Crouch, editorial director of the Christian Vision Project at Christianity Today International and a member of the editorial board for Books & Culture, gives readers a sweeping new theology of culture. Crouch blends academic research on the nature of culture with extensive theological study and years of experience as a cultural critic; his conclusions will be fresh and challenging for Christian readers. For Crouch, culture is a good and intentional part of God's creation. It encompasses not simply the arts but everything we do-from making meals to balancing work with life. Traditional Christian responses to culture-condemnation, critique and copying-are not enough to change it (although all at times are valid); instead, culture must be both cultivated (the good must be preserved) and created. Crouch argues that it is impossible for any of us to change the world, but that each of us can create culture within our own sphere of influence, and while that may feel small, God specializes in using small and seemingly unimportant things. Those who have struggled with the sacred-secular dichotomy will find this book life-giving; every Christian interested in changing culture should read it. ~ Publishers Weekly
Table of Contents
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- Introduction 9
- Part 1: Culture
- 1 The Horizons of the Possible 17
- 2 Cultural Worlds 37
- 3 Teardowns, Technology and Change 50
- 4 Cultivation and Creation 65
- 5 Gestures and Postures 78
- Part 2: Gospel
- 6 The Garden and the City 101
- Interlude: The Primordial Story 118
- 7 The Least of the Nations 121
- 8 Jesus as Culture Maker 134
- 9 From Pentecost 147
- 10 ... To Revelation 160
- 11 The Glorious Impossible 175
- Part 3: Calling
- 12 Why We Can't Change the World 187
- 13 The Traces of God 202
- 14 Power 217
- 15 Community 237
- 16 Grace 249
- Postscript: Artist in His Studio 264
Acknowledgments 269- Notes and Further Reading 272
- Index 282
- About Andy Crouch 285
