Christ and Culture Revisited: Carson’s Summary of Niebuhr’s Taxonomy (4)

by May 7, 2008Uncategorized

The final three views in Niebuhr’s five-fold taxonomy are all forms of “Christ above culture.”

4. Christ and Culture in Paradox

Summary: While the previous view was synthetic, this view is dualistic. “In one sense, this group is much like the first, those who hold to the ‘Christ against culture’ position. But in that position there is a tendency to put the strongest emphasis on the distinction between ‘them’ and ‘us’; in this dualist position, by contrast, we are all lost, we are all sinners” (Carson, 23). “Hence the dualist joins the radical Christian in pronouncing the whole world of human culture to be godless and sick unto death. But there is this difference between them: the dualist knows that he belongs to that culture and cannot get out of it, that God indeed sustains him in it and by it; for if God in His grace did not sustain the world in its sin it would not exist for a moment.” (Niebuhr, 156).

Exemplars: A motif in Paul; Marcion, Augustine, Luther, Kierkegaard.

Counterargument: This dualism tends to lead Christians toward antinomianism or cultural conservatism, says Niebuhr.

Read More 

“The Horse Is Dead, Sir.” “Well, Beat It Some More.”

“The Horse Is Dead, Sir.” “Well, Beat It Some More.”

Faithlife just posted a blog interview they did with me about Authorized. Is there more to be said? Maybe a little! I got my first academic review of Authorized, and though I’m waiting to see if my response will be published in the same journal (the editor was...

Review: The ESV Preaching Bible

Review: The ESV Preaching Bible

The new ESV Preaching Bible is another win for Crossway. They gave me a copy to review (no strings attached, of course—well, actually, there were two ribbons in the Bible for bookmarking, but they weren’t attached to any stipulations from Crossway, just to the supple...

I’ve Got an Article in a New Book

The new Jonathan Edwards Encyclopedia has an article in it from yours truly, namely “Love.” A few friends have credits, too, including (but not limited to) Joe Tyrpak on David Brainerd (he wrote his DMin dissertation on Brainerd); Ryan Martin; and Nathan Lentfer. I...

Introduction to the New Testament for Bibles International

I wrote the following introduction to the New Testament for Bibles International; it is being translated and placed into Bibles all around the world. The Bible tells one story, because God has one plan for all of history (Isa. 46:9–10; Gal. 4:4–6). The 27 books of the...

Leave a comment.

0 Comments