Christ against Culture

 from the book Christ and Culture by H. Richard Niebuhr

The Christ-Christ-against culture movement appeared to be as logically and chronologically. It is logically for it appears in line with the “common Christian principle of the Lordship of Christ.” It is chronologically for it is generally typical picture of the first Christians. The movement began with the theology pictured or stated explicitly in the First epistle of John, the doctrine of Love and the Lordship of Christ. Thus, two themes broke out: the faith in Jesus and love one another. This strong emphasis of loyalty to Christ and loving your brothers in the community of Christianity brought Christianity into “rejection of cultural society.” Hence, anything that does not belong to Christ’s “commonwealth” is of evil authority. This draws a line between two ways: life (“Christian way”) and death (“vicious course of life”). The clearer cut between Christians and non-Christians is “obedience to the law of Christ and simple lawlessness.” The Christians as New people because of their new culture and the World as the old society- the non-Christian culture.

The first visible representative of Christianity of the typical “Christ-against culture” apart of the NT writers is Tertullian.  Other notable in this movement is Tolstoy. They carried the “absolute authority” of Christ. They strongly promote on loyalty to the Lordship of Christ and obedience to His commandments.  Tolstoy is extreme than Tertullian. He is a legalist and strong opposition of culture. For him, Jesus is “always the great Lawgiver.” He was bound to legalist than grace of God by concentrating more on the commandments than the person Jesus Christ. The loyalty and obedience to Christ is an action synonymous to opposition of institutions of culture. He was a crusader against culture under the banner of the law of Christ. He looks all culture’s or state’s government even institutionalized churches as bad for they are chief offender against life and are “equally far removed from the Christianity of Jesus” because, they are all alike in betrayal of Christ’s law.”

Here are things as theology of the radical Christians as appeared in the study. 1.) Revelation as only the basis of life and theology, reason is absolutely erroneous. They tend also to make distinction between revelation through inner light and Scriptures. 2.) Culture and nature as where sin arises thus needs separation.  3.)  Emphasis more on precise Commandments than the working grace of God. 4.) According to the author, the most problem theological developed by the Christ-against-culture movement is the relation of Christ with the “Creator of nature” and “Governor of history” and also to the “Spirit immanent in creation” and in the “Christian Community.” Their “reliance on the Christ” of the radical Christians is often turned to reliance on inner light or spirit (“Spirit immanent”) that had led them to substitute the “historical Jesus” by “spiritual principle.” They divided the world into two: “material realm governed by principle opposed to Christ and a spiritual realm guided by the spiritual God.”

The Christ-against-culture movement took an unwavering strong allegiance with Christ have passed and endured suffering of mental and physical in deciding to leave their wealth, government, and society until they were filled with conviction and willingness. Thus, they stood with feet in their testimonies and preaching against culture. They have sustained the “distinction between the Christ and Caesar, between revelation and reason, between God’s will and man’s.” Their influence brought reformation in both church and state though it was not their intention for their intention like Tolstoy and Quakers were the total abolition of “all methods of coercion, to limit armaments,” and to build a peaceful world. However, the reformation had done successfully by other believers like Origen, Francis, and others. The renunciation and withdrawal movement is “necessary element in every Christian life.”However, culture will never separate from the person. It dwells in the mind of human. Thus, radical Christians are always use part of the culture which they reject. God doesn’t reject culture but only the sinful practices and beliefs. This can only be eradicated by the grace of God by having a constant relationship with Christ by faith and knowing Him and His words in the Scripture and devotional experience with Him.