Does Our Culture Define Our Faith?

Studying God means wishing to understand God. In our faith, we seek understanding, because we want to know the author of our faith and that this Divine Being is revealed to us in our human experience. Therefore, the culture and context of our experience is a vital element of our search for God. "Contextual theology" means exercising this study within a particular cultural context in relation to our own personal experience, for example the "woman's" experience, the Black, Jewish or Native American experience and so forth.

Modern thought and new methods of research such as the internet influence the choices we make when it comes to ethics. Although no one segment of society holds ultimate truth, the majority of people put pressure on how to best define our moral norms. For example, many celebrities and politicians recently have been taken to task for being "politically incorrect" or using out-dated and discriminatory language. Despite the push for personal speech freedoms in the 60s, there has been a backlash of sorts now on those who do not conform to what popular culture feels is acceptable. This is done by protest in public forums including Congress and by boycotting advertisers or financial backers.

How society arrives at some kind of conformity over these cultural norms is a mystery, other than majority rule. The fact that so many are so ready to abide by whatever is most expedient financially or politically is even more repugnant since those standing outside the margins of cultural complicity oftentimes are the ones who represent the best alternative viewpoints by which we grow - take Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" for example.

Since human experience is diverse and can transcend from one culture to another globally, it often requires a shift in our particular perspective, expression or language. When I traveled to Israel in 1998, it was important to look through the eyes of the people who reside there, to speak Hebrew and understand the customs. Our language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, social organization and values are what the ancients called "the world". Should there be boundaries and definitive norms for "religion" in this world? and if so, who decides?

"God's ways are not our ways, nor God's thoughts our thoughts." (Isa. 55: 8-9). If we examine the human experience of Jesus, we notice a man who is non-interfering. "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Matt 22:19). Jesus was more interested in the motives and principles which governed others' lives rather than actual social constructs. He lived and advocated a celibate, unorthodox, unanxious and toil-free lifestyle. In matters of justice he asks, "Who made me judge?" However, he was very much concerned about the voice of the oppressed and the duty of the rich and the responsibility to society of the powerful. Culture was made by and for man, not for God.

Issues such as race, gender, power and property appear important to us because we speak with a particular voice of experience, but God is no respecter of persons and not all revelation comes from physical experience - but also introspection and revelation by the Spirit of God. The Prophets like Elijah, Job, Solomon and particularly Jesus pass beyond the limits of formal education and even of history. Their wisdom becomes accessible through various signs, testimonies and personal, self-affirming revelation in ourselves when we read their words. Christians are admonished to give an account of their faith "in season and out of season" implying the fickle nature of how society changes.

It is interesting to note how many saints and prophets stood outside of culture. They would go out into the desert, alone and starving. Eventually they would show the "work of the law written in their hearts, their consciousness bearing witness, and their thoughts (and actions) alternately accusing or else defending them." (Romans 2:15).

Yes, we are to "be subject to governing authorities" (Rom 13:1), however, Congressional pressure shows that not even the President is infallable. We are to pay taxes (Rom 13:6), but we can certainly lobby to change the tax codes and standards. We are to adhere to marriage vows (1 Cor. 7:2)., but recent changes in same-sex domestic partnership law in many states makes the vow promise lines blurry and uncertain. However, the Bible instructs us we are not to be blown away by every "wind of doctrine" and are also asked to discern the signs of the times.

Therefore, although our culture and the context of the times in which we live do influence our faith, we need to remember that God does not change. Truth and logic and the basic laws of nature are constant. If we are to live by the spirit and not the letter of the law (remember many old laws on slavery were unethical) we had best be attuned to God and be guided by the spirit of God to do so. I only know of three basic ways to do this, by Prayer (keeping in conversation with God) and Study (learning what God has to say) and Practice (putting faith into action).