Index of Subjects
American and French Revolutions, compared, 123, 158, 186–90
Asterix, 1
atonement theory, methodological flaw with “models” of, 61–62
Bible and church/state relationship, 159–73
different styles of government/reign, 167–69
differing fundamental allegiances, 165–66
opposition and persecution, 162–63
restricted confrontation, 163–65
summary of the diversity of biblical themes, 171–73
transformation of life and institutions, 170
biblical theology. See also biblical metanarrative
centers on and culminates in the gospel of Jesus Christ, 95–96, 115, 141, 143
need for wisely integrating, 59–62, 67, 71, 81–85, 87, 94, 121, 127, 143, 172, 207, 227
worldviews and, 95–99, 120, 143
biblical metanarrative, turning points in, xi, 36, 44–61, 67, 81, 206, 226
Christ and the new covenant, 52–58, 82–83, 95, 109, 115, 143
consummation (heaven and hell), 58–59, 64–65, 81, 170–71, 228
creation and fall, 45–49, 57, 81–83, 120, 127
Christ and Culture (Niebuhr), 10, 31–43, 67, 200–201, 205–6. See also Christ and Culture (Niebuhr), patterns in
assignment of historical figures, 39–40
definitions of Christ and culture, 9–12
epistemology, 10–11. See also epistemology; postmodernism
methodology that distinguishes alternative models instead of wisely integrating, 59–62, 71, 81–85, 94, 206. See also biblical theology, need for wisely integrating
purpose of, 9
Christ and Culture (Niebuhr), patterns in
pattern 1: “Christ against culture,” 13–16, 59–60, 69–72, 76n.14, 77, 223, 227; examples: Amish, 14, 80, 133, 178; Anabaptists, 80; Hauerwas, 14, 80; Kierkegaard, 14; Mennonites, 14; monasteries, 15; Montanism, 16; Quakers, 14–16; Tertullian, 13–15; Tolstoy, 14–16; Yoder, 80
pattern 2: “the Christ of culture,” 16–20, 36, 40, 61, 76n.14, 81, 82; examples: Abélard, 17; Emerson, 17–18; Gnosticism, 16–17, 33, 36; Jefferson, 17; Jesus, 18; Kant, 17; liberalism, 33–36; Locke, 17; Maurice, 18; Ritschl, 18; Schleiermacher, 17
pattern 3: “Christ above culture” (synthesis), 20–22, 82; examples: Clement of Alexandria, 21; Justin Martyr, 21; Thomas Aquinas, 21–22, 211
pattern 4: “Christ and culture in paradox” (dualist), 20n.20, 22–25, 60; examples: Augustine, 24; Kierkegaard, 25; Luther, 24; Lutherans, 60, 210–12; Marcion, 24; Paul, 24
pattern 5: “Christ the transformer of culture” (conversionist/transformationist), 7, 20n.20, 25–29, 38–40, 59–61, 76, 227; examples: Augustine, 27–28; Calvin, 28; Calvinists, 60–61, 80–81; Kuyper, 7, 81, 153, 212–16, 220; Maurice, 28; Niebuhr (?), 28–29; Wesley, 28
Christ and the new covenant, 52–58, 162
church and state, 4, 145–203, 207. See also Bible and church/state relationship
historical and theological reflections on, 173–94
in America, France, and the United Kingdom, 6–7, 122–24, 128–36, 142, 153, 158, 173–76, 186–90, 195, 198–99
in Islam, 57, 135–36, 122, 124, 191–95, 200–202, 224
left wing’s unrestrained criticism of the Christian right, 184–85
opposing dangers (and examples of avoiding them), 152–53
separation of, 6, 56–58, 119, 127, 145, 153, 158, 172–90, 185, 195n.69, 197
social improvement, 61, 84, 170, 202, 210
common grace, 16, 36n.11, 49, 60, 64, 73, 168, 193, 215, 222
creeds of Christianity, 20, 121, 221
cross of Christ, 54–55, 82, 84, 113, 141, 168–69. See also Christ and the new covenant
culture
assumptions re Christ and, 7–8
over Christ, 7
contemporary challenge of, 4–9
definition of, xi, 1–3, 11–12, 75, 85–86, 98, 205
diversity of Christian experience of, viii–x, 223–24
diversity of religious claims in, 5–7
factors that influence changes in, 77
fundamentalism on Christ and, 209–10
linguistics (langue and parole) as an analogy for understanding, 68–70
metanarrative and, 3
minimalist expectations of Christ and (e.g., Darryl G. Hart), 218–22
the most seminal evangelical thinkers on Christ and, 208
ongoing tensions in Christ and, 225–28
popular, 1
post-Christendom perspectives on Christ and (Craig A. Carter), 216–18
superiority or inferiority of any specific, 5, 71–75, 80
unique factors shaping modern reflections on, 5–6
customs, socially expected, 4, 9
degrees of punishment, 73
Deism, as a form of secularization, 117–18. See also secularization
democracy. See also Bible and church/state relationship; church and state
complexity of, 65, 123–26, 186, 193
conditions required for, 125
definition of, 178
the least objectionable option, 122–23, 193
liberal vs. illiberal, 125–26, 131–33, 139, 177–78
magnificent transformations effected by, 122
rise of, 172n.26
tensions related to (advantages and disadvantages of), 64, 122–23, 127–28, 134–38, 142–43, 161, 179, 199, 207, 210
Eastern Orthodoxy, 84
emerging church movement, 93, 102, 105–6
epistemology, 31, 90–92, 96. See also postmodernism
asymptotic approach to truth, 90–91, 101
objectivity in (Cartesian paradigm), 100–113, 206–7
of Niebuhr (perspectivalism), 10–11
evangelism, 84
Augustine’s “I believe, therefore I understand,” 106, 108, 110–11
outworking of, 172
public nature of, 171
First Amendment, 173–75, 182–83, 190, 195, 198–99
forgiveness of sins, 23, 48, 54
freedom. See also Bible and church/state relationship; church and state
government’s increasing power to maintain, 137
left wing’s idea of, 8, 29–34, 184–85
of the press, 125–26, 134–35, 173, 140
of religion, 124, 148, 164, 173–74, 185–86, 189–90, 200n.74, 201
“rights” and, 134
shift in defining, 134
tensions related to, 134–37, 207
French and American Revolutions, compared, 123, 158, 186–90
fundamentalism, 8, 106, 111, 129
fundamentals of Christianity, 33–34, 54–55
gospel. See also biblical metanarrative; biblical theology
centrality of the, 95–96, 115, 141, 143
importance of maintaining fidelity to the, 149
resurrection as a non-negotiable of the, 109
servant leadership embedded in the, 169
transformation effected by the, 60–61, 170, 172
unity of the, 42
government. See also Bible and church/state relationship; church and state; democracy; freedom; power
pay taxes to, 56–58, 160–61, 165
Roman Empire, 4, 9, 154–56, 162–64, 166, 196, 222
homosexuality, 117, 127, 130, 132–33, 190, 196, 199, 210
idolatry (de-godding God), 14, 19, 38, 46–50, 56, 64, 69, 73, 82, 94–95, 113, 120–21, 127, 138, 143, 163–64, 181, 193, 207
image of God, 45–47, 49, 56–58, 87, 120, 136, 138, 193, 207
inaugurated eschatology (realized eschatology), 27, 37–38, 53–55, 59, 63–64, 81, 160, 170–71, 181–82, 203, 218, 226, 228
incarnation, 52–53, 84, 169, 176
incomprehensibility (unknowability) of God, 97–98
intolerance. See also secularization
Christian responses to modern, 7
of public Christianity, 6, 9, 19, 79n.16, 116, 129, 155, 177, 190, 192
Islam (Muslims)
“church and state” in, 57, 135–36, 122, 124, 191–95, 200–202, 224
in France, 78
Jesus’ exclusivity in comparison with Muhammad in, 53
numerical growth of, 7
response to offensive cartoons, 135–36 (cf. 198)
Jesus Christ. See Christ and Culture (Niebuhr); Christ and Culture (Niebuhr), patterns in; Christ and the new covenant; gospel; resurrection of Christ
just war theory, 4, 140, 180–81. See also pacifism
kingdom of God. See inaugurated eschatology
language, unity and diversity of (illustration of the human ability to corrupt good things), 74–75
metanarrative. See also biblical metanarrative
suspicions of, 87
modernism, 10, 90–91, 102–3, 113, 189, 221. See also postmodernism
multiculturalism, 5, 72n.6, 76–77, 146, 155, 200
Muslims. See Islam
narrative and propositions, 103–4, 108
nation-state. See church and state
non-negotiables of the Christian faith. See biblical metanarrative
orthodoxy and heterodoxy (heresy), 17, 32–34, 111, 154n.8, 215, 221
pacifism, 8, 140, 179–81, 221–22. See also just war theory
penal substitution, 82. See also Christ and the new covenant
persecution of Christians
biblical priorities re church and state for the, 65, 162–63, 217, 226, 228
challenge of the, 4
Christ and culture and the, 13, 60, 84–85, 125, 164, 172, 188, 194, 223–24
political consequences of the (Bonhoeffer), 188
perspectivalism. See postmodernism
pluralism (religious). See secularization
pornography, 126, 130, 134–35, 137n.36, 139n.41
postliberal theology of the Yale school’s cultural-linguistic approach, 79n.16, 112–13
postmodernism, 8, 10–11, 62–63, 67–113, 200, 206–7. See also epistemology
in America vs. France, 8, 10, 87–88, 90, 189–90
asymptotic approach to truth, 90–91, 101
chastened or “soft” (its similarities with a chastened modernism), 90–94, 100–101, 107–8
perspectivalism, 10–11, 90, 92, 94, 100–101, 113
power. See also church and state
Christ as an example of (constant constraint), 141
tensions related to, 207
propitiation, 54
propositions and narrative, 103–4, 108
Radical Orthodoxy, 105–13, 121n.17
realized eschatology. See inaugurated eschatology
redemptive history. See biblical metanarrative; biblical theology
religion. See Bible and church/state relationship; church and state; secularization
resurrection of Christ, 38, 54–55, 96, 108–9, 143, 182, 217. See also Christ and the new covenant
as a non-negotiable component of the gospel, 109
Roman Empire, 4, 9, 154–56, 162–64, 166, 196, 222
Ruth, 50
salvation history. See biblical metanarrative; biblical theology
secularization, 6–7, 127, 131, 171, 174, 185, 228. See also church and state
Augustine’s conception of the sacred, profane, and secular, 176–77
inevitability of, 117
rise of the nation-state and, 158, 174
self-help (Joel Osteen), 118
separation of church and state. See church and state
sin (evil), 47–49, 74–75, 82, 120, 143. See also idolatry; power
detached from the sheer centrality of God, 73
rebellion against Jesus’ authority, 63
slavery, 25, 45, 50, 123, 152–53, 170, 209, 218
social improvement, 61, 84, 127, 152–53, 170, 196–99, 202, 210, 217–18. See also church and state
sola fide, 95–96. See also faith
sovereignty of God, 26, 50, 53, 60, 62–65, 160, 187, 193, 203, 214
state. See church and state
Story line of the Bible. See biblical metanarrative
taxes, pay to Caesar, 56–58, 160–61, 165
theocracy, 51–52, 56, 58, 130–31, 133n.31, 162, 184–85, 199, 202, 210, 219
tolerance. See intolerance
truth, 90–93, 96, 100–113, 120, 149n.3
unity, 22, 74–75, 121n.16, 177