Cultural Theology: Culture
Cultural theology examines how Christian faith interacts with culture, both shaping and being shaped by it. Culture provides the language, categories, and forms in which theology is expressed, but it also exerts pressures that can distort or enrich Christian witness. Every generation does theology within a cultural context, yet Scripture remains the foundation against which all cultural forms are measured.
Theologians must therefore recognize culture as both God-given and fallen. It reflects the goodness of creation, since humans were made to cultivate the earth (Genesis 2:15), but it also bears the marks of sin, since humanity often seeks to construct meaning apart from God (Romans 1:21–23). Cultural theology calls the church to engage culture critically, faithfully, and hopefully, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ’s kingdom within every cultural setting.
1. Definition and Nature of Culture
Culture can be understood as the “secondary environment” humans create through language, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions. It is the framework within which people make sense of life and organize society.
From a theological perspective, culture is:
God-given – Humanity’s cultural creativity reflects the image of God, who created and ordered the world (Genesis 1:28).
Shaped by sin – Culture often reflects rebellion against God, seeking autonomy and self-sufficiency (Romans 1:25).
Historically diverse – Cultures differ across time and place, shaping how theology is expressed and understood.
Thus, culture is not neutral; it is a mixture of good and evil, truth and distortion. The task of theology is to discern what aligns with God’s Word and what must be rejected or transformed.
2. Culture as Context for Theology
Theology never arises in a vacuum. Culture provides the “grammar” of theology—the categories, metaphors, and frameworks through which faith is articulated. For example:
Early church fathers used Greek philosophical terms to express biblical truths about Christ’s divinity.
Medieval theology drew on feudal imagery to describe God’s lordship.
Modern theology often uses political or psychological categories to frame human experience.
This cultural embeddedness is not inherently wrong. Theologians are called to use cultural forms to communicate the Gospel. However, the risk lies in allowing culture to control theology, reshaping doctrine to fit human preferences instead of divine revelation.
3. Models of Christ and Culture
H. Richard Niebuhr famously described several models for how Christians relate to culture. While imperfect, these categories highlight the range of possible responses:
Christ against culture – Rejecting cultural forms as inherently corrupt.
Christ of culture – Blending faith with cultural ideals, often uncritically.
Christ above culture – Seeing culture as incomplete without divine grace.
Christ and culture in paradox – Recognizing ongoing tension between God’s kingdom and human culture.
Christ transforming culture – Engaging culture critically with the aim of renewal.
Cultural theology recognizes the validity of different emphases in various contexts but insists that Scripture must remain the ultimate standard. Culture may shape theological expression, but it cannot redefine God’s revelation.
4. Critical Engagement with Culture
Theologians must engage culture critically, discerning what reflects truth and what opposes God. Some perspectives view culture positively as God-given, while others view it with suspicion, calling it “the devil’s whore” when it seeks to create meaning without reference to God. Both perspectives remind us of culture’s dual nature.
Practical ways to engage culture include:
Affirming creation’s goodness – Celebrating cultural beauty, art, and knowledge that reflect God’s image.
Rejecting idolatry – Exposing cultural practices that worship wealth, power, or pleasure instead of God.
Reforming practices – Redirecting cultural forms, such as music or technology, toward service of the Gospel.
Living counterculturally – Bearing witness to God’s kingdom by embodying distinct values of holiness, justice, and love.
Cultural theology therefore requires discernment, neither retreating from culture nor surrendering to it.
5. Gospel and Last Days Perspective
Ultimately, cultural theology must be grounded in the Gospel. The Gospel proclaims that Jesus Christ is Lord, and his reign extends over every culture. No culture is beyond the reach of Christ’s transforming power, and no culture can claim immunity from his judgment.
From a last days perspective, culture will be both judged and redeemed:
Judged – Human cultures that exalt themselves against God will face destruction (Revelation 18).
Redeemed – The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:26).
This means that cultural goods—language, art, and creativity—will find their fulfillment in God’s kingdom, purified from sin and devoted to his glory. The church’s task now is to bear witness to this future reality by engaging culture with the Gospel, living under Christ’s kingship, and anticipating the renewal of all things.
Conclusion
Cultural theology recognizes culture as a powerful force shaping theological thought and practice. While culture is God-given and necessary for human expression, it is also tainted by sin and must be engaged critically. Theologians are called to root their work in Scripture, use cultural forms wisely, and proclaim the Gospel faithfully in every context.
The models of Christ and culture remind us of the diverse ways Christians can relate to cultural realities, but all must be tested against the Word of God. In the end, cultural theology points forward to the kingdom of God, where all cultures will be judged, redeemed, and united under Christ.
Bible Verses on Culture and Theology
Genesis 1:28 – “Fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over…every living thing.”
Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
Psalm 96:3 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.”
Isaiah 60:11 – “Your gates shall be open continually…that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations.”
John 17:14–15 – “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”
Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
1 Corinthians 9:22–23 – “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”
Colossians 2:8 – “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition.”
Revelation 21:26 – “They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.”
