A good piece by Ross Douthat in the NT Times on the changing culture wars. Some initial impressions.
Marriage has always been an economic and social class instrument. Read Stephanie Coontz http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-History-How-Love-Conquered/dp/014303667X. She might have to write a second book about how love couldn’t hold marriage better than money.
This bifurcation of the church though is also nothing new. Social dislocation impacts the church too. I’m also reading a biography of John Newton. He became a preacher in the church of England while the Methodists were capturing many in the underclass. Today we have Presbyterians and Pentecostals. The church is richer for both probably.
I think there is also a cultural lag at work too. The church is often a reactive body to rapid social change and social change in our time is rapid. Reactive responses are often uneven. We are seeing a surge in responding to middle class threats but probably a lag right now for the American underclass who have been brutalized by globalization. Uneducated Americans face competition from immigrant labor at home and very cheap factory labor abroad. Church movements often impact different segments of the church differently.
A hallmark of American cultural middle class was the family structure. This family structure became the epicenter of a lot of conservative Christian angst. “Focus on the Family”, “Family Values”, etc. What exactly is the relationship between 20th century northern-european family culture and Christian culture? What is the relationship between evangelicalism and this family culture? I don’t know how we can answer that.
In Latin American there are Roman Catholics and evangelicos. In many places you can see the evangelical lift where once the man no longer plays around, no longer spends family money on tobacco, gambling, male amusements and alcohol suddenly there is more money at home and the kids get an education. Up the evangelicals rise in society. Is that what will happen? I don’t know.
I have long noted the wavelength of my ministry. I address some people well and others not so well. I tend to connect with the educated, or even the self-educated. I do less well with the Jerry Springer segment of American culture.
I wouldn’t count the church out, however. Throughout history the church has had various awakenings among lower classes. It may in fact come to the US from Africa, Latin America and Asia and look more Pentecostal then Presbyterian.
About PaulVK
Husband, Father of 5, Pastor
Leadingchurch.com 
It is a marriage or a culture divide?
A good piece by Ross Douthat in the NT Times on the changing culture wars. Some initial impressions.
Marriage has always been an economic and social class instrument. Read Stephanie Coontz http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-History-How-Love-Conquered/dp/014303667X. She might have to write a second book about how love couldn’t hold marriage better than money.
This bifurcation of the church though is also nothing new. Social dislocation impacts the church too. I’m also reading a biography of John Newton. He became a preacher in the church of England while the Methodists were capturing many in the underclass. Today we have Presbyterians and Pentecostals. The church is richer for both probably.
I think there is also a cultural lag at work too. The church is often a reactive body to rapid social change and social change in our time is rapid. Reactive responses are often uneven. We are seeing a surge in responding to middle class threats but probably a lag right now for the American underclass who have been brutalized by globalization. Uneducated Americans face competition from immigrant labor at home and very cheap factory labor abroad. Church movements often impact different segments of the church differently.
A hallmark of American cultural middle class was the family structure. This family structure became the epicenter of a lot of conservative Christian angst. “Focus on the Family”, “Family Values”, etc. What exactly is the relationship between 20th century northern-european family culture and Christian culture? What is the relationship between evangelicalism and this family culture? I don’t know how we can answer that.
In Latin American there are Roman Catholics and evangelicos. In many places you can see the evangelical lift where once the man no longer plays around, no longer spends family money on tobacco, gambling, male amusements and alcohol suddenly there is more money at home and the kids get an education. Up the evangelicals rise in society. Is that what will happen? I don’t know.
I have long noted the wavelength of my ministry. I address some people well and others not so well. I tend to connect with the educated, or even the self-educated. I do less well with the Jerry Springer segment of American culture.
I wouldn’t count the church out, however. Throughout history the church has had various awakenings among lower classes. It may in fact come to the US from Africa, Latin America and Asia and look more Pentecostal then Presbyterian.
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About PaulVK
Husband, Father of 5, Pastor