peachy if he or she's a "good Christian kid"? Jesus said to measure the cost before you follow the Rabbi for the road is a rough one. Life is tough but God is good.

And here's one of my favorites: Kirk Cameron starring in "Left Behind." This just fuels the xenophobic Christian's desire to throw out the outside influences in this world and go pure Christian media to protect themselves and their children. (Not to mention the bad exegesis by writer Tim LaHaye with this series.)

How many Christian bookstores don't carry Testamints?  (Not many. It is a national Christian bookstore staple.) Am I really supposed to give my friends a Testamint without feeling like a total dweeb?

The above images really are painful for me as a Jesus follower living in today's world. I mean it is funny, but also tragic. The majority of conservative Christian culture we have come to know or have grown up with have been marginalized by the rest of the world, and I must say for good reason. Now I'd like to quickly point out that I hate making generalist statements, but just like with every slice of life, there is culture and subculture. There are churches and movements out there that are going against the negatively perceived mentality about the Church, and relating Jesus in an authentic way. There is a reason we need to move from the modernistic (Christendom) way of living and thinking, and move towards authentic and relevant church/living/thinking.

Where Christianity meets religion, and where religion meets the world

If I may define a few words and phrases: Christendom and post modernism

Christendom, or "dominion of the church" to briefly summarize a very complex idea and context, is the world view and reality of much of the world since Emperor Constantine divined Christianity as the new public/common religion of Rome in the 5th century. This term is closely associated with the notion of theocracy, a God-centered government, or more recently defined as just the social landscape. Christendom had essentially come to an end by the 1960s, and had reached a deafening halt around the late 80s and early 90s. The dominion of the church wasn't and still isn't in most cases a good thing. Of course this depends on your social perspective.

We live in a postmodern age. You may have modernist tendencies, but the truth is, modernity is all but gone. The 50's, the golden age is gone. There are few places in America where the effects post modernity have not had some influence. (Which would have to be a place without TV and the Internet.) Are you aware that you live in a post-modern world, where there is no accepted truth--no universal accepted truth? Are you aware that Pop-culture, (i.e. American Idol, Mass media outlets, etc.) to a growing number of people and generations is more authoritative and influential than what the bible says, than common time-tested values that their parents reinforce, what they are being taught in the classroom, even more authoritative than what documented history tells us?

If you are aware of this shift in thought and perception, which you now are through reading these lines, you are an aware postmodern. It is not a bad thing, its not anti-Christian as I will point out--it is just a shift in how we have adapted to different historical events and technology such as the freedom of speech, human rights, the information age, the Internet, etc. To further express the idea of post modernism vs. modernism, think of how opinion columns and editorials are just as or even more important to people as the actual news events in papers, magazines, and TV. 

Back to Christendom. The 5th century and Constantine's politicizing of Christianity reflects the neutering of the heart of the gospel by the Roman empire as the "national" religion causing the first political Christian influence; Its legacy is still seen today by the likes of figures such as Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, George Bush--the list goes on. Not that politics and Christianity is purely a bad thing, but is so dangerous when using Christian influence on such a magnified scale to effect and validate non-Christian power and authority, and money. Lets not forget the likes of the Spanish inquisition, the "Christian" crusades led by the "church," and the "Christian nations," and let us not forget the thousands of years the self-authoritative Catholic church kept the common man from the words of the bible by speaking it only in Latin when the printing press wasn't yet in existence and by proxy, keeping the power in the hands of those who wished to keep it: church leaders.

Was this dominion of the church ever good, or predominantly bad? I think good in a few ways, but for the most part very bad. There were the social and moral standards that were raised all over the world the influence of the church had over the social norms and unspoken values it had in society. As I mentioned, wars were fought over the politicizing of the church. Positive influence was often a guise for real power and gain. I could see how Karl Marx believed religion was an opium for the masses - way to control people's behavior.

Now in the year 2007, the idea of the gospel and God's values being the REAL truth or over-arching world view for the majority of Americans is unfortunately not getting traction anymore. Of course, spiritualism and mysticism are popular as most Americans proclaim that there is a higher power, but less than half actually attend a church or can define specifically the Christian God or Jesus as authoritative in their lives, and even those percentages are superficial. In light of these figures, I know probably most of the Christians I know would despair and think, "how low has our nation sunk? We were once a great Christian nation with Christian values. It is time that we renew the faith we had as a nation!

Is it really about striving to being a Christian nation as a whole, or being the church (a shameless plug) where we are as individuals and with our Jesus-following local communities. The idea that our countenance as American Christians in the 21st century is tied to past nationalistic faith is outdated and really not biblical. The Old Testament people of God were closely tied to the people of Israel. The New Testament church are a people of every nation, color, and ethnicity. We, the church, are a spiritual nation and not a physical nation like Israel.

Expert sociologist and author George Barna recently posted that over 100 million Americans are unchurched. ( That may surprise some of us as having been historically speaking a "Christian nation" (whatever that really means), but the numbers don't lie: In 1994, for instance the number of unchurched leveled around 39 Million, and as recently as 2004 was estimated at 75 million. Thats 3.5 Million people on average a year for the 10 year period between '94-'04; From 2004-2007, over 3 years, has jumped 25 million--averaging over 8 million a year. The trend is not changing.

So What Age Are We In?

Postchristian

It sounds so discouraging, and so anti-God. "Let's go stand up for what we believe in!" "Let's go rage against the machine!" "Stand up for the Ten Commandments! Don't let them take that away, too!" Wrong.

This speak is very much modernist/Christendom thinking. It is out-dated. It used to be a battle of science: you give me your facts and I'll present mine. Whoever has the best argument wins. Well, that way of thinking is not effective to be honest. If you are out to find something "Christian" to fight for, maybe it should be for your neighbor who doesn't know Jesus. Instead of politicizing your faith--instead of boycotting for Jesus and perpetuating the notion that Christianity is no more than a facade and a politician's voucher into office, the power of a postmodern Christian testimony is king. That's right, its not so much about (as it used to be) facts and figures, measurements, height-width-depth as it is personal experience. I am not diminishing the objective nature of God's supremacy. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-encompassing, but how can man know that for sure? Instead of an attitude of, "everyone is a Christian, you're an outsider if you don't believe," black and white--we live in a world where Christianity is no longer accepted as THE truth. It is merely another option in a sea of choice.

I remember in High School, I would often try to live my life in an acceptable way to God, and try to project that holiness to my classmates. There was no realness factor to my Christianity, though. Church to me stressed the importance to separate yourself from "the sinners", the nonbelievers for fear of pulling you down. So, I lived by that standard, not realizing by creating a holy bubble I was making the Great Commission an irrelevant joke. I wasn't holy. I was a sinner. So was everyone else. I was just an "informed sinner."

I believe Christianity is the main theme in our reality; Its a truth that is the only truth. The rest of the world doesn't get that or doesn't want to get it. If we are more aware of what popular trends in thinking are, we will be more equipped as Christians to make a difference in the lives of those who need God. Think of how you can make traction with those you come into contact with that really don't get Christianity, who may not think like you do.

Comments

[Jacynda Lynch]

Right on baby! Right on!

[Chris Stewart]

Josh,

Excellent thoughts bro. It's been so long since I have been in a Christian bookstore that I had no idea they sold half that stuff (i.e. beauty products and Jesus action figures).

Your explanation of Christendom, Modernity, Postmodernity, and Post-Christian culture is concise and insightful.

For many people reading this article, the proof of having been influenced by Christendom and Modernity will be that we are unsure of whether or not we should feel "good", "bad", or "indifferent" about all the Christian sub-cultural things you described. Some may think to themselves as they read your critique of the bookstore items, "What's so bad about that? Wouldn't you rather have your kids playing with a Jesus action figure than with a GI Joe?" Although there are so many levels on which we could address this issue (e.g. trivializing the Gospel, marketing Jesus, etc.), the fact is that one of the things Christendom has taught us is that Christianity is in competition with culture. And one of the ways we beat it is by creating our own.

My opinion, which also appears to be yours, is that that is missing the point of the Gospel, and it ultimately dilutes the Gospel.

The issue for us today is finding a place to stand that is firm, compassionate, grace-filled, and presenting of the truth. Leaning too much in the direction of Postmodernity will tend to hide the gospel at the expense of being in culture (syncretism). Leaning too much in the direction of modernity and Christendom will tend to present the Gospel as a culture, either for political advance or personal advance, forcing us to choose between things like "Bath & Body Works" or "Pool of Siloam" skincare; John Grisham or Tim LaHaye (sectarianism).

Thanks for the reminder, the ever-important directive of BEING the church.