Culture & Christianity

You can feel it, even if you can’t define it. Significant cultural shifts are impacting North America, having taken root in other parts of the world decades ago. One way to describe these shifts is to say that our culture is becoming “Post-Christian.” But what exactly does that mean? How is a post-Christian culture different from what went before? And what are the implications for Intown? What will faithfulness to Jesus look like in this new environment? This two-week series lays a foundation for understanding our culture and our calling with honesty, hope, and courage rooted in the goodness of Jesus and his gospel.

You can feel it, even if you can’t define it. Significant cultural shifts are impacting North America, having taken root in other parts of the world decades ago. One way to describe these shifts is to say that our culture is becoming “Post-Christian.” But what exactly does that mean? How is a post-Christian culture different from what went before? And what are the implications for Intown? What will faithfulness to Jesus look like in this new environment? This two-week series lays a foundation for understanding our culture and our calling with honesty, hope, and courage rooted in the goodness of Jesus and his gospel.

In week 4, Jimmy Agan wraps up his teaching series on Christian Nationalism by applying the three goals of Gospel Wisdom, Gospel Peace, and Gospel Bridges to conversations that listeners may have with others about the relationship between politics and religion.Click here for the slide outline.Click here for the class handout.Click here for a resource list to read and listen more about this topic.

This week, Jimmy Agan starts with looking to themes of Gospel Peace found in 1 Peter 3. He then draws attention a few troubling trends when it comes to defining terms around Christian Nationalism. He concludes with some pastoral encouragement for when we feel like giving up.Click here for the slide outline.Click here for the class handout.Click here for a resource list to read and listen more about this topic.

In the second week, Jimmy Agan presents the core traits of Christian Nationalism and offers healthier alternatives for Christians to approach politics in America.Click here for the slide outline.Click here for the class handout.Click here for a resource list to read and listen more about this topic.

In this first week of “Christian Nationalism: What Your Pastor Wants You To Know,” Jimmy Agan sets the groundwork for the rest of the series by first asking participants to consider what questions and fears they have when approaching this topic. He then sets out to define Christian nationalism, calling attention to varying perspectives as well as unpacking research surveys on the topic.Click here for the slide outline.Click here for the class handout.Click here for a resource list to read and listen more about this topic.

This week, we started out the wrap-up of this series by answering a few questions that had been previously submitted. We then considered a final ‘lens’ to look at transgenderism through – ‘disability.’ Specifically, we considered the various things that play a role in our sinful decisions, including people’s pain and suffering. Through a look at the biblical definition of eunuchs and the experience of Jesus as a suffering servant, we reminded each other to suffer and hope well with each other as we also are called to holiness.For this week’s handout, click here.

This week we looked at our second of three lenses, “divinity,” the lens concerned with the sacredness of God and his world. We again affirmed the biblical stance of two genders but discussed the difficulties in asking, “Is trans a sin?” due to various understandings of both transgenderism and categories of sin. We looked at our theological space for gender incongruence as a possible result of creation’s corruption in Romans 8, and ended with a practical discussion of varying views on using one’s preferred pronouns informed by 1 Corinthians 8.For this week’s handout, click here.

This week we began discussing the first of three “lenses” people look at trans issues through: “diversity.” We discussed how our culture has largely shifted to a worldview valuing personal choice and agency, and how with this in mind, it makes sense that our culture wishes to promote expressions of this such as trans movements. We also analyzed how we as God’s people have reacted to this shift with negative emotions, leading us to conflict instead of love.Discussed during class – Starbucks India Ad “Arpita” For this week’s handout, click here.

This week, we start with a discussion of various terms such as trans, transgender, intersex, transition, cisgender, and biological sex. We finished with a discussion of gender, that Scripture does root a defense of two genders in the image of God and possibility of marriage and procreation. However, we also emphasized that because expressions of gender are culturally influenced, our call should be to encourage each other to God-glorifying expressions of gender that clarify and focus people on his image instead of modern stereotypes of gender norms.For this week’s handout, click here.