Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman, eds. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural
Texts and Interpret Trends. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007
A Brief Summary
The
book Everyday Theology: How to Read
Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends,[1]
by Vanhoozer, Anderson, and Sleasman, helps the reader to grasp the importance
of living in this world, and in one’s culture, through theological lenses. This
is not a biblical justification of the world’s posture, nor is it a pluralistic
and inclusive approach to theology. It is an attempt to help the reader
understand that the world is God’s. It fits into His design; into His plans. And
He is still at work in this world both with the church and independent of it. It
is to the immense benefit of the believer to understand how to glean from
culture God’s handiwork. The believer can, and must, understand culture, for it
is a way to more fully understand God’s will. Vanhoozer likens this to a
performing a cultural exegesis, or delving into understanding cultural
perspective[2].
It is how believers become more effective in spreading the Gospel. In some ways
understanding culture better defines God’s principles. There is an appreciation
through culture for what God has designed. And in many ways understanding
culture defines the stark contrasts between a holy vision and mission, and the
fallen-ness of the world and its sinful ways.
The reality is that believers today have compartmentalized the
Gospel into an act of evangelism rather than a life-long journey with God. On
the other side, believers today are fully immersed and invested in their
cultures, to the point the cultures perhaps have greater influence on their lives
than on their relationships with God. Vanhoozer shows how culture is where
Christianity can find relevance, and significance. This is the ultimate
understanding to grasp from Vanhoozer. By becoming culturally fluent and knowledgeable,
the believer is able to have a cultural impact; leave his or her mark on the
fabric of a society[3].
It is even better to say one can leave God’s mark on society. This is seen as
the ability to understand a culture, how God is creating avenues of influence
on that culture, and applying theological truth to that culture for a Godly
benefit. Vanhoozer calls these believers, “Catalysts of the Kingdom”[4],
who are not just citizens of both worlds, but are persuaders to move others
into relationship with God. One must be careful in embracing this cultural
fluency, for the lines can become fuzzy as one delves deep into cultural
perception of theology. There can also be a tendency to micro-evaluate and
micro-analyze to such an extent that one loses sight of the larger picture of
how culture in a general sense fits together with Christianity.
A Critique of Chapter 7 on Busyness
A
critical place to examine culture is in the area of time and busyness. There is
perhaps no greater onslaught by Satan, than to preoccupy the time of believers
so their focus is removed from God. Not only that, the process of busyness
culminates with stress that demands help, and the spiritual void created has
individuals searching for remedies from anyone or anything except God. How
American, to be defined by what one does, and how much one does, rather than
who a person is, or the rationale that backs up who they are. It does the
believer well to understand the contrasts between the standards the world
projects as necessary and the standards and qualities God desires His followers
to promote.
This chapter on busyness
is written by Charles Anderson, in an attempt to help the reader understand the
need to refocus one’s life on Godly values and on God’s sovereignty. The basic
principle that Anderson communicates is that Christians can and should be the
model example for the rest of culture in how to manage time and busyness.[5]
This basic concept is founded in a few key principles that Anderson explains.
First of all, time is a creation of God, and He is in control of it.[6]
The cultural implications here are that a higher entity than ourselves is in
control of what we strive so hard to control. The inevitable problem with a
culture’s perspective on time is that it lacks a higher purpose; a purpose
beyond its own self-seeking enterprises. God’s perspective on, and use of time,
points to a greater purpose that the world looks to with eagerness.[7]
Second, believers can portray busyness in a new light. Anderson calls this holy
busyness.[8]
A concept here is that believers can set a tone for a new kind of busyness
regarding time given to things like Sunday church worship services, and time
spent in routine bible study groups, and many other ways; time set aside for
God. This becomes an example to the world that is looking for answers to their
busyness and stress.[9]
Anderson ends addressing the subject of busyness by bringing up the story of
Mary and Martha from the Bible. His conclusions are that, “What she did was not
wrong in and of itself, but only in comparison to what she should have done”.[10]
The problem with Anderson’s
conclusions about busyness and time is that it is a creation against the wishes
of God. A more appropriate way to explain this is to examine the work of
Richard Swenson in his book Margin:
Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded
Lives.[11]
He details how this busyness first of all is a product of progress, and our
culture’s continual and incessant push for more and more, quicker, faster, more
frequent, and better. Second, the busyness has led to a lack of margin in
people’s lives. Because of the lack of margin, there is no time allowed for God
to speak into lives. In fact, the busyness even creates a void where God is not
included even in the overload carried by so many stressed out individuals. Here
he comes to the crux of the issue. All that stress created over progress is an
effort ultimately in vain, for God does not see value in it like humans do. He
claims, “God is not impressed with our wealth, education, or power.
Nevertheless, we have labored eagerly in those fields.”[12]
So back to understanding our culture- there is an intense craving from the
world for what a wise believer with margin has attained. There is also a
problem with Anderson’s postulation that there is virtue in busyness.[13]
While one can argue the efforts of any person on behalf of the Kingdom and
God’s direction, there is a real tension between efforts given with margin in
place and even busyness in a Christian setting. In other words, a lack of
margin, even in a Christian setting, and with Godly direction, can lead to
efforts exclusive of God and stress due to not enough time spent abiding in
Jesus. Anderson goes too far in defending Christian busyness, and there really
is no need for it in the context of the book. It is actually counterintuitive
to his argument of an example being set for the culture the believer lives in.
In Luke 10:38-42,[14]
Martha was so frustrated with Mary; and why? Initially she voiced her annoyance
with Mary not helping with the work, but in truth Martha wanted to be at Jesus’
feet beside her sister. Martha was feeling the chains of bondage to things of
the world, and not a reliance upon her Savior, Jesus Christ. Of course, she
expresses this frustration, compounding her sin by tearing down her sister. Contrary
to what Anderson claims, Martha was in the wrong, and it was directly because
of her not prioritizing Jesus in her heart. This hits close to home for me as I
consider the busyness in my life. There are many things I have cut out of my
schedule as I have read and contemplated the work by Swenson and the comments
in Tammy Whitehurst’s article. Ultimately though, I will still produce the
results that Martha did unless I fill the margin I have created in my life with
a devotion to God, and a desire to depend completely upon Him. This is the
example that Anderson talks about our culture looking to us for direction. It
might come down to the world looking for a way to break the bondage and the patterns
of a busyness addiction.[15]
We are the light on a hill shining for all our culture to see. May it be God’s
light shining through me; through us.
[1] Kevin
J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman, eds., Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural
Texts and Interpret Trends (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 155.
[2] Ibid.,
40.
[3]
Vanhoozer, Everyday Theology, 55.
[4]
Ibid., 56.
[5]
Vanhoozer, Everyday Theology, 168.
[6]
Ibid., 162-163.
[7]
Ibid., 163.
[8]
Ibid., 166-167.
[9]
Ibid., 168.
[10] Vanhoozer,
Everyday Theology, 171.
[11]
Richard A. Swenson, M. D., Margin:
Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives
(Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004).
[12]
Ibid., 33.
[13]
Vanhoozer, Everyday Theology, 160.
[14]
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations or passages are taken from
the, New American Standard Bible: 1995
Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[15]
Tammy Whitehurst, “Busyness is not a Spiritual Gift: ‘Wait’ is a Tough Word to
Deal with in Today’s busy World,” Christian Bible Studies Transformed by the
Truth (Christianity Today, November 6, 2012), accessed October 1, 2016, http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/spiritualformation/busyness-is-not-spiritual-gift.html?start=2.
Bibliography
Swenson,
Richard A., M. D. Margin: Restoring
Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.
Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004.
Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman,
eds. Everyday Theology: How to Read
Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
Whitehurst, Tammy. “Busyness is not a Spiritual Gift: ‘Wait’ is a Tough Word to Deal with in Today’s busy World.” Christian Bible Studies Transformed by the Truth. Christianity Today, November 6, 2012. Accessed October 1, 2016. http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/spiritualformation/busyness-is-not-spiritual-gift.html?start=2.
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