I just came from a strategy meeting. The topic of the meeting was the ways in which we as a mission can reach the secular peoples of Europe by building bridges. It was more a symposium than it was a meeting, in that various people presented papers followed by discussions. One discussion centered on the meaning of the word \u201csecular.\u201d Other discussions explored a secular world-view where God (or gods) is not a central figure in one’s life, where freedom is the highest level of self-actualization and choice it\u2019s methodology.<\/p>\n
Scholars like Newbigin (The Gospel in a Pluralist Society); Hunter (How to Reach Secular People), Keller (Center Church) and Hofstede (Organizational Cultures) informed the research and discussions. These are all excellent sources and speak directly to the subject. However, I was wondering how Elliot might inform us on the subject. That led me to reflect on our present reading by asking the question, “what one or two things could Elliot bring to the discussion of reaching secular people of Europe?” I admit that with the limited amount of time to complete the reading and write up a post it would be impossible to address the subject in any \u201ccomplete\u201d way. Even so, I wanted the question to guide my reading. With that in mind, of the five themes Elliot highlights in Contemporary Social Theory<\/em>, I wish to briefly highlight three that are germane to our discussion on reaching secular peoples.<\/p>\n First, Elliot expresses a clear relationship between the individual and society. In this context, globalization plays a significant role. This role is the ability to influence the individual from outside of their local setting. I might add here that globalization makes it possible for me, a citizen of the USA to engage in a discussion concerning secular people in Europe. It has to do less with the fact that I have lived in Europe for over 20 years, than it does with the realization that we live in a global world and therefore, the discussion applies locally and globally. But I digress. This global influence leads to a larger global society that speaks into and informs the individual and not necessarily the other way around. Therefore, it is the social structure and not the individual that is shaping the social landscape. (p. 12)<\/p>\n In this society, the traditional structures like the church become less influential and more of a “choice” in an otherwise smorgasbord of our global world. (p. 160) Consequently, Christian leaders find themselves in the middle of a trend that impacts not only the way we do church but the way we view our relationship to God, God\u2019s relationship to us and the way in which we present that relationship to the world. The bridge to a relationship with God is clearly, in the European setting, not the church as we know it. It has not been for some time. Seeking new bridges and using those bridges is critical to reaching the secular people of Europe.<\/p>\n Second, the theme of gender. (p. 13) The concept of gender choice is at best very challenging not only for the church but within the field of social theory as well. Elliot highlights some of these struggles within the field of social theory. (p. 240) However, we, as Christian leaders, face these issues and they impact our lives and ministries. The answers are not clear, and our theology does not always inform us. Nonetheless, we find the discussion before us.<\/p>\n Finally, the third theme I would highlight is the need to explore and understand the relationship between our public and our private worlds. Elliot states, \u201cI emphasize that to critically study a social situation means analyzing it at both the cultural and personal levels \u2013 looking at how the public and private interlock.” (p. 15) I find this theme particularly applicable. As we continue to move toward a global society in which the individual is categorized more by the interlocking networks in which they function than as the individual themselves, the role of global media illuminates a bridge for us. Elliot states, \u201cHabermas\u2026suggests that individuals today encounter mass communications in essentially privatized terms, as isolated selves obsessed with mediated spectacles.\u201d (p. 183)<\/p>\n It may be the global society that drives us, also pushes us to be globally connected and to be on the world stage (think Facebook). The global community may also push our personal life to the point where the line between public and private becomes so blurred and intertwined that we long to hear a singular, still and small voice. We long for an individual relationship that transcends our global networks and in fact transcends life itself. It may be that the voice we are looking for cannot be found in the many voices of our global world, but can be found in the still small voice of the singular One who too longs for a relationship with us on a very personal level. I believe there is only one relationship that can address that need; that is a relationship with our Creator. In that way, social theory both informs and illuminates a bridge.<\/p>\n To conclude, as we look for ways to share our faith and to lead in an increasingly global world, we should not forget to look to social theory to both describe the state of our modern world and illuminate bridges whereby we can live our faith in an ever changing world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I just came from a strategy meeting. The topic of the meeting was the ways in which we as a mission can reach the secular peoples of Europe by building bridges. It was more a symposium than it was a meeting, in that various people presented papers followed by discussions. 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