Horizontal Relative Truth

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Sep 4, 2004 in Culture | 0 comments

Here is a model I did a while ago as I was thinking about truth.

Gospel & Culture

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Sep 2, 2004 in Church, Culture | 0 comments

Here is a book that arrived in the mail, it is part of the Gospel & Our Culture Series which I’ve enjoyed reading from in the past (The Church between Gospel and Culture, Missional Church, The Continuing Conversion of the Church).

Storm Front: The Good News of God By: J.V. Brownson, I.T. Dietterich & B.A. Harvey

How does one authentically hear and live out the gospel in North America? This book attempts to answer this question in a way that reveals much about the nature of Christian faith today and its relation to contemporary culture. In keeping with the aims of the acclaimed Gospel and Our Culture series, StormFront investigates how the gospel intersects American culture and seeks to reorient the church to its full and proper missional vocation. Four authors noted for their understanding of modern church life offer a sober yet hopeful critique of American culture that focuses on consumerism and the privatization of religion, and they challenge the Christian church to embrace its corporate task to be salt and light to the world. Amid the many books on the subject, this one is distinctive in its concern for application. By contrasting contemporary life with a thoroughgoing reading of the biblical narrative, the authors help American Christians discern how our cultural location makes it difficult to live out the transformative message of the gospel. Few readers will fail to be engaged by the lessons offered here.

What I'm Reading – Return to Schaeffer

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Sep 1, 2004 in Church, Culture | 0 comments

The God Who Is There, 30th Anniversary Edition By: Francis Schaeffer

The God Who Is There is a full, deep, penetrating look at society and its relation to the church (and vice versa), but it can be summarized in five basic passions, according to author and editor James Sire, in the foreword. One, a passion for the God who is there, the God who directly engages with his people. Two, a passion for truth. Schaeffer felt that the conflict seen in society stemmed from differing concepts of truth, and he calls us to return to the truth of Scripture. Three, a compassion for people. As Schaeffer states in the book, “As I push the man off his false balance, he must be able to feel that I care for him. Otherwise I will only end up destroying him…” Four, a passion for culture. Without a deep, full understanding of what the world is thinking about and chasing after, the church cannot speak the truth of the Gospel effectively to it. Five, a passion for relevant and honest communication. Schaeffer brilliantly focuses on how many in our society use words to mask the real meanings and to hide reality. He calls us to unmask the meanings, and to face reality squarely.

Escape from Reason By: Francis Schaeffer

Man is dead. God is dead. Life has become meaningless existence, man a cog in a machine. The only way of escape lies in a nonrational fantasy world of experience, drugs absurdity, pornography, an elusive “final experience,” madness… In this highly orginal book Dr. Schaeffer traces the way in which art and philosophy have reflected the dualism in Western thinking introduced at the time of the Renaissance. Today this dualism is expressed in a despair of rationality and an escape into a nonrational world which alone offers hope.

He Is There & He Is Not Silent By: Francis Schaeffer

Schaeffer deals with the fundamental spiritual questions: What do we know? and How do we know what we know? He points to an infinite, personal God whom we can come to know intimately.

Finding God in Abstract, Absurd and Postmodern Art

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Aug 20, 2004 in Culture | 0 comments

The other day I entered into a lively discussion that brought to light a line many of us have probably not established. It began by discussing bands that sing screamo to the point where their words and lyrics are unintelligent.(Screamo is a sub-genre of emo best characterized by the intense use of screaming. While all emo bands must scream at least once to be officially “emo”, screamo bands must be screaming the majority of the time. For good examples, search for The Assistant, A Days Refrain, Orchid, or Fall on Deaf Years.) The discussion centered on whether this is really ‚Äòart’. It was through this conversation discussing the absurd creations of artists (blank walls, soup cans, unintelligible yelling) that we began to dialogue about ‚Äòwhat is art’. Full Article >

The role of the Christian artist in the secular world

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Aug 20, 2004 in Culture | 5 comments

With increasing numbers bands that are Christian are being received by the secular world. It wasn't long ago when people mentioned Christian music that it caused a shudder because it was an embarrassing state of affairs. Read the full article: Article Published at Next-Wave (images broke) see it at Kaleo Church The role of the Christian artist in the secular world . 

Tension in the Emerging Church

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Aug 20, 2004 in Church, Culture | 0 comments

A lot of ink has spilled discussing the shape of the emerging North American church. We hear voices within the church speak of a need to re-tool the ‘modern church’ to create a spiritual experience that reflects the current cultural context. It is clear that this creation requires changing the way we do church. The challenge that we must grapple with in the midst of this transition is discerning what the church should be willing to change. Today there is a tension in the emerging church between our biblical calling and the desire to be culturally relevant. Read the full article: Article Published at The Ooze