III. The Social Self in the Pilgrimage Church by Diane Yeager Whereas Yoder focuses on Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture, Diane Yeager and Glen Stassen place Niebuhr’s perspective of Christ and culture in the book, in the context of Niebuhr’s thought as a whole. Niebuhr is often criticized for not taking seriously the actual structures of political and economic domination or for failing to recognize that Christians must try to transform the dominant culture from the outside by creating an alternative culture (100-2). In response to these criticisms like Yoder’s, Yeager points out that Niebuhr was not ignorant of the existence of unjust political or economic power structure, and that Niebuhr was never indifferent to the Christians’ responsibility for the transformation of society. Yeager argues that, instead of upholding the church as an alternative culture to substitute the current fallen culture, Niebuhr insisted on a gradual conversion process through the church that is modeled on “redemption by incarnation: entering into the world as it is and by bringing out its potential for good” (102, 103-5). - The Church’s Direct Means for Social Redemption: Apostolic, Pastoral, and Pioneering Strategies Yeager finds Niebuhr’s interest in the church’s social responsibility in his earlier essays. Yeager understands that Niebuhr claims for the …show more content…
Yet he also does not totally disapprove the need of indirect tasks of the church, especially when he discusses the pastoral task of the church. That is, the church is to responsible for its apostolic task or the announcement of the gospel, pastoral task of meeting the needs of the poor through its direct and indirect means , and the pioneering task of leading the larger community to a social act of repentance
In the book’s introduction, Walter Rauschenbusch has written “It follows that the relation between Christianity and social crisis is one of the most pressing questions for all intelligent men who realize the power of religion, and most of all the religious leaders of the people who give direction to the forces of religion” .
Dorothy L. Sayers defines a Christian’s work as a “...natural exercise and function of man- the creature who is made in the image of his Creator” (Sayers 194). Sayers summarizes her view on work by saying, “...it is the duty of the Church to see to it that the work serves God, and that the worker serves the work” (Sayers 198). Sayers finds the duty of work to rest not only with the Christian, but also with the church.
Niebuhr indicated his overriding interest in what has been called theological anthropology, a concern with the nature of man as a contact point for religion and society, in such major works as Moral Man and Immoral Society (1932), Interpretation of
Rituals are held as a very important part of any society, including ours. They go back to ancient times or can be as simple as maintaining one’s hygiene. Non-western societies have rituals that may seem very foreign to us, but they have been engrained in their communities and are essential to their social structure. This interpretation will focus on the Great Pilgrimage, a ritual performed by Quechuan communities. We will be looking specifically at a community in the area of Sonqo.
The Democratization of American Christianity, by Nathan Hatch, is written about “the cultural and religious history of the early American republic and the enduring structures of American Christianity” (3). Hatch writes to make two arguments: 1) the theme of democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity, and 2) the years of the early republic are the most crucial in revealing to process that took and is still taking place. The story of the democratization of American Christianity begins with the population boom in America from the Revolution up to 1845. Hatch writes that during this boom, “American Christianity became a mass enterprise” (4).
In Nathan O. Hatch’s “The Democratization of American Christianity” he quickly forms his thesis and expands on the argument “both that the theme of
In de-emphasizing the role of the Church, it’s rituals, and offices, and supplanting them with a more direct and personal approach to God and spirituality; the Protestant Reformation, through the works of Martin...
The goal of this paper is to determine if the Catholic religion has continued to modernize since Vatican II. In order to help analyze the modernization of Catholicism, this paper will examine the immigration of Catholics to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Throughout this paper, I will reference Dr. Julie Byrne’s commentary, a professor in American religious history at Duke University, as a means of explaining how Catholicism has assimilated into American culture. Next, this paper suggests three challenges that Catholics are presently facing in the 21st century. Finally, this paper will elaborate on the growth in “irreligious Catholics” and its potential dangers. Although Catholicism assimilated into American culture during the 19th and 20th centuries, research and the rise in “irreligious Catholics” in the 21st century suggests it is possible that Catholicism has not continued to modernize.
Jenkins, Phillips. The Lost History of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print. Phillips, Jonathan.
...r. “Niebuhr’s great contribution to contemporary theology is that he has refuted the false optimism characteristic of a great segment of Protestant liberalism.” King found Niebuhr’s critique of pacifism challenging, yet he was fascinated with Niebuhr’s awareness “of the complexity of human motives and the relation between morality and power.” King was intrigued with his teachings of human nature and behavior. This was the foundation of Kings later perspective as he optimistically believing humanity could solve its own social problems; including the social ails of racism. It is unquestionable the ideals of Niebuhr impacted King’s understanding of sin and how it is related to power in a powerless situation. It was these concepts that allowed King to develop an understanding of group behavior, human motivations, and the undeniable link between power and ethics.
In the first chapter of Nathan Hatch’s book, The Democratization of American Christianity, he immediately states his central theme: democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity. In proving the significance of his thesis, he examines five distinct traditions of Christianity that developed in the nineteenth century: the Christian movement, Methodists, Baptists, Mormons and black churches. Despite these groups having diverse structural organization and theological demeanor, they all shared the commonality of the primacy of the individual conscience.
The first view that Niebuhr looks at is Christ against culture. Niebuhr believes that this view “affirms the sole authority of Christ over culture and resolutely rejects culture’s claim to loyalty.” This view claims that the counterpoint of loyalty to Christ is the rejection of a cultural society. They believe that there is a clear separation between God and the world. Niebuhr says that this view is often come across after an individual has felt much suffering. He says that these people have been forced to endure physical or emotional pain and to cope with it they give up all of their earthly possessions for Jesus. This v...
Ritchie, M. (1999). Community bible chapel. The story of the church – Part 4, Topic 5. The Protestant
For my observation trip, I decided to visit St. Ignatius Church in Oregon, Ohio. I visited a mass at 11:30 on Sunday November 19. I decided to visit a catholic church because my family has no religious background whatsoever, and I decided that I could go with one of my good friends that way if I need to ask questions, she was there to answer them for me.
Lutzer, Erwin. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.