Okay, I’ll Give You and C- for Trying!
Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Summary:
One way to state Hunter’s thesis is in the form of a report card for the American church. The professor has given the American church an A+ on impacting lives and a C – on impacting culture. In other words, for Hunter, the American church has not done a proper job of influencing culture, but instead of giving an “F” he gives it a “C -” for trying. The problem for Hunter is that the whole thought process for the assignment is wrong. According to Hunter, it is a Christian’s individual and “collective destiny” to impact the world. [1] However, this mandate is not being fulfilled, and not for lack of trying but because the process is wrong.
Hunter states, “I contend that the dominant ways of thinking [by Americans who call themselves Christians] about culture and cultural change are flawed, for they are based on both specious social science and problematic theology. In brief, the model on which various strategies are based not only does not work, but it cannot work. One the basis of this working theory, Christians cannot ‘change the world’ in a way that they, even in their diversity, desire.” [2]
In the three essays that Hunter presents he outlines the problem, highlights the process and suggests a solution. In brief, the problem is that culture is a system of influential networks, resources, systems and symbols. Culture is created and changed within that system, and that system is the domain of the upper echelons of the culture. According to Hunter’s analysis, the American church does not typically find it’s networks, resources, systems or symbols within the upper echelons of society. In fact, the strength, vitality, and influence of the church are located “exactly in the lower and peripheral area of cultural production.” [3] The church functions on the margins of society, whereas the policy-makers and cultural-changers function on the upper-center echelons of society.
Hunter posits that the process of assimilation into the political area by the American church is problematic. Christians have allowed themselves to be “assimilated” into the political arena by dividing themselves along political lines—conservative and liberal—and then using resentment as a motivating factor for cultural change. This motivation binds together the particular factions but also polarizes them from their counterpart. [4] Hunter’s answer to the problem is “faithful presence” where the faithful cooperate with each other not to change the world for the better but to engage with it. “If there are any benevolent consequences of our engagement with the world…it is precisely because it is not rooted in a desire to change the world for the better but rather because it is an expression of a desire to honor the creator of all goodness, beauty, and truth, a manifestation of our loving obedience to God, and a fulfillment of God’s comment to love our neighbor.” [5]
Application:
I am convinced that this is more of an American church challenge than a world church challenge; consequently, I am grateful to Hunter for declaring early on that he is writing specifically about the American church. Our (American) political system is such that involvement in the political process is open to everyone from every level of society (I acknowledge cases to the contrary, but I am not prepared to say they are the norm). And though I recognize Hunter’s assessment that Christian influence tends to be at that middle and margins of society and not in the upper echelons—American Christians, nonetheless, have direct access to the halls of political power. This can be a blessing and a curse.
Power is at once both wonderful and dangerous. Power can both heal and destroy; it can feed the hungry and feast on the fed; it can give breath and strangle, give water and cause thirst, give live and death and all at the same moment. The power of government, the power of politics and the praise of people, is so seductive that many good women and men have found themselves shipwrecked by its Siren-like song, or have been consumed by its voracious appetite.
For me the question then becomes, do you want to play with that kind of power? As Christians who’s power are we seeking? There is no doubt that the God places people in positions of leadership within governments and nations. We find examples of this in the Bible. But these are rare moments. In most cases, these individuals were not seeking position or even wanting position but found themselves ordained by God to lead. In this context I find myself agreeing with Hunter. I agree not so much on his conclusions about the impact of the Christian church in American but with the need to seek for and serve a higher power, one that empowers us to engage the world in unique ways. For Hunter, it is “faithful presence;” to which I would add “faithful proclamation!” In both cases, the unique engagement begins not by seeking earthly power but by loving your neighbor.
- Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. 1 ed. Oxford University Press, 2010, 5.
- Ibid.
- Ibid., 89.
- Ibid., 168.
- Ibid., 234.
About the Author
Jim Sabella
18 responses to “Okay, I’ll Give You and C- for Trying!”
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“For Hunter, it is “faithful presence;” to which I would add “faithful proclamation!” In both cases, the unique engagement begins not by seeking earthly power but by loving your neighbor.”
That’s a great statement, Jim. I think ‘influence’ should come from our institutions and individuals. (the one and the many. here we go again.) As a church if we love our neighbor that means as a body having ministries for them and as individuals serving our own neighbors.
I am intrigued about your statement that it is more of an American church challenge. I would love to discuss further with you how the churches you minister in in other parts of the world see how they influence or not. Maybe we could learn something from them.
Thanks Mary. The reason I think it is more an “American” challenge is because direct and individual involvment in the political process is a part of the American DNA. This is not always the case in other countries in the world. It is one of our greatest strengths and can be a challenge for the church.
Jim, thanks for the post. You said: ‘For me the question then becomes, do you want to play with that kind of power? As Christians who’s power are we seeking?’ and I think this is the real question, along with the equally important one: what are you willing to give up or compromise for that power.
And in our system I think we have seen quite a lot of (usually well-intentioned) ‘compromises’ for a seat at the table that end up with the net effect of compromising our Christian witness to the world usually not truly gaining much in the way of real power.
Thanks Chip. I agree if one is not careful the power is so tempting that a compromise can take place without being aware that the compromise has taken place. That is one of the very real dangers.
Good question to ponder Jim, whose power am I seeking? Mine? Affirmation of others? God? Money? Success? We all long and need power. It is one of our 4 primary needs according to Reality Therapists. But what is power and what is a responsible and a God-honoring way to get it? I am often wrestling through this with myself and the people I work with. I like defining power as the power I have to respond versus react to life and the choices of others, and who I get to ask for assistance in acting powerfully. I often see people interpreting power as the power they hold over others. This is a defeating and cyclical battle to be fighting, as we can never truly have power over another human, especially since God made us with free will. But we can learn to “tame the tongue” according to James, and exert power over ourselves and how we want to live our lives, or at the very least internally, even when externally there may be many life barriers. Thank you, Jim for this reminder of power and where we need to seek it.
Thanks Jennifer. In recent years, I have been looking more closely at the power of power over the individual who has it. You make a salient point when you say it concerns you when you, “see people interpreting power as the power they hold over others.” I have seen people intoxicated with power and cause great harm. On the other side, I have seen individuals who treat power as a “controlled substance” and who have used it as a gift to help and heal. That’s why I believe that the character of a leader is more important than qualification. Qualifications can be learned; character is formed, and short of a miracle is difficult to change especially once one has power. In fact, I have seen that one of the greatest shapers of character in an adult is the state in which one finds themselves, once having power but now with little or none. Thanks for your excellent comments Jennifer.
For the Charismatics and the Presbyterian in the group…
As I read this book, my “imaginary audience” was in play. Hunter’s downplays the role the leader. He would look at the famous William Carey quote “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God” as being childish and unrealistic.
My assumption is that, those of you on the more Charismatic side of things would ask “But what about the filling of the Holy Spirit? Can’t God do the supernatural through us? Can’t God change the world through us?
At the same time, I assume that Calvinists would exclaim “It is only God who can change the world. And God often uses people to do His work in the world.”
Thoughts?
Stu, thanks for your comments. I looked over my last posts and it seemed that I mentioned the power of the Holy Spirit so often that I was concerned that my cohort colleagues might think I was trying to push an agenda! With that in mind, I went in another direction for this post. Leave it to my non-pentecostal colleague [smiling] to say, “hey Jim, aren’t you missing something?” What about the Holy Spirit? You’re right Stu. I agree that God can do supernatural things through us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thanks Stu! I’ve got to say—and I know this is buried in a sub-comment of a comment on a blog—but I I’m honored to be a part of the 7s. You are all fine colleagues and friends.
My thoughts on this, Stu, as far as Pentecostalism is concerned, is that there has been a reliance on the concept of God breaking in, bringing revival, changing the world through us, but also a certain level of naivety. We have been as gentle as doves, but not as wise as serpents. This is changing, but I think we should be challenging our young people in their calling to be a doctor or a teacher as much as a pastor or a missionary. There has been a lot of hype around the concept of being world changers.
Jim,
My sentiments on the leadership of power. “Power is at once both wonderful and dangerous. Power can both heal and destroy”
America is struggling to heal. Those of the forgotten (Trump refers to) feel empowered and want to be recognized and validated but are pursuing it in the way of destruction. The political party in office is like a kid in the cookie jar, they are celebrating loudly and keeping those who are not apart of the celebration awake and alert. Let the raids begin. Dialing 911
“The political party in office is like a kid in the cookie jar”– in Kenya, Lynda, that is a frequent problem. The various people groups in Kenya believe they should be able to take turns being in charge. When one of “their own” runs the country, the rest of that group has a chance to “eat power,” with favors and funding granted to them. So phrases like “it’s our turn to eat” are commonly heard.
Thanks Lynda. I agree that our country is struggling. All the more reason for Christians to stand together and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly. I appreciate your comments.
Your thoughts on power here, Jim, are so good. Power is an insidious beast that can turn even the most faithful person into a usurping tyrant if not handled with the utmost care. I think this is why we spend so much time talking about servant leadership, reminding ourselves that we have to place others and the greater good well above our own ambitions, acting only as a conduit for the power of God rather than some sort of broker.
Thank you Jim.
Thank you Kristin. You make a very thought-provoking comment—brokers of power rather than the conduit. I am a firm believer that any leader should watch the Lord of the Rings—extended version—3 times with this one thought…the ring represents power. Look what it did to Gollum and look what it did to Bilbo and look what is was doing to Frodo and those who traveled with him. It’s dangerous stuff. Very few hold it and come out the other side unscathed, not to mention the people who are hurt along the way. Thanks for your comments Kristin.
Spot on, Jim.
“Power is at once both wonderful and dangerous. Power can both heal and destroy; it can feed the hungry and feast on the fed…”
Once my husband was working on the electrical wiring on the outlet for our dryer. The power was still live, shocked him, and singed his sweater! We were thankful he was only shaken but okay. Power is both wonderful and dangerous. Yes!
In the early 20th century, the Student Volunteer Movement optimistically coined the phrase “The evangelization of the world in this generation” (John Mott). I think it is some of that leftover optimism– as well as a misguided eschatological hermeneutic of Mark 13:10– that we continue to see in our approach to power in our culture, both from the left and the right.
Thanks Katy. Wow! Glad your husband didn’t get hurt. Power is no respecter of persons, political party or faith. It has proved itself to be dangerous, often known to fits of rage, to throw itself on the floor in a temper tantrum and then stand up smiling and then break every window in the house, at the same time. That’s why I am of the opinion that the character of a leader matters more than qualification, especially in the church. Thanks for your comments Katy.
Great reflections as always Jim! Two things:
1. Yes the power and influence we have as Christians in the political realm is scary because we have enough impact to be dangerous and we have proven that. We need to rethink how we choose to engage and impact our American society as Christians in this country.
2. “For Hunter, it is “faithful presence;” to which I would add “faithful proclamation!” In both cases, the unique engagement begins not by seeking earthly power but by loving your neighbor.”c Very well stated. I think the challenge is what does it mean to “love our neighbor”. The groups he discussed each believe that they understand and know theologically and practically how to do that everyday. We must come to a unified understanding of “faithful presence” that can be lived faithfully on the ground in every community we serve in this country and the world.
Thanks Christial. You make two good points. I think that engagement is the key. One of the challenges is that there are no rules for engagement for the church and so your point on rethinking is valid and necessary. Also, I think you have a strong argument when you use the word “community” in the context of faithful presence. It’s that local presence that we talked about in today’s chat. Appreciate your comments.