Being culturally relevant is an issue that the Christian community has faced for centuries. We each see the world and perceive situations through our own lens, drawing assumptions and developing our own thoughts and ideas. Each of us is unique and acts out our faith in a very personal way. Hence, many intelligent ministry professionals fail to present Christ to others in a way that connects or resonates with the way that they live their lives. People come to church and hear a message, but then aren\u2019t sure how that message can apply in their day-to-day life. There isn\u2019t one system or model that\u00a0can be followed\u00a0to help navigate the difficult task of doing theology in a relevant way; in multiple cultures, across time, and in a manner that appeals to all individuals.\u00a0\u00a0 This makes me wonder if we have overcomplicated the task of making Christ relevant. Are we spending so much time figuring out how to minister contextually that we are missing the point all together? Christ is relevant; but we often are not.<\/p>\n
Public theology addresses justice and social concerns. What should we, or should we not, do within our society to live in the way that God intended? In The Bible, Justice and Public Theology<\/em>, Nevill points out that \u201cthe Bible is no longer recognized as a source of authority in Western public consciousness.\u201d[1]<\/a> Therefore, the church has an important role in \u201cworking out God\u2019s will for civil society.\u201d[2]<\/a> As Christian leaders, we hold responsibility for helping people figure out how to live out their faith in their day-to-day actions. People\u2019s moral compasses are no longer based on tradition or rules. \u00a0Faith must be acted out in a personal sphere. Nevill\u2019s book explores theology through ecology, poverty, and justice. As people seek answers for social problems, theology can and should be acted out in a manner that brings value\u00a0and positive change. Even though there are thousands of books on this subject, Christians still struggle with what this means within the church and in our faith practices. We want straightforward answers to complex and messy problems. We focus too much on finding a quick fix to major problems, and we forget to simply act out our faith within our own context. Instead of looking for rules, we need to ask \u201cdo our actions and choices demonstrate Christ to others?\u201d This is a question that is applicable to every person, in all cultures, at all times.<\/p>\n Our personal reality doesn\u2019t necessity match God\u2019s reality, which sits outside of culture and humanity.\u00a0\u00a0 When I look around, I see that cultural relevance means different things to different groups of people. We aren\u2019t a \u2018one size fits all\u2019 society, yet Christianity is meant for us all. In Models of Contextual Theology<\/em>, Stephen B. Bevans states, \u201cThe attempt to understand Christian faith in terms of a particular context\u2014is really a theological imperative.\u201d[3]<\/a> His opinion is that we must recognize theology in the context of the human experience. Bevans asserts that theology has \u201cthree\u00a0sources or\u00a0loci\u00a0theologici:\u00a0scripture, tradition, and present human experience\u2014or context.\u201d [4]<\/a>\u00a0Theology is understood through experience, which changes and evolves over time. Great theologians in history have been gifted with making faith relevant and applying it in a contextual manner to broad audiences. The focus of Bevan\u2019s work is on the praxis or model of theology, where theology is played out in Christian action.[5]<\/a> He uses the example that Martin Luther was a great theologian because he \u201carticulated the whole new consciousness of the individual as it emerged in the West at the dawn of modernity.\u201d[6]<\/a> Martin Luther was gifted with the ability to motivate and inspire others. He had unique gifts and talents that allowed him to appeal to people\u2019s emotions and conscience. While Bevin addresses the reasons why contextual theology is important, I didn\u2019t find his models to be actionable.<\/p>\n Katherin Tanner, in her book, Spirit in the Cities,[7]<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>talks about the importance of place, or social location to our personal theological development. Place has greatly influenced my own theological growth, so Tanner\u2019s thoughts and stories resonate with my personal experience. In my own theological journey, I\u2019ve been forced to consider my beliefs and feelings more deeply as I\u2019ve moved out of my normal space and engaged with others in different environments. My lens was very narrow until I moved to spaces that were \u201coutside\u201d of my own culture. I live in an upper middle-class, predominately white neighborhood. Unless I intentionally venture outside of my community, I rarely cross paths with people different than myself. As my family and I have ministered within white, middle-class America, we\u2019ve struggled at the lack of theological application demonstrated within our churches. People say they want to \u201cdo outreach\u201d and will gladly give a hand out, but they don\u2019t really want to enter into other people\u2019s worlds to find out how they can truly make a difference. They aren\u2019t willing to sacrifice or take risk. For many years I struggled with the fact that some people call themselves Christian, yet aren\u2019t willing to do anything about the social injustice in the world around them. I wondered why people seem so complacent; until it dawned on me that fear and that which is unfamiliar\u00a0often hold people back from being obedient to Christ. They may want to demonstrate Christ to others, but they simply don\u2019t know how. Tanner points out that, \u201cThe fear and antipathy many white Angelenos feel toward poor people and people of color is exacerbated by the lack of and loss of shared physical and social space.\u201d[8]<\/a> People often fear the unknown. One of the most effective ways to make theology contextual is to immerse oneself in the culture in which you are ministering. It is difficult to speak into someone\u2019s life when you haven\u2019t walked in his or her shoes. Maybe, we are spending too much time publically talking about our theology and trying to figure out the best way to make it relevant in our culture. Instead, I believe we need to intentionally do three things: 1) diligently seek God\u2019s calling and purpose for our individual lives, 2) get out of our bubbles and get to know the people that God calls us to minister to, and 3) make decisions and act in a way that that honors Christ. If every Christian were to do this, we wouldn\u2019t need thousands of books on contextual theology.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> The Bible, Justice, and Public Theology<\/em> (ipf & Stock Pub: W, 2014), 9.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> The Bible, Justice, and Public Theology<\/em> (ipf & Stock Pub: W, 2014), 30.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Bevans, Stephan B. (2013-11-20). Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Culture) (Kindle Location 192). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Bevans, Stephan B. (2013-11-20). Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Culture) (Kindle Locations 205-206). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n [5]<\/a> Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Culture) (Kindle Locations 1722-1730). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Bevans, Stephan B. (2013-11-20). Models of Contextual Theology (Faith and Culture) (Kindle Locations 321-326). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Kathryn Tanner. Spirit in the Cities (Kindle Location 1). Kindle Edition.<\/p>\n