{"id":25938,"date":"2020-02-18T10:55:49","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T18:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=25938"},"modified":"2020-02-18T10:56:19","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T18:56:19","slug":"collaborative-cooperative-idealism-a-means-to-sustainable-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/collaborative-cooperative-idealism-a-means-to-sustainable-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaborative, Cooperative Idealism: a means to sustainable change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Hunter, a social theorist, provides summaries of world-changing philosophies and practices by comparing and contrasting views on how to change the world. His book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity Today <\/em>addresses various modes and means of both groups and individuals; their effort and ideals for how to make this world a better place. He looks at change from several influencers in society: political, academic, religious.<\/p>\n

In particular, Hunter cites Genesis 2:15 as one of the backdrops for the Christian\u2019s mandate to care for, protect, and to make changes to their context for the betterment. His writings are thought-provoking, direct, dismissive of some views, yet entirely complimentary of the need that readers do not dismiss culture-making as a whole. He wrote in a recent article, \u201cThat would be a terrible mistake.\u201d[1]<\/a> He does not look favorably upon idealistic, individual avenues and efforts of change. Instead, he seems to favor a variety of individuals and disciplines engaging in how to work together for change.<\/p>\n

But, to change what and for what end is asked through the text. \u201cThe basic academic question is simply, how is religious faith possible in the late modern world\u201d and \u201chow do believers live out their faith under the conditions of the late modern world?\u201d [2]<\/a> He begins to answer these questions by stating that \u201cwhen networks of elites in overlapping fields of culture and overlapping spheres of social life come together with their varied resources and act in common purpose, cultures do change and change profoundly.\u201d[3]<\/a> To understand how to change the world, one must begin with an understanding of what is to be changed and to see the world through the eyes of others. As a Christian, I can state this is congruent with what we see in the Gospels (Matthew 9:35-38). But, he does miss the power of the Spirit doing his work in changing culture (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).<\/p>\n

A poignant part of his work was this statement which was actually in this opening section. \u201cconsider the ways in which Christians in much of their diversity actually think about the creation mandate today, examining the implicit theory and explicit practices that operate within this complex and often conflicted religious and cultural movement.\u201d[4]<\/a> What? Is Hunter implying that if we are left to our own ideals we are wrong? How can this be!<\/p>\n

If this is true, then for us to consider other views, seeking to find commonalities to create a better world we need to be humble and open enough to consider that alone our views lack veracity. \u201cWhen you are honest about where your knowledge is lacking you know where you are vulnerable and where you can improve.\u201d[5]<\/a> Kathryn Schulz in her book Being Wrong<\/em> wrote about this same inclination. \u201cA whole lot of us go through life assuming that we are basically right, basically all the time, about basically everything: about our political and intellectual convictions, our religious and moral beliefs, our assessment of other people, our memories, our grasp of facts.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

For example, I have seen pastors who are generally new to the day-to-day operation of pastoring strive for change. I assume the change is for the betterment of their part of their world. And, yet, the pastoral authority to make change seems to only happen after years of being faithfully present, having a multitude of voices speak into the change, and being ready to change when they have the social capital. Change is relational and it is complicated: except for when one is threatened by a fire or a bear attack!<\/p>\n

Proverbs 3:5-6, \u201cTrust in the\u00a0Lord\u00a0with all your heart, And\u00a0do not lean on your own understanding. 6<\/sup> In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.\u201d That is to say that we do lean on our own understanding… alone or do not trust not in our own selves. And, this, is not to say that we have to despise what God has gifted us. Yet, obeying God in a relationship with our gifts is righter than demanding our way is the only way.<\/p>\n

There was a sense from reading Hunter\u2019s work that he did not believe the change could happen because one\u2019s heart had been changed. If that is the case, I fail to see how he could subscribe to training children up in the values of the parent has at all. Values are challenged and formed, yet to think they are not also imposed is I believe short-sighted. And, if there is not some sense of values being imposed as being more right than not values would not happen by being fancifully hopeful. This imposition though very uncomfortable does have value. With no imploring or imposing upon then, the formation would not happen.<\/p>\n

Being a new learner in the area of co-vocational leadership, it is tempting to lean on ideals that this is the more right way is almost a revolutionary position. Yes, I do sense we are heading into a reformation of the pastorate as we know it. But, no, this change will not be in isolation from each other; instead it will be done with each other. And, I do believe that change will surface and be sustained with some level of cooperative idealism that measures our relationship of being human as we were intended to be and in relation to God.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [1] James Davison Hunter, \u201cFaithful Presence is Not Quietism, May 21, 2010, https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/2010\/mayweb-only\/30-51.0.html, <\/u>accessed February 18, 2020.<\/u><\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [2] Hunter, James Davison.\u00a0\u201cTo Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity Today.\u201d Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, preface.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [3] Ibid., location 1003, Kindle.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [4] Ibid., location 157, Kindle.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [5] Shane Parrish, \u201cThe Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts,\u201d Ottawa: Latticework Publishing Inc., 2019, Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [6] Kathryn Schulz, \u201cBeing Wrong\u201d Sidney: HarperCollins e-books, 4, Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Hunter, a social theorist, provides summaries of world-changing philosophies and practices by comparing and contrasting views on how to change the world. His book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity Today addresses various modes and means of both groups and individuals; their effort and ideals for how to make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-lgp10"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25938"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25939,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25938\/revisions\/25939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}