Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Baker Academic
Publish Date: September 20, 2022
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1540965066
ISBN-13: 9781540965066
“This book offers a non-anxious approach to cultural engagement, one that is attentive to the hunger for meaning, beauty, and justice and is governed by gospel virtues of faith, love, and hope.”
Whether we interpret Scripture or culture, it matters what we do, not just what we think or feel. How do we live with our interpretation, and how do we live it out? This book helps us understand how culture forms us as political actors, moves us aesthetically, shapes the rhythms of our lives, and connects (or disconnects) us from God and neighbors we are called to love. The goal is to be equipped to engage culture with greater fluency and fidelity in response to the triune God.
This short, accessible introduction to the conversation between theology and culture offers a patient, thoughtful, and theologically attuned approach to cultural discernment. It helps us grow our interpretive skill by training our intuition and giving us a slower, more deliberate approach that accounts for as much of the complexity of culture as possible. The book explores 5 dimensions of culture–meaning, power, morality, religion, and aesthetics–and shows how each needs the others and all need theology. Each chapter includes distinctive practices for spiritual formation and practical application. Foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Foreword by Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Introduction: Is There Anything to Say?
Conclusion: The Lived Dimension – The Difficulties of Doing Cultural Theology
Appendix: Looking through the Lenses – Questions to Ask about Cultural Artifacts
Justin Ariel Bailey works at the intersection of Christian theology, culture, and ministry. Having served as a pastor in a number of diverse settings, his work as a professor explores the ways that culture shapes the practice of Christian faith, as well as the ways that that Christian faith enables culture care. He holds a PhD in Theology and his research seeks to bridge gaps between church and academy, and the formational spaces where they overlap. He is the host of the In All Things podcast, and writes regularly for their online journal.
His written work has appeared in Christianity Today, The Banner, Fare Forward, and the Reformed Journal, as well as academic publications such as Christian Scholars Review and the International Journal of Public Theology. He is the author of the book Reimagining Apologetics (IVP Academic, 2020).
