Exploring a Similar Thought of Another Nature
Introduction
How does culture affect our belief in God and the way we think and live our lives? It’s an interesting question to ponder, so that we can make mindful decisions on the direction in which we want our lives to go or at least understand more clearly where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. In our readings this week, we examine the rise of Evangelicalism during the period in which capitalism emerged, took root, and grew in Britain and North America. Using David Bebbington’s foundational text, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, A History from the 1730’s to the 1980s, and a chapter entitled, “Evangelical Anxiety: From Assurance to Providence,” from Dr. Jason Clark’s dissertation, we are challenged to see how culture influenced and opened doors for new Christian doctrine and, how Christians responded in a quickly changing, capitalistic market that transformed the world. We are also challenged, in a broader sense, to recognize ways in which our churches and faith have been impacted by culture.
Bebbington Highlights Evangelicalism
Bebbington attempts to do two things in his book: show the influence of Evangelicals on society and explore “the ways in which Evangelical religion has been moulded by its environment.”[1] He states that Evangelicalism does not represent any one denomination, but “influenced the existing churches during the eighteenth century and generated many more in subsequent years.”[2] For Bebbington, there are four qualities that distinguished Evangelicalism from earlier faith traditions, which include “conversion, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the Gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be called crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.”[3] Though traditions that preceded Evangelicalism may have shared some combination of the above characteristics, Evangelicalism uniquely claimed all four.[4]
Clark’s Views, Building Upon Bebbington
Clark builds upon Bebbington’s work and explores the relationship between the rise of capitalism and the growth of Evangelicalism. For Clark, capitalism is “a form of business in which the objective of making return on capital overrides others and so determines what the business does.”[5] He notes that Evangelicalism arose as a doctrine of assurance amongst Puritan believers who were anxious and unsure of their salvation. His purpose is to show how this inner anxiety, though calmed by the doctrine of assurance, actually “migrated” into new anxieties caused by capitalism. The doctrine of providence thus arose, in order to address these new anxieties.[6] Clark pursues this argument in detail, ending with the following launch pad, which will take him into further research of his thesis:
“Evangelicalism within my accounts so far is seen as both a creature of capitalism, and a way of responding to capitalism. Initially for Evangelicals, and dominant for them, was the desire for inner spiritual renewal of the self around an identity in Christ. Yet that social imagination for the self eventually atrophies and becomes a market imagination within capitalism. We can see that a lack of attention to the form of church by Evangelicals led to its taking a form captive to the logic of market imaginations. The Evangelical focus of salvation outside the church, results in the relocation of salvation into the home, which simultaneously becomes the location for the privatization of life around the demands of capitalist markets and leisure.”[7]
Thus, we see how people who set out to follow only Christ were unknowingly influenced by their culture and incorporated cultural qualities into the beliefs and activities of their doctrine and practice.
Exploring a Similar Thought of Another Nature
This relationship of Evangelicalism and the way that Christians shaped and were shaped by emerging cultural ideas and practices, makes me think of my NPO research in which I examined how people throughout history have understood their relationship to nature and God. I discovered that the ways in which humans have understood this relationship, according to their interpretation of God’s intended design, has changed throughout history, often following cultural trends. Some examples of this include changing thought patterns during the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and emerging political and societal trends in the nineteenth through twenty-first centuries. I will briefly describe some of my findings here.
Renaissance Thinking
The Renaissance period (1300-1600) was an exciting time of exploring the world and the bounds of human capability and creativity. People viewed nature as a collection of unliving atoms to be controlled by god-like humans. Biblical interpretations arose permitting humans to dominate over the elements and animals for human purposes. Some historians believe “it is this fundamental belief that humanity has divine power and authority to alter and re-create the natural world that furnished modernity with its prevailing worldview.”[8]
The Industrial Revolution and Mechanical Materialism
The Industrial Revolution, beginning in 1760 in Britain and pervading the Western world into the 1900’s, heightened confidence in scientific discovery and led people to believe that the mysteries of nature could be quantified, identified, and understood through mathematical equations and experimentation.[9] This mindset infiltrated Christian teachings and the distance between the human-Creator relationship and nature widened. Philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) wrote that nature is “immutable, hard, and dead conglomerations of moving particles.”[10] His ideas isolated humans from creation and were “uncritically” incorporated into Protestantism. Scholar Laurel Kearns believes the shift of worldview from 1500 to 1700 was the “disintegration of a more immanent and organic view of nature, and the ascendancy of the modern, mechanistic worldview that sees nature as dead, or inert, and atomized.”[11] From that point forward, the personalization of religion and salvation became the driving force of Protestant theology. It is interesting to note the similarities which Clark found during this same period, as he focused on the spread of capitalism.
The Nineteenth Century through The Twenty-first Century
An unbridled quest for domination over nature was a hallmark of nineteenth century Western culture.[12] Socialist thinkers conveyed that modern industrial society would change the course of history through the exploitation of nature. In general, there was a trend in thinking that nature was to be conquered and its resources gathered for human advancement. For many theologians, “nature was now approached as a self-enclosed, machine-like structure without any value or life of its own before God, set apart from both God and humanity.”[13]
According to some theologians, changes in the church over the last fifty years have created a climate more accepting of ecotheology.[14] In particular, the recent pandemic encouraged reevaluation of lifestyles, interaction with the outdoors, and respect for creation. Many people during the Covid-19 crisis found physical and emotional healing through nature.[15] Theologian Paul Santmire proposes a new way of reading the Bible in our current setting, which “assumes a divine and human concomitant with nature, rather than a divine and human disjunction from nature.”[16]
Conclusion
It is fascinating to realize that the culture into which we are born and the time period in which we live carries a multitude of assumptions and values, many of which we absorb without realizing. These assumptions and values infiltrate every area of our life, including our churches, thus influencing our individual beliefs, practices, and worldview. Some of these influences may be neutral, neither helpful nor hurtful. But, what if there are certain influences which have taken us away from God’s intended course? Could we, as humans, have misconstrued some of God’s hopes and desires for his children? May we extend grace to each other and ourselves as we prayerfully seek to see ourselves and our world clearly.
[1] David Bebbington, Modern Britain, A History from the 1730s to the 1980s (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989), ix.
[2] Bebbington, 1.
[3] Bebbington, 3.
[4] Jason P. Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship” (2018). Faculty Publications – Portland Seminary. 132. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gfes/132, 52.
[5] Clark, 51.
[6] Clark, 49.
[7] Clark, 75.
[8] Daniel L. Brunner, Jennifer L. Butler, and A. J. Swoboda, Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology: Foundations in Scripture, Theology, History, and Praxis (Ada, OK: Baker Academic, 2014), 90.
[9] Carolyn Merchant, “Our Environment at Berkeley,” Accessed April 2, 2022, https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/people/carolyn-merchant, xiv.
[10] H. Paul Santmire, The Travail of Nature: Ambiguous Ecological Promises of Christian Theology (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1959), 134.
[11] Laurel Kearns in Brunner, Butler, and Swoboda, 92.
[12] H. Paul Santmire, The Travail of Nature: Ambiguous Ecological Promises of Christian Theology (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1959), 137.
[13] Santmire, 133.
[14] Brunner, Butler, Swoboda, 92.
[15] Grace Gorenflo, “REI Advocacy Director Marc Berejka on COVID, Equity in the Outdoors and Mental Health” (The Seattle Times, December 27, 2021).
[16] Santmire, 189-90.
About the Author
Jenny Steinbrenner Hale
16 responses to “Exploring a Similar Thought of Another Nature”
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Jenny,
This is a fascinating and very thoroughly thought through post. It does make me wonder, what is the water I am swimming in that I don’t even realize I’m swimming in? And what are the harmful characteristics of my environment that are misaligned with Kingdom values. You write, “These assumptions and values infiltrate every area of our life, including our churches, thus influencing our individual beliefs, practices, and worldview.” What are some 21st century cultural norms that you see as harmful and what do you see as helpful?
Hi David, Thanks so much for your comments. I really appreciate your words: “It does make me wonder, what is the water I am swimming in that I don’t even realize I’m swimming in?” Our last two reading assignments have really challenged me in this area.
Thanks for your great question! I would be so interested to hear other people’s thoughts on your question, too. Here are some thoughts that come to mind. (I’m thinking about our culture in the US.) Some 21st century cultural norms that could be harmful might be our tendency to want things quickly, as opposed to slowing down and waiting patiently. Also, our culture seems to promote a focus on the self, as opposed to considering the needs (and sometimes the existence) of others. I think, too, our culture can be materialistic. And, I think our ability to create deep relationships might be suffering, as a result of our tendency to “connect” more often over social media.
Some cultural norms that could be helpful might be an awareness around the importance of being healthy. I’ve noticed that people, especially in the helping professions, are encouraged to take care of themselves, so as not to burn out. Another potentially helpful norm could be the tendency for people to ask questions and be a bit wary of “authorities” in our culture. I think this could be a helpful quality if we use it to make mindful decisions regarding who to follow and what to believe. One last one could be that working from home seems to have become a cultural norm that has some benefits for many people.
Thanks again for the great question. I will be continuing to ponder this!
These are
Jenny,
Ecotheology….you have me thinking.
I am curious how I am needing to consider this:
“Some of these influences may be neutral, neither helpful nor hurtful. But, what if there are certain influences which have taken us away from God’s intended course?”
I am looking forward to reading your response to David’s question.
Please continue to tie in your NPO with your blogs. I am wanting to learn more from you!
I see all the work you put into this!!
Thanks, Kristy, for reading my blog and for your comments. It’s so valuable to get other people’s input and to hear someone else’s reactions to our words. I value your perspectives and insight.
Jenny,
What a well put together post. My favorite line in your post, (and there were many to choose from) was the final closing line – “May we extend grace to each other and ourselves as we prayerfully seek to see ourselves and our world clearly.” This is the perfect summary for your thoughts, and the world we live in today. Well said.
Thanks, Tonette, for your encouraging words. I appreciate you taking the time to read my post. After wrestling with these concepts, I seemed like God reminded me to remember the importance of grace, extended by God to us and from us to others. Whew, so important.
Good post Jenny, thanks for sharing,
This hit me “Thus, we see how people who set out to follow only Christ were unknowingly influenced by their culture and incorporated cultural qualities into the beliefs and activities of their doctrine and practice.” I wonder in which ways have I incorporated cultural qualities into my own beliefs. Which mean I need to consider if I have allowed those cultural qualities to sway me in ways that are not congruent with what I believe are Christian values.
Hi Daron, Thanks for your comments. I so agree with you. I’m wrestling with this, too, and find the work to see what I don’t know I’m not seeing to be really difficult. I was thinking today, maybe if God would point those things out to me, it would be less of an exhausting struggle.
Thankful for your thoughts!
Jenny – Your post is a great invitation for self-analysis “Could we, as humans, have misconstrued some of God’s hopes and desires for his children” It is good for all of us to remain vigilant and remain in the will of God. Isn’t it tough that money is an essential need in the work of the ministry? It would be great if God sent it to us like the Old Testament Manner.
Hi Jean, Thank you so much for your thoughts! Yes, I agree, that it is so important to be vigilant and trying to stick to God’s hopes and desires for his people. I am thankful for a cohort of peers with whom to wrestle through these issues. Maybe we can sharpen each other as we work together.
Yes, agreed, that would be such a nice way to receive our support, in the Old Testament manner!
Thanks for your thoughts!
Hi Jenny
A very thought provoking post. You have me thinking about the interplay between our cultural context and the way that the gospel is influenced yet challenges the cultural moments that we find ourselves. Considering the example of echo theology (great example by the way), that the conversation brought to the forefront the working out of a faith filled engagement of the environment. It many ways, our faith leads us into the tensions to discover what it means to live out our faith in the moment in which we live. Thank you for a thoughtful post.
Hi Chad, Thanks so much for your thoughts and insights. I really like your quote: “It many ways, our faith leads us into the tensions to discover what it means to live out our faith in the moment in which we live.” Wow, what a great challenge when you put it like that. It is so interesting that living out our faith in our world can look somewhat different for Christians throughout the ages and in different parts of the world. I’m going to continue to ponder this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you for this amazing post. I appreciate you answering my question live during our call regarding the western/modern church culture response to capitalistic approaches. I agree that education is key and we have to kenosis mindset and remind ourselves that Jesus did not promise us earthy treasures. We knew this was going to be a difficult life and we need to take up our own cross and grow or continue that thinking in our church leadership. It’s not always about numbers. Thanks again.
Thanks, Michael, for your question in class and for your comments here. I so appreciate the chance to think together on these big issues!
Jenny! WOW!!!!!
Do you think that the integration of eco-theology in the Church over the last fifty years challenged traditional interpretations of Christianity at all?
Hi Alana, Thanks for reading. That’s a great question. I’m going to have to ponder that. Off the top of my head, it occurs to me that some people have seen the introduction of ecotheology into the church as a threat. They think that perhaps people are worshiping nature instead of God. I think incorporating nature into the life of the church enriches our worship and understanding of God.
I’m working on my prototype now, so appreciate you challenging me to think on this!