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
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.
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” .
Overall, this book is an exceptional example of critiquing our culture with a firm grasp of the philosophies of the day. Our culture is rampant with idols that need to be destroyed. Twenty years have only made the idols more pronounced. This book ought to be required reading in Christian secondary education across the country.
In Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcy's essay, "Worldviews in Conflict," the authors evaluate the shifting culture context of today's society and how Christianity fits into this situation. The essay compares the differing views between Christianity and today's worldview, and informs the reader on how to engage today's culture. "Worldviews in Conflict" is a reliable source because its authors, audience, publication, and purpose make it
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
The contemporary Church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch-supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the Church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the Church's silent and often vocal sanction of things as they are.”
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.
Within mainstream society it seems as if there is not a great deal of emphasis on the contributions made by theologians in society, as well as contributions by theologians to religious thought. Particularly in Christendom, ecclesiastical assemblies are so consumed with vain ideas of worship, and content on hearing biblical messages that capitulate to their personal desires, that theological studies are often neglected. Yet the contributions theologians have made in society, and the impact these contributions have had on religious assemblies have been pivotal in guiding religious discourse on subjects such as ethics, morality, and social transformation. It is for this reason, that in this essay an attempt will be made to analyze three essays from three world-renowned theologians of the 20th century. The theologians are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Walter Wink, all of which have produced the essays used for this analysis, and have written works that have completely challenged status quo religion, and changed the landscape of Christendom forever.
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
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.
1. Carter’s book focuses on the diverse ways the Early Christians dealt with their world, where imperial politics, economics, culture, and religion were mixed together (x). Furthermore, the author organized his book around important imperial realities that New Testament writings negotiate (x). The audience for Carter’s book includes high school or college students, Bible study groups, Sunday school students, clergy, and scholars interested in insights about passages in the New Testament to study.
With a strong impression from his father’s ministry, Reinhold, the favorite child of his father, decided to be a minister. By his decision, Reinhold studied in the Evangelical pro-seminar, Elmhurst College, near Chicago, which provided him with foundations of liberal arts and languages, from 1907 to 1910, and then he moved to Eden Seminary at St. Louis, following his father’s path. After graduating from Eden Seminary, he encountered a serious money problem because of his father’s sudden death in the spring of 1913. In the same year, Niebuhr became an ordained minister of the German Evangelical Synod. Then he attended Yale Divinity School with a scholarship and received a Bachelor of Divinity in 1914 and his final degree of Master of Arts from Yale University in 1915.
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...
Although a theology professor does different work than a climate change researcher, the two must find cohesion, which is promoting human flourishing. Furthering this shared value, Therese Lysault continues in her chapter with, “The intellectual life should seek to promote human flourishing by responding to the complex needs, ends and purpose of human life,” (184). Catholic Intellectuals must promote this human flourishing by finding their vocations. According to Theologian Frederick Buechner our vocation in life is where our greatest joy meets the world's greatest needs. This relates back to Lysault’s point where we can promote human flourishing by responding to the word’s great needs. When someone’s passion is promoting human dignity by alleviating the world’s social issues, than they have found their vocation. Consequently, Catholic Intellectuals can contribute to accomplishing the truth, by finding their vocation. Once an Intellectual has found their vocation, it doesn’t require major advances in their field to be a part of accomplishing this truth. Lysault states, “In our vocations we are continually called to be present to others,” (184). Simply, we promote human dignity by recognizing all human life and presently helping them. She continues with, “we are called to be vehicles of the in-breaking of the kingdom, agent of God’s grace in the world,” (185). Although accomplishing the truth of “loving and serving, of defending and promoting human life” is a complex task for all of humanity, it must originate from humanity building up the Kingdom of God. In order to do this, it must stem from Catholic Intellectuals finding their vocations and presently being “agents” of God’s