The point, which he makes very strongly throughout the book, is that a single answer is an impossiblity. The Christ-Culture relationship is necessarily local, dependent on governmental and social conditions. His point is to avoid just “choosing” which you would like to act out, and to focus on creating local answers that flow naturally from the truths of Scripture as described by healthy biblical theology.

It’s like a pitching coach in baseball… guys have different pitching motions, but he can teach them the key universal things to focus on that will make them better pitchers- more “faithful” to their primary goal.

Ben Bartlett’s last blog post..Healthy Interaction About Obama

Not that there’s anything wrong with this approach. I just thought his response would be more thorough and kept waiting for The Answer.

And yeah, I knew your questions weren’t meant to be answered, but I love answering questions, so I did. Plus, most of those questions really aren’t the kinds whose answers are all that different according to one’s local context.

The point of the book was not that Carson believes any one of Niebuhr’s categories is correct. He argues throughout that local circumstances are extremely influential on the approach a church takes to their local cultural context. His argument is not for a one-size-fits-all answer, but for the priority of biblical theology in guiding local solutions.

If I get a chance, I’ll put a bit more about Niebuhr’s categories here in the comments section.

The questions… thanks for your answers, but they were merely designed to highlight the wide range of issues that should be approached carefully, with a primary commitment to biblical theology for guiding those answers wisely. Local context will have a huge impact on how those look in the everyday world.

Ben Bartlett’s last blog post..Healthy Interaction About Obama

But to your questions!

Should we be more or less involved in culture?
We can’t be more or less involved with culture. Even as we are, we are involved in culture. Culture springs up as naturally from us as aging. Both someone like me (who apparently has a love affair with the world) and an Anabaptist are equally involved and engaged in culture—because it is impossible, while we live, to be outside of culture.

Can a Christian go into politics?
Sure. I wouldn’t, but that’s because I’m wise beyond my years (you wouldn’t think it to look at me). But that doesn’t mean that it’s immoral for a Christian to become a politician or to labour in the political realm. They just have to realize that their involvement in politics is no more Christian than is working as a fry cook at a greasy spoon.

Should we try to transform culture with Christian art or withdraw by homeschooling our kids?
Neither. Why would we care to transform culture? The gospel is about the transformation of lives. Culture comes out of lives, not vice versa. Transform the life and you transform the culture; transform the culture and, well, you’ve transformed the culture and, in the end, who cares if you transformed just the culture?

What are the duties of the local church in regards to poverty?
As a body or individually? The church body should care for its needs and the need of the Commission. The individual should love his neighbour and enemy as itself. The church has its focus, the individual its own.

To government?
Obedience. Respect. Honour. No matter how retarded the government is.

Good work – this book was on my wishlist – now I definitely want to get to reading it.

Bill Reichart’s last blog post..Vacation Pictures

Good review, brother!