Christ and Culture Primer

One of the major focuses of this blog is the typology developed by H. Richard Niebuhr in his book, Christ and Culture. I think Niebuhr’s paradigm offers us a common vocabulary as we discuss how we as Christians should engage the world around us. I also hope that this will help people outside the Christian perspective to better understand the different ways Christians engage the world around them (like any group, there is a wide diversity of opinion).

This article is designed to not only introduce you to Christ and Culture, but to show you to how this blog uniquely contributes to this discussion, and as a resource for the Christ and Culture Bible study worksheet.

Men’s Bible Study about Christ and Culture

Many times things that are marketed as a men’s Bible study frustrate me. They usually talk more about someone’s concept of machisimo than drawing me closer to Christ. It’s like they use Jesus as an excuse to promote their adjenda of what it means to be a man. Many of these are examples of Christ of Culture for mixing culture’s idea of what it means to be a man, with Christ.

Women’s Bible Study about Christ and Culture

I am always glad to see women gather for a women’s Bible study, but always disappointed in the options available. It seems that many women’s Bible study books and curriculum focus more on what someone thinks it means to be feminine than Christ. A Bible study like this is an example of Christ of Culture because it uses Christ as an excuse to promote one’s particular cultural beliefs.

I always find it funny to see another women’s Bible study cover Esther- or one of the other supposedly “women’s” books of the bible, like Ruth. It’s almost as if because the lead character is a woman, there’s nothing a man could get out of it.

Adult Bible Study on Christ and Culture

Bible study is an important part of discipleship in the church, especially for adults. Sometimes when you look for a new bible study in the bookstore, they all seem the same. Are you looking for an adult bible study that is a little bit different but still interesting and challenging?

This is why I have made an adult bible study available about Christ and Culture as a printable Bible study worksheet. This is a perfect topic for a dynamic adult bible study. It has depth and room for opinion while still having practical implications in every day life- everything you would look for in an adult bible study.

Printable Bible Study on Christ and Culture

For a few years now I have posted the Christ and Culture survey on the web. I know a couple classes have used it but what was missing was a printable version- for you to use in a Bible study, for instance.

The printable Bible study is now finally available as a Bible study worksheet designed to help you as you are teaching a Bible study.

This printable Bible study include the survey, a chart to help graph you within Niebuhr’s five perspectives, some basic descriptions of the categories, a teachers guide with lesson plans, and a few discussion questions for the Bible study. It is in a PDF format, in order to be printable.

Bible Study Lesson Plans

Although not the most glamorous part of teaching a Bible study, lesson plans are an important part of a successful Bible study. Lesson plans help you gather your thoughts into a concise way to help your Bible study get the most out of their time.

One of the biggest objections I’ve heard people use to get themselves out of a Bible study is that they don’t have the time. I understand the objection- sometimes it feels like all I do is work, eat, and sleep. I don’t feel like I have time for a Bible study either.

Teach the Christ and Culture Survey

For at least 10 years, in one form or another, I have posted the Christ and Culture Survey on the internet. Over those years a few people have written to tell me that they have used it in a class they taught on Christ and Culture.

Now I have put the Christ and Culture survey in paper form (or at least in PDF form) so I can make this available as a teaching resource on Christ and Culture. I hope you will find this useful and insightful.

Teaching Bible Study

Teaching Bible study can be a very gratifying way to participate in your church. A Bible study is a great way to see people’s lives transformed into the likeness of Christ and teaching a Bible study can help you be part of that transformation.

At the same time, teaching Bible study can be stressful. It can be hard to figure out what you should be teaching.

Bible Study Worksheets

Bible study worksheets are a great way to get people involved in a Bible study.

For one, good Bible study worksheets help the members of the Bible study retain what they’ve learned. It’s almost cliche to say that different people learn in different ways. Some people are visual learners while others learn by doing. Sometimes people learn by hearing. Many Bible studies are only vocal exercises- where people talk about the topic. This can easily exclude members of the Bible studies who do not learn by hearing. Worksheets can help overcome this limitation by giving people something to look at while they are listening to the discussion. Worksheets also give people something to do while they listen to the discussion.

Meeting with God in the outdoors

DavidZimm posted a photo:

If I had a dime for every time a hunter told me that their church is communing with nature when they go hunting, I could have personally financed this Bible. As you see in the photo, this is the Mossy Oak bible- marketed towards outdoorsmen. It is an example of Christ Above Culture for its use of popular culture to promote Christ.
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