Fabulous essay which speaks to my very soul. Indeed, I have often thought about and discussed these matters, though I have never articulated them so well or so beautifully as this. It resonates very much with the work, and mission, of Francis Schaeffer to get the church engaging with the world on a cultural level; acting as if it really cared for the outcomes, and not just putting on a quaint show to pass the time of day. "I'm a Christian, get me out of here" I call this attitude, and we can easily underestimate the historical depth of the whole issue, reaching back towards the Stoics and Gnostics of pagan times and beyond. As you say, getting back to the heart of Creation Theology can do much to reverse, and heal, the damage, by restoring us to God's original creative commission - not simply to guard what is given but to take it in hand, like God intended, and make it inexorably better. Which besides enlivening existing believers, willl - I believe - also make the Church a true haven for the increasing numbers of people who now seek what was lost. As the scriptures say, the fields are white. But without ambition, creativity and intellect, the harvest might so easily go to waste.
The parable of the talents shows that we were not meant to merely preserve, but to grow.
We know from scripture that ambition in the service of God is good. Eg. 2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him”
That ambition can lead astray is obvious, but rightly directed ambition is direly needed in churches today. The lack of boldness is fatal, especially to young men seeking fulfilment there. It’s heartening to read that others acknowledge this and are also working on it.
This is great stuff. I just want to recommend working in "creativity", "intelligence" and "ambition" through faith, hope and love. Those are our fundamental values which generate what you're talking about, and they tie us to the great commission and Jesus necessarily.
How long do you think this cultural ossification has been going on? My experience of it in Orthodoxy has shown that (at least at present) most of the hostility to creativity or intellectual pursuits comes from, to put it bluntly, Boomers who don’t want to experience anything new.
I think it began with the Border Reivers, and Protestants worsened the problem because of their preference for things like prudence and efficiency - virtues that exist at the expense of creativity and beauty.
And yes, the Boomers are inordinately hostile toward creatives. This hostility is one of their many psychopathologies but it did not originate with them.
Well said. Only way to carve good values back into our societies and people is for us to return to God and also to create good art again.
The latter can help with the former.
Fabulous essay which speaks to my very soul. Indeed, I have often thought about and discussed these matters, though I have never articulated them so well or so beautifully as this. It resonates very much with the work, and mission, of Francis Schaeffer to get the church engaging with the world on a cultural level; acting as if it really cared for the outcomes, and not just putting on a quaint show to pass the time of day. "I'm a Christian, get me out of here" I call this attitude, and we can easily underestimate the historical depth of the whole issue, reaching back towards the Stoics and Gnostics of pagan times and beyond. As you say, getting back to the heart of Creation Theology can do much to reverse, and heal, the damage, by restoring us to God's original creative commission - not simply to guard what is given but to take it in hand, like God intended, and make it inexorably better. Which besides enlivening existing believers, willl - I believe - also make the Church a true haven for the increasing numbers of people who now seek what was lost. As the scriptures say, the fields are white. But without ambition, creativity and intellect, the harvest might so easily go to waste.
The parable of the talents shows that we were not meant to merely preserve, but to grow.
We know from scripture that ambition in the service of God is good. Eg. 2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him”
That ambition can lead astray is obvious, but rightly directed ambition is direly needed in churches today. The lack of boldness is fatal, especially to young men seeking fulfilment there. It’s heartening to read that others acknowledge this and are also working on it.
Beautifully written, hard hitting, and ends with an important thought
Thanks GB
This is great stuff. I just want to recommend working in "creativity", "intelligence" and "ambition" through faith, hope and love. Those are our fundamental values which generate what you're talking about, and they tie us to the great commission and Jesus necessarily.
How long do you think this cultural ossification has been going on? My experience of it in Orthodoxy has shown that (at least at present) most of the hostility to creativity or intellectual pursuits comes from, to put it bluntly, Boomers who don’t want to experience anything new.
Hundreds of years.
I think it began with the Border Reivers, and Protestants worsened the problem because of their preference for things like prudence and efficiency - virtues that exist at the expense of creativity and beauty.
And yes, the Boomers are inordinately hostile toward creatives. This hostility is one of their many psychopathologies but it did not originate with them.