A City on a Hill Cannot be Hidden
Here goes, the last blog post of our LGP journey (calamari!)
Knowing that Tom Holland’s Dominion was waiting for us at the end of this semester, I’ve noticed his name popping up seemingly everywhere I look for the past couple of months. First, I saw his book on a friend’s bookshelf. Then he was discussed in a podcast I listen to regularly. I heard his name in connection with other authors we’ve read in the LGP program, like Jordan Peterson and Michael Bird. My interest was piqued. What does Holland have to say that is so special, I wondered.
It turns out that his main idea is quite straightforward. Holland asserts that Christianity has so permeated Western culture that our most dearly held values stem from this ancient faith, even though we no longer recognize them as such. These values include concepts like the inherent dignity of each individual or the value of life itself manifested in investments in healthcare and education. We, even our non-Christian neighbors, would consider these to be fundamentally good and right. But Holland argues that this would not be the case without a Christian history.[1]
Interesting as his argument may be, there are two by-products of Holland’s work that I find even more fascinating. First, numerous self-proclaimed atheists are re-labeling themselves as “cultural Christians.” Broadly speaking, this would include individuals who desire to “uphold the legacy of the Judaeo-Christian tradition” and value the “unifying story” and “the principles of Christianity.”[2] This in no way means that these individuals believe in the importance of confession sin and placing their faith in Jesus for salvation. They simply appreciate the fruit of the Christian worldview. Holland himself leads readers to question whether that approach is sustainable.[3] The late Tim Keller suggests that it is not. He agrees that atheists can be highly principled and act unselfishly, but can an entire people group continue on in this fashion? Can Western society simultaneously move farther and farther from the core of the gospel message and sustain its underlying Christian values? Keller suggests that without a sincere belief in God, the motivation to live self-sacrificially will crumble.[4] This calls to mind the apostle Paul’s words to Timothy when he describes humans of the day as “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5 NIV).
The second fascinating question I ran across is the following: Is cultural Christianity better than no Christianity at all?[5] On one hand, living in a society that reflects Christian heritage is to the benefit of all, certainly to the benefit of the poor, women, children, etc. On the other hand, if our society’s values were wildly opposed to Christianity, might we have more opportunity to be a “city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14 NIV)?
That brings me to my dinner table. My family often hears me say something like, “Wow, I did not expect our dinner conversation to go there!” The latest installment of Sanford dinner conversation involved discussing the New Testament household codes and God’s view of slavery. I recently learned (and thus lectured my children about) the pattern Paul and other New Testament writers employ mirrors the writings of ancient moral philosophers such as Aristotle and Seneca. The early readers of the New Testament would have been familiar with the civic codes of Aristotle, etc., so the common pattern of husband/wife, parent/child, master/slave were recognizable. In the Greco-Roman worldview the paterfamilias (male head of the household) had ultimate authority and expected to be obeyed. Anything less pointed to a poorly run household. Our modern ears might hear the New Testament household codes (Colossians 3:18-4:1; Ephesians 5:21-6:9 and others) and object to the subservience of women or the acceptance of slavery. But we have to remember that these passages which “reenforce care and compassion” teach the paterfamilias that he is not the ultimate authority, but he is subject to a Sovereign Lord.[6]
If this post has taken a bit of a detour, let me connect the dots. The early church was a light on a hill because their relationships (husband/wife, parent/child, master/slave) were recognizable to their Greco-Roman neighbors while being radically different, overflowing with care and compassion and love that came from Christ. As society has aligned more closely to Judeo-Christian values, perhaps our “city on a hill” opportunities are different. We’ve discussed at length becoming undefended as a leader; perhaps that offers us a unique “city on a hill” opportunity. Perhaps the opportunity lies in becoming a humble, RARE leader. Perhaps the opportunity is different for each of us. I have a few more ideas, but I would love to throw the question out to my cohort. In your context, maybe personally, maybe in the church you lead, what do you see as your “city on a hill” opportunity?
[1] John Gray, “Why the liberal West is a Christian creation,” 18 September 2019, https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2019/09/why-the-liberal-west-is-a-christian-creation
[2] Madeleine Davies, “The rise of cultural Christianity,” 21 August 2024, https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/08/the-rise-of-cultural-christianity
[3] Holland, Tom. Dominion. La Vergne, TN: Basic Books, 2019. 540
[4] Tim Keller, “Nietzsche Was Right,” September 23, 2020, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/dominion-christian-revolution-tom-holland/
[5] Vischer, Phil. “Keep Christianity Weird & Lessons from the Church Abuse Scandal with Kristen Kobes Du Mez”. The Holy Post, October 9, 2024. Podcast, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=d34Fq6YkEd8
[6] Nijay K. Gupta. Tell Her Story. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2023. 182-187.
About the Author
Kim Sanford
4 responses to “A City on a Hill Cannot be Hidden”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Kim,
Nice post. You asked, “In your context, maybe personally, maybe in the church you lead, what do you see as your “city on a hill” opportunity?”
On Thursday, I am speaking about immigration (probably to a hostile audience). I hope to lead with scripture (it is a Bible study) and then discuss the personal actions I have taken to contribute to the immigration process. (My NPO is interlinkt.org)
My hope is that my actions will speak louder than words.
I lack the eloquence to convince anyone, but my desire is that my NPO will demonstrate how big problems do start with small solutions.
At the end of it all, I am willing to let them be wrong.
While it is important to have a grip on the white and dark spaces of Christianity’s past. I believe that, your NPO and the cohorts is focused on the future.
A Christian future.
All of our NPOs are HIS work. I believe that we are responding to Satell’s Cascade…creating ripples of change.
Shalom. and Calamari
Hi Kim,
I love your “city on a hill” perspective and opportunity question. It’s interesting being in a nation where it’s illegal to share one’s faith with the religious majority. I can’t tell anyone I’m a Christian accept other Christians. So being a city on a hill looks like kindness, showing interest, care, and engaging in friendly conversation. It’s been interesting and inspiring to observe the impact of Christian love and service to a very marginalized population that shares the majority faith tradition, yet has been rejected and under-served because of their race. My apologies for being so vague!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
I love this perspective, “On one hand, living in a society that reflects Christian heritage is to the benefit of all, certainly to the benefit of the poor, women, children, etc. On the other hand, if our society’s values were wildly opposed to Christianity, might we have more opportunity to be a “city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14 NIV)?” I enjoyed your post; it was extremely engaging.
And yes…Calamari!