Catez - I completely agree. People will always listen to music, read literature, and be involved in other types of culture. There’s no way to get around that. If Christians don’d develop a godly counter-culture, if there is no alternative to worldly music, etc, then people won’t alter their lifestyles. You can’t fight something with nothing.

Again, there certainly is a vibrant Christian counter-culture. It’s just that we need to keep developing and growing it.

Yes. And how do we offer it? Anyone can talk, but do our live match what we say? In other words - how do we look culturally? Culture encompasses many things. Are we creating something different that matches our words, or are we just talk. I completely agree with Tim on this one - we need to live the life. That’s creating culture.

Of course she isn’t saying that culture doesn;t come from our worldview - knowing her work it’s obvious that her botttomline position is that it is our worldview that influences what we do. That’s the whole point of her book. We have different gifts and abilities - we do take part in creating culture. And we can create things that differ from the spirit of this world.

Spunky, I think you are being too hard on this post actually. Yes, we are called to make disciples - but that’s not all we do in life. You are splitting off our work and creativity as if it doesn’t count. We can do both - make disciples and create culture - which is what L’Abri was all about and is where Pearcey is coming from.

You said:
But culture is the by product of seeking and applying truth, that’s a worldview.

Well yes, but Pearcey is simply a little further down and saying how do we apply that worldview - what ae we doing with it? It’s not an either/or but a progression.

I guess what I am saying is that worldview does create a culture. It is automatic.

Well no, it’s not. A worldview is the blueprint - but not everyoone lives it out. And none of us have “arrived” in that sense either. It’s possible to have a worldview but still live in a dualism of sorts, or still live without creating anything different from the world. It’s not automatic that worldview creates culture - which is why Peacrey encourages the living out of it. And homeschooling isn’t an automatic result of the Deuteronomy verse. For some the application of that verse is quite different. I’m not arguing the pros and cons of homeschooling, but pointing out that there is a worldview and then there is the decision about the expression/application of that worldview. And it is not always going to be the same, and creating something culturally different is not automatic at all. We would have a much more effective church if it was automatic. Plenty of people know the truth on things - but do not understand the application of applying it in every sphere of life.

This is a beautiful, insightful post.

I agree that culture can be created and should not be confused with worldview. But culture is the by product of seeking and applying truth, that’s a worldview. It is a matter of focus. To say we need to create culture puts the emphasis in the wrong area in my opinion. Yes, different cultures were created in each of those eras you mentioned. But as Christians we are called to go out and “make disciples” not make a culture. Culture is the result of disciples walking in truth. We should not make it more than it is. Our families worldview determines its culture. We did not create a family culture it is derived from our worldview.

By way of analogy, people began to recognize the need to homeschool as a mandate of the truth “fathers teach your children” from Deut 6. From that obedience to truth a homeschool culture has been created. I don’t think the homeschool culture would be as strong if we sought out to make a “homeschoool culture” as the first step. It was as individuals applied the truth that the culture was created. Not the culture created so that individuals will follow.

I guess what I am saying is that worldview does create a culture. It is automatic. We don’t need to create it or even worry about creating it. It is the natural expression and out growth of the worldview one believes. And when a large number all walk in the same truth that creates a culture and impacts the counterfeit culture of the god of this world.