R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s Blog, page 262

The Briefing 01-13-17

Convicted killer in California first to receive taxpayer-funded gender-reassignment surgeryWashington Post (Kristine Guerra) — A convicted killer became the first U.S. inmate to get state-funded gender-reassignment surgery

Should fashion designers who refuse to dress the Trumps have that right based on moral objections?Washington Post (Robin Givhan) — Should designers dress Melania and Ivanka? The question is more complex than it seemsNew York Times (Vanessa Friedman) — Fashion Begins to Speak Out About Dressing and Covering the Trumps

We are what we watch? How our TV habits reveal worldviewNew York Times (Farhad Manjoo) — How Netflix Is Deepening Our Cultural Echo ChambersNew York Times (Josh Katz) — ‘Duck Dynasty’ vs. ‘Modern Family’: 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide

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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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