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One enduring question facing the Church is how to engage the modern world. Gaudium et Spes called for a new era of openness and dialogue,[1] while Pope Paul VI warned that “the split between the Gospel and culture is without a doubt the drama of our time, just as it was of other times.” For many Christians, this split seems rather obvious: popular movies and music brazenly defy Christian norms, while schools and corporations embrace late modern dogmas that are antithetical to Christianity.
Yet narrowing one’s focus to such examples prevents a fuller appreciation of what culture is, how it influences people, and what it means to be secular, or “of the age.” What follows draws on sociological models of culture and St. John Paul II’s critique of the “culture of death” to offer a deeper understanding of how modern culture works to secularize Christians—even those who maintain religious belief and practice.
When analyzing the predominant messaging of modern culture, it is not difficult to recognize strands of consumerism, individualism, and relativism. Scholars, pastors, and journalists regularly criticize these features of culture, and their audiences have little difficulty calling to mind examples from Hollywood, higher education, or advertising. Well-meaning cultural critics may imagine their mission as evaluating the content of such messaging and combatting it with Christian messages, whether in the form of homilies, lectures, or Christian media.
Continued below.
churchlifejournal.nd.edu
Yet narrowing one’s focus to such examples prevents a fuller appreciation of what culture is, how it influences people, and what it means to be secular, or “of the age.” What follows draws on sociological models of culture and St. John Paul II’s critique of the “culture of death” to offer a deeper understanding of how modern culture works to secularize Christians—even those who maintain religious belief and practice.
Misunderstanding Culture
Raymond Williams claimed that “culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language.”[2] Culture is often defined by its various features: beliefs, norms, values, narratives, frameworks, and vocabularies. But how do these aspects of culture become internalized, thereby shaping how people live? Many people seem to imagine that culture is transmitted primarily through the overt messages of the media, religious authorities, teachers, and parents.When analyzing the predominant messaging of modern culture, it is not difficult to recognize strands of consumerism, individualism, and relativism. Scholars, pastors, and journalists regularly criticize these features of culture, and their audiences have little difficulty calling to mind examples from Hollywood, higher education, or advertising. Well-meaning cultural critics may imagine their mission as evaluating the content of such messaging and combatting it with Christian messages, whether in the form of homilies, lectures, or Christian media.
Continued below.
The Culture of Death and the Practice of Everyday Life
Phil Davignon on practical atheism.
churchlifejournal.nd.edu
