R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s Blog, page 259

Secularism, Preaching, and the Challenges of Modernity

This post is the first of three in a series on Preaching in a Secular Age.

I began my chapter on preaching and postmodernism in We Cannot Be Silent with these words, “A common concern seems to emerge now wherever Christians gather: The task of truth-telling is stranger than it used to be. In this age, telling the truth is tough business and not for the faint-hearted. The times are increasingly strange.” As preachers we recognize how strange the times have become. Almost anyone seeking to carry out a faithful pulpit ministry recognizes that preachers must now ask questions we have not had to consider in the past. We recognize that preaching has been displaced from its once prominent position in the culture. Many of us are wondering, why is preaching more challenging in our cultural moment than it has been in other times? The answer to this question ultimately rests in this fact: we now live, move, and have our being in a secular age. As preachers, and even as Christians, we must understand the trends of secularization and advance that the only authentic Christian response to the challenge of secularization is faithful, clear, and informed expository preaching.

Secularization, as representative of an ideological and cultural change, was not possible until very recent times. Secularization rests on the shoulders of a number of other ideological shifts that have preceded it. Without the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and even without certain technological advances, secularization would have never been possible.

Once these intellectual and societal trends were charted, secularization theory began emerging as an academic discipline. Most of the contributors to this theory argued that secularization was the handmaiden to modernity. As these theorists explained, the modern age would necessarily and inevitably produce a secular society because modernity made God irrelevant. Modernism provided alternative answers to the most fundamental questions of life thereby rendering theism no longer necessary.

One of the most important theorists was professor Harvey Cox who, in 1965, published an enormously important book, The Secular City. The book was revolutionary for many Christians who had not yet recognized that society was fundamentally changing and growing more secular. Of course, many of the cultural signs pointing toward secularization were not as apparent then as they would be just a few decades later. Indeed, one need only consider that just ten years prior to the publication of Cox’s book, Dwight Eisenhower was baptized, making a public profession of faith in Christ while holding the office of President of the United States. This episode alone is enough to demonstrate just how significantly the culture and the political landscape has shifted between Eisenhower’s presidency and our own day. Despite this seeming evidence to the contrary, Cox revealed a tectonic cultural shift underway within Western society.With great foresight, Cox made the point that the future of the Western world, particularly its cities, was predominantly secular. As he made clear, this secularism was characterized by an eclipse of theism.

Additionally, another important theorist, German sociologist and philosopher Max Weber, argued that most people throughout human existence lived in an “enchanted” world. Weber meant that in the pre-modern era, humanity looked for the answers to all of the most basic questions of life by appealing to an “enchanted” or transcendent source. He was speaking, of course, about more than Western Christianity. Any religious answer, even one based in something as theologically undefined as totemism, appeals to “enchantment” or transcendence for the answers to life’s biggest questions. But, Weber argued, modernity brought about disenchantment—a jettisoning of transcendence for a purely naturalistic worldview.

Secularization theorists in the last decades of the 19th century and in the early decades of the 20th century were confident that this “disenchantment” would spread to the entire Western world. They were also convinced that organized religion and its authority would disappear. They were absolutely confident that they would live to see it happen. So did these things happen? The answer is actually a bit complicated.

The renowned sociologist Peter Berger notes that secularization happened just as the theorists predicted with respect to Europe—a continent that now registers almost imperceptible levels of Christian belief. Similarly, secularization also successfully swept across the landscape of American universities—which are, in many respects, isolated islands of Europe on American soil. One need only consider, for instance, the University of Tennessee which recently ordered that gendered pronouns be replaced by gender neutral pronouns like “zie.” While this administrative mandate was later overturned, the point remains that even in places such as Knoxville, Tennessee, major American universities are on the same trajectory of secularization as many of the most secularized parts of Europe.

But why has secularization not happened at the same rate in other communities in the United States as it has on American college campuses or in Europe? Berger demonstrates that secularization did happen to the same degree in the United States, but the outward appearance simply looked quite different than what we see in Europe or on university campuses.

As Berger explained, Christianity, in twentieth-century America, has transformed into a non-cognitive commitment. As a result, the binding authority of the Christian moral tradition has been lost. Many of our friends and neighbors continue to profess faith in God, but that profession is ultimately devoid of any moral authority or cognitive content. From the outside looking in, America did not appear to be secularizing at the same rate as the European continent. In reality, however, professions of faith in God had little real theological or spiritual meaning.

Berger predicted that as these religious adherents met cultural opposition, they would quickly give way to the secular agenda—which is exactly what happened. Just ten years ago most polls reflected the fact that a majority of Americans opposed same-sex marriage. Yet in our day the very same people polled one decade ago rendered an opposite moral judgement on the same issue. Just as Berger explained, when the cultural tide turned against our society’s empty religious commitments, people were happy to jettison their moral judgment on homosexuality to retain their social capital.

As preachers, Berger’s observations are tremendously important. We, above all others, need to realize that the culture no longer shares our worldview and as a result the very language we use may mean something entirely different in the ears of our listeners than what we intend. The meaning of words like morality, personhood, marriage, or virtually any other moral term has radically shifted for many postmodern Americans, making our job as preachers that much more difficult. These challenges are demanding but Scripture is sufficient for the task. Our job as preachers is not to make the message of the gospel palatable to the postmodern mind but to preach in a way that is compelling, clear, and authoritative. The times may have changed, but the task of preaching has not.

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The Briefing 01-12-17

What to watch for in the Senate's confirmation hearings on Trump's cabinet nominationsUS News & World Report (David Catanese) — Trump’s Cabinet Confirmations Commence

Meryl Streep, the Golden Globes, and Hollywood's "new kind of culture war"New York Times (Brooks Barnes) — At the Golden Globes, a New Culture War Erupts Onstage

Bubbles, automobiles, and zip codes: How a worldview is shapedThe Federalist (Ben Domenech) — Why We Should Rid Ourselves Of BubblesThe Federalist (Sean Davis) — Watch A Bunch Of Journalists Freak Out After Being Asked If They Know Anybody Who Drives A TruckWall Street Journal (Michael Barone) — Which Party Truly Speaks for Elites?

The culture of death and theology: Faith leaders "bless" new Planned Parenthood facilityBaptist News Global (Bob Allen) — Despite criticism from conservatives, faith leaders bless new Planned Parenthood facilityDCist (Rachel Kurzius) — More Than 20 Faith Leaders Bless Planned Parenthood's New D.C. Clinic

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The Briefing 01-11-17

Pres. Obama's farewell address: Reflecting back on the legacy of the 44th presidentNew York Times — President Obama’s Farewell Address: Full Video and TextThe Guardian (Peniel E. Johnson) — Barack Obama forever changed black America

Why the death penalty matters: Dylann Roof sentenced to death in Charleston AME Church massacreNew York Times (Alan Blinder and Kevin Sack) — Dylann Roof Is Sentenced to Death in Charleston Church Massacre

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The Briefing 01-10-17

A tale of Protestant liberalism: Historic Baptist church in D.C. calls lesbian couple as co-pastorsWashington Post (Lauren Markoe) — Married lesbian couple to lead prominent D.C. Baptist churchBaptist News Global (Bob Allen) — Same-sex married couple to lead historic Baptist church

In pro-life victory, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signs into law legislation that protects the unbornCNN (Azadeh Ansari and Kwegyirba Croffie) — Kentucky abortion bills signed, effective immediately

"Biology matters": LA Times column tackles the futility of gender-neutral parentingLos Angeles Times (Debra W. Soh) — The futility of gender-neutral parentingNew York Magazine (Jess Singal) — Yes, Biology Helps Explain Why Boys and Girls Play Differently

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The Briefing 01-09-17

Fort Lauderdale shooting raises questions of moral responsibility, sin, and the rationality of evilSun Sentinel (Megan O'Matz, Deborah Ramirez, and Paula McMahon) — Accused airport shooter checked only one item: a hard case carrying a gunSun Sentinel (Paula McMahon) — Esteban Santiago planned airport killings, investigators say

Are we now at the point where abortion has become ordinary to the American conscience?New York Times (Pam Belluck) — Abortion Is Found to Have Little Effect on Women’s Mental Health

Lena Dunham and the rise of expressive abortion: "I wish I have had an abortion"National Review (Alexandra DeSanctis) — Lena Dunham Wishes She’d Had an Abortion

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The Briefing 01-06-17

Crime and Punishment: New York Gov. Cuomo, clemency, and the limitations of human justiceNew York Times (Jim Dwyer) — She Faced Cuomo and Got Clemency. He Got ‘a Sense of Her Soul.’

Are we more than just a brain? Recent headlines and the Christian understanding of soul and bodyNew York Times (Richard A. Friedman) — What a Sensory Isolation Tank Taught Me About My BrainNew York Times (Benedict Carey) — Did Debbie Reynolds Die of a Broken Heart?

Gospel hope and the false promise of sexual freedom: Florida city outlaws conversion therapy Sun Sentinel (Brooke Baitinger) — Boynton Beach outlaws 'conversion therapy' on minors

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The Briefing 01-05-17

Religion and politics: Why is the 115th Congress more religious than the American people?New York Times (Jonah Engel Bromwich) — The New Congress Is 91% Christian. That’s Barely Budged Since 1961.Pew Research Center (Aleksandra Sandstrom) — Faith on the Hill

The American religious landscape: A closer look at Gallup's 5 key findings on religion in AmericaGallup (Frank Newport) — Five Key Findings on Religion in the U.S.

Thomas Sowell, one of the most insightful conservative voices of our generation, retires at 86National Review (Thomas Sowell) — A Farewell Note

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The Briefing 01-04-17

What is a boy? Boy Scouts of America refuse membership to transgender "boy," controversy ensuesNew York Times (Daniel Victor) — Cub Scouts Kick Out Transgender Boy in New Jersey

What is a woman? National Women's Hockey League accepts biological men in new transgender policyNew York Times (Matt Higgins) — Fledgling Women’s Hockey League Becomes a Trailblazer on Transgender Policy

When it comes to the transgender revolution, the rhetoric outpaces the realisticAmerican Conservative (Natasha Vargas-Cooper) — Womanhood RedefinedBoston Globe (Jeremy C. Fox) — Cambridge high school tackles gender climate head-on

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The Briefing 01-03-17

As 2017 dawns, the world anticipates transition of America's presidential administrationsNew York Times (Michael S. Schmidt) — Obama Plans Farewell Speech From Chicago

In the final days of 2016, terrorist attacks in Berlin and Istanbul again shocked the worldWall Street Journal (Emre Peker) — At Least 35 Killed in New Year’s Attack at Istanbul NightclubNew York Times (Tim Arango and Rick Gladstone) — Russian Ambassador to Turkey Is Assassinated in AnkaraNew York Times (Christopher Mele) — Terrorist Attack at Nightclub in Istanbul Kills Dozens

Global government and the United Nations: UN swears in new Secretary-General GuterresWall Street Journal (Farnaz Fassihi and Carol E. Lee) — U.S. Allows U.N. to Censure Israel

Why the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Soviet Union is important to rememberWall Street Journal (Andrew Clark) — Is Communism Cool? Ask a Millennial

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“And Them that Mourn” — Celebrating Christmas in the Face of Sorrow

Families across the Christian world are gathering for Christmas even now, with caravans of cars and planeloads of passengers headed to hearth and home. Christmas comes once again, filled with the joy, expectation, and sentiment of the season. It is a time for children, who fill homes with energy, excitement, and sheer joy. And it is a time for the aged, who cherish Christmas memories drawn from decades of Christmas celebrations. Even in an age of mobility, families do their best to gather as extended clans, drawn by the call of Christmas.

And yet, the sentiment and joy of the season is often accompanied by very different emotions and memories. At some point, every Christian home is invaded by the pressing memory of loved ones who can no longer gather — of empty chairs and empty arms, and aching hearts. For some, the grief is fresh, suffering the death of one who was so very present at the Christmas gathering last year, but is now among the saints resting in Christ. For others, it is the grief of a loss suffered long ago. We grieve the absence of parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and siblings. Some, with a grief almost too great to bear, suffer the heartbreak that comes with the death of a child.

Is Christmas also for those who grieve? Such a question would perplex those who experienced the events that night in humble Bethlehem and those who followed Christ throughout his earthly ministry. Christmas is especially for those who grieve.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, reminds us of the fact that we are born as slaves to sin. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” [Galatians 4:4] Out of darkness, came light. As the prophet Isaiah foretold, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who walk in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” [Isaiah 9:2]

This same Christ is the Messiah who, as Isaiah declared, “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” [Isaiah 53:4] He fully identifies with and shares all our afflictions, and he came that we might know the only rescue from death, sorrow, grief, and sin.

The baby Jesus was born into a world of grief, suffering, and loss. The meaning of his incarnation was recognized by the aged Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, who prophesied that God had acted to save his people, “because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” [Luke 1:78-79]

There are so many Christians who, even now, are suffering the grief that feels very much like the shadow of death. How can they celebrate Christmas, and how might we celebrate with them?

In 1918, a special service was written for the choir of King’s College at Britain’s Cambridge University. The “Service of Nine Lessons and Carols” was first read and sung in the magnificent chapel of King’s College in that same year, establishing what is now a venerable Christmas tradition. In the “Bidding Prayer” prepared to call the congregation together for that beautiful service, the great truths of Christmas are declared in unforgettable prose:

Beloved in Christ, be it this Christmastide our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Therefore let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child.

But first, let us pray for the needs of the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all his people; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially in this city.

And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us remember, in his name, the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and them that mourn, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.

On the very evening of the celebration of Christ’s birth, Christians are called to remember, in Christ’s name, the poor and the helpless, the cold and the hungry, the oppressed and the sick, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the children, those who do not know Christ, “and them that mourn.”

The church is filled with those who, while not grieving as others grieve, bear grief as Christians who miss their loved ones, who cherish their memories, and who wonder at times how to think of such grief at Christmas. Far too many homes are filled with them that mourn.

And it will be so until Christ comes again. The great truth of Christmas is that the Father so loves the world that he sent his own Son to assume human flesh and to dwell among us, to die for our sins and to suffer for our iniquity, and to declare that the kingdom of God is at hand. This same Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, conquering death and sin. There is salvation, full pardon from sin, and life everlasting to those who believe and trust in him.

Christmas is especially for those who mourn and suffer grief, for the message of Christmas is nothing less than the death of death in the death and resurrection of Christ.

And them that mourn. Christmas is especially for those bearing grief and sorrow. Our joy is hindered temporarily by the loss we have suffered, even as we know that those who are in Christ are promised everlasting life. We know that even now they are with Christ, for to be absent from the body is to the present with the Lord.

Christians bear a particular responsibility to surround fellow believers with this confidence, and to minister Christmas joy and love to those bearing griefs. We stand together in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, declaring with the Apostle Paul that nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God. We bind one another’s hearts, respect one another’s tears, and remind one another of the blessed hope. For, it was Christ himself who promised that our “sorrow will turn into joy.” [John 16:20] When we sing Christmas carols and read the great Christmas texts of the Bible, we hurl the message of life over death against the Evil One and death, who meet their ultimate defeat in Christ.

That Bidding Prayer written for King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918 draws to a close with words that speak so powerfully to the Church about these very truths:

“Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are for ever one.”

Those words are exactly right. Those who have gone before us to be with the Lord are with us in Christmas joy. They rejoice with us, “but upon another shore, and in a greater light.” Our loved ones in Christ are in that unnumbered multitude “whose hope was in the Word made flesh.” The great truth of Christmas is shouted in the face of death when we declare that, even now, “in the Lord Jesus we are forever one.”

Your loved one was not created and given the gift of life merely for that chair now empty. Those who are in Christ were created for eternal glory. We must train our sentiments to lean into truth, and we must know that Christmas is especially for those who grieve.

And them that mourn. The chair may be now empty, but heaven will be full. Remember, above all else, that those who are in Christ, though dead, celebrate Christmas with us — just upon another shore, and in a greater light. Merry Christmas.

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