After reading Witvliet's Worship Seeking Understanding, I found myself wanting to generate
discussion threads on a number of topics, but will settle for this one, at least to start with:
Cultural engagement -- it has been several years since I first read Neibuhr's Christ and Culture.
It captured my interest then and did again related to Witvliet's
investigation of what the relationship should be between the church's
worship liturgy and the culture we find ourselves in. Though I agree
with critics who view Neibuhr's categories as somewhat inadequate and
limiting, they remain excellent launching off points for discussion. I
was particularly interested in Witvliet's use of Stephen B. Bevan's Models of Contextual Theology,
and in particular, Bevan's "Synthetic Model" -- which "looks for a
synthesis 'between one's own cultural point of view and the points of
view of others' instead of constantly focusing attention on the
particularities of a given contextualized theology" (p.111). I admit
that my gravitation toward "both-and" postmodern thinking is in view
here. Nonetheless, I resonate with the synthetic model in that it seems
to both embrace and guard against the enculturization of Christian
liturgy. What Witvliet posits toward the end of chapter four seems
huge: "In sum, the twin dangers that cultural engagement seeks to avoid
are 'cultural capitulation,' on the one hand, and 'cultural
irrelevancy,' on the other." In every case of cultural engagement,
there must be a yes and a no, a being in but not of, a continuity and a
discontinuity with accepted cultural practices" (p.119).
As
the product of an evangelical megachurch (chapter 11 was quite
spot-on), I have grown increasingly suspicious of how evangelicals have
frequently favored culture-pleasing evangelism over culture-shaping
theology. Worship Seeking Understanding was therefore a refreshing read
for me for many reasons, not the least of which being its emphasis on
how important theology is (biblical, historical, systematic) in the
shaping of liturgy -- not just the "what and how" of liturgy but the
"why."
Within many denominational structures, there seems to be
a persistent "push" and pressure to employ culturally proven and
effective practices in the "growing" of the church. Such an emphasis
has, in the past, driven the seeker-sensitive model of how many
evangelicals "do" worship and church. Despite some heartfelt
retractions by evangelical leaders, the role which culture should play
in the worship and life of the church is not always an easy or
cut-and-dry endeavor.
I look forward to any reactions, thoughts, or questions you might have in response.