ESSAY ONE: CHRISTIANITY AND WORLD-CHANGING

Chapter 1: "Christian Faith and the Task of World-Changing"

In the Christian view, humans are created as "world-makers." They are obligated to engage and change their world, "pursuing God's restorative purposes over all of life, individual and corporate, public and private." (4) Not that Christians have a stellar record in pursuing this "creation mandate." The record is ambivalent, with much to inspire, and much to repent of. Nevertheless, Christian denominations and para-church organizations today are eager to engage and better their world. But are good intentions and enthusiasm enough?

"I contend that the dominant ways of thinking about culture and cultural change are flawed, for they are based on both specious social science and problematic theology. In brief, the model on which various strategies are based not only does not work, but it cannot work." (5)