As usual, this is not an examination of the nitty-gritty of this book. I’m not equipped by education, background, or temperament for that. I wish I was…I think this book should get that.
by Stephen O. Presley
DETAILS:
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 169 pg.
Read Date: June 2-9, 2024
Christians and non-Christians carried on regular every day interactions, in the marketplace and conversations at social gatherings in public places. Pagans “came in contact with the movement in a number of casual ways,” Nock says in his classic work on conversion, because “there was little, if any, direct preaching to the masses.” The church was not distinguished from the culture by anything in their outward appearance, especially since they were not typically found among the upper crust of society and thus blended in even more with those around them. What did distinguish them was their distinctive doctrine and practice. Christianity came on the scene with “very distinctive roots and, though fully embedded, was never fully enmeshed in the culture.”
What’s Cultural Sanctification About?
In the West, the Church finds itself in an increasingly Paganized culture, a post-Christiandom—Presley (and countless others) asserts. In response to this, several responses have been proposed, and can largely be lumped into two categories—some sort of Culture-War response where various and sundry methods and tools are used to push back against this, with the goal of re-establishing some sort of Christendom 2.0; the other is some sort of retreat into virtual, or literal, monasteries—communities of faith, separated from the rest of the culture.
Presley has another idea—why not look to the Early Church, the pre-Constantinian believers who were in a situation very similar, but a pre-Christendom. How did they go about interacting with the culture? This book explores that idea by looking at the way Christians believed, taught, and acted (generally speaking, recognizing outliers and sins along the way) in the spheres of: Identity, Citizenship, Intellectual Life, Public Life, and Hope.
Essentially, he places the Christians effort along two paths, as these two quotations summarize:
In an age when cultural Christianity is waning, there is no doubt that now is the time to revive our basic commitments to discipleship and regular worship together that will testify to the beauty of the community of faith. Living faithfully in a secular world will most certainly require Christians to take their Christian identity more seriously and the specific ecclesiological structures they take.
Before we start complaining about outside worldliness, we need to do some healthy self-examination and consider the doctrines and morality by which we actually live to better know how to offer true light in the darkness. Cultural engagement begins in the hallowed hall of the church with good instruction in the contours of Christian faith and practice.
His position is, to over-simplify: through a focus on catechesis (or, if you prefer, discipleship) and liturgy (or, if you prefer, worship) the Church was able to build identity and community, able to live out the lives they were called to and to impact—slowly and organically—the culture around them.
The Indexes
There are two indexes for this book—”Index of Names and Subjects” and “Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources.” While I’ve frequently found it difficult to discern what makes a “good” index over a “mediocre” or even “bad” index, sometimes quality just jumps out at you. Such is the case here—top-notch indexing.
So, what did I think about Cultural Sanctification?
…a Christian vision of cultural sanctification must begin with crafting Christian identity through catechesis (or discipleship) and liturgy (or worship). If Christians do not know the basic contours of Christian doctrine and morality, how can we expect them to live Christianly in a pagan world? Unfortunately, much current literature on cultural engagement begins with discussions of methods rather than formation. We are often concerned with how to respond to culture without considering the very basis upon which that response must proceed. Methods are essential, but without the right Christian assumptions informing them, we will be tossed about and finally prove ineffectual.
I know, I know…this is the third book* I’ve talked about this year focusing on the Early Church, Her approach(es), and relation to the culture and those individuals around her, with at least some application for the contemporary Church. At this point, I have no plans to add a fourth (but I won’t turn up my nose at one). There’s a lot of overlap in these three—they might not be entirely on the same page in application, but their descriptions of the Early Church in various contexts overlap a great deal. I find that pretty encouraging, honestly.
* The other two were Cultural Christians in the Early Church: A Historical and Practical Introduction to Christians in the Greco-Roman World by Nadya Williams and Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling by Nijay K. Gupta
The other two, however, were more about describing the Early Church first and then looking at our circumstances secondarily. Presley’s goal is to find lessons and guidance for today (and the near future) from the Early Church. The difference in approaches and overall aims does color this a good deal. But since he’s clear about it from the outset (as were Williams and Gupta), so it doesn’t take you off-guard.
I was talking to a friend about it while working through the book and told him at the mid-point (or a little later) that I wasn’t sure I liked it because Presley was so good, insightful, and helpful or if it was because he was serving up a heaping plate of confirmation bias. This is, in very many ways, exactly what I wanted to read in a book with this aim—just with many more details and facts—and better argued than I could’ve offered. So, while I do think it’s a solid and helpful book—do know that I was primed to like it from page one.
As Williams shows and Gupta affirms (as does Presley), there’s a danger in relying too much on the Early Church—just because they were pre-Constantine (or pre-whatever mark you want to use), doesn’t make them infallible. They’re just as human, just as fallible, just as prone to wander as we are. However, we can look at how they responded to the culture around them and see how that culture responded. Can we assume that our results will be the same? No. But we can definitely see what didn’t work—and learn from what did in a culture that increasingly looks like theirs.
There are some things I wish he’d given us more detail on, a few notes that I think he struck too often, and a few things that I’m not sure I think he proved. But when it comes to almost all of those points, I’ve forgotten them (and/or can’t read my handwriting in my notes—which tells me I didn’t care enough to write clearly), so we’re talking about minor points. So I’m going to call this very helpful, solid, and pastoral work on a tricky subject.
Presley does indicate that there are times to back off (a la the Benedict Option)—at least in areas—and sometimes we need to approach something like a Culture War footing on a temporary basis. But neither of those ought to be the primary mode of interacting with our culture, neighbors, and government. Instead, we ought to follow in the faithful paths laid down before us—faith and practice, discipleship and worship, catechesis and liturgy. Presley’s book can help point us in the right direction.
Disclaimer: That section on the Indexes is a little tongue-in-cheek. I happen to be friends with the gentleman who prepared the Indexes. I do think they’re good and useful tools, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not sure they’re really worth mentioning (like all indexes). You’d probably have to offer an inaccurate or insufficient one to find a reason to talk about one, right?
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The Freedom of a Christian: A New Translation
