Marginal Christianity

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2012/03/do-this March 23, 2012 Peter J. Leithart I was recently asked to identify the biggest cultural challenge facing American Evangelicals. In my judgment, the biggest cultural challenge is not “out there” in “the culture” but internal–I almost said, “inherent”–to Evangelicalism: the persistent marginalization of the Eucharist in Evangelical church life, piety, and political engagement. Evangelicals will be incapable of responding to the specific challenges of our time with any steadiness or effect until the Eucharist becomes the criterion of all Christian cultural thinking and the source from which all genuinely Christian cultural engagement springs. The church is called to keep our Lord Jesus, his death and resurrection, as the focal point of worship, witness, service, and mission. How do we protect ourselves from darting off after each fresh fad? Jesus didn’t think Christ-centered preaching would be enough. He left his church ...

http://howardsnyder.seedbed.com/2013/11/05/americas-top-gods/ Posted on November 5, 2013 by Howard Snyder Americans are fundamentally polytheists, worshiping at the shrines of many gods. Many who call themselves Christians are as polytheistic as Hindus. We of course have different names for our gods of prosperity, fertility , good luck, or whatever. Money and success have often been thought of as America’s gods. “God is gold,” “the Almighty Dollar,” and all that. But things have changed over the years. Money has been demoted to a somewhat lesser deity, though still devoutly worshiped. America’s Top Gods Here are North America’s seven most popular gods. By “god” I mean something (anything) in our life that commands more loyalty, dedication, and devotion than the one true Living God. Not necessarily the highest loyalty, since many of us are functional polytheists, whatever we claim. But sincere and central devotion. The question then becomes: What is yo...