Category — cultural

The Formative or Cultural Aspect
This aspect is often referred to as the cultural mode. I have written elsewhere about the term and the meaning of culture as Biblically understood. The Scriptural definition is much broader and more inclusive than the modern notion. I am aiming at a maximal idea rather than a limiting one. These are preliminary thoughts.

1. The key or kernel notion is the deliberate shaping of a social sphere. This entails planning and goal setting for the sake of change over time. A long-term perspective of change and influence is necessary. This includes not only the artistic projects themselves, but the business side of creating music or design.

2. Influence is more important than leadership. Influence happens from the bottom up. An artist’s work may not have immediate affect upon the social life of the arts or other spheres, but over time, the ideas and projects that are undertaken may influence the work of others. Question: How is influence built within the arts community, and how does that influence affect the broader society?

3. The artist should aim at making a significant contribution to the flow of history. This means that the artist must overcome any scruples about crossing over into the business and promotional side of his or her work. Artists ought to form partnerships with those in business and the broader world of the marketplace. There are numerous examples of this, including the work between Puma and Hvyw8, as well as many others.

4. Formative power within the arts is not coercive. The formative power of the Christian arts is an unfolding of creative power, following upon the pattern of biology found within the creation. “He shall be like a tree…” Psalm 1. This is true of all Christian influence. The sword is not the means of gaining influence, as this is revolutionary, not Biblical.

5. Formative power includes access to, or ownership of the means of production. Ideas can go nowhere unless they can be produced as actual objects or works. This includes printing, sewing, musical instrumentation and recording facilities. etc, etc. Ownership is itself a formative power that allows for control over the direction and formation of artistic works.

In common evangelical parlance the term culture means art and politics. This is a mistake. Culture is not a social construct, but a power. It is the ability to form and shape society. It is not an afterthought of what is happening at the moment, but deliberate planning to shape the future. It is not sociology, but informs social interactions. The church, the arts, business, and politics are spheres of society, spheres that function on their own. Culture is an aspect of our experience. It entails the drawing of blueprints for each sphere of society as distinct arenas of Christ’s Lordship. The church has its own blueprint, the arts has its own blueprint, and the state has its own blueprint. 

The confusion arises when Christians fail to distinguish between the spheres, and reduce them to an aspect. In this case, the arts are reduced to culture, which is further reduced to a branch of ministry in the church. The church begins to dictate to the other spheres. This is wrong. Well intentioned but ill-fated attempts are made at synthesizing two spheres, the church and the arts, or the church and politics. Each sphere ends up losing it’s essential power. This idea of culture comes to nothing because it is founded in a misguided and reactionary notion, even a non-Biblical ground motive. Scripture distinguishes kind from kind, in the unfolding of the Creation. In our temporal experience we need to the same.