||Pastoral Passage|| What characterizes New Zealanders? And how does that shape Christian faith in New Zealand?
gospel and culture
||Article|| The MCU’s 2021 Eternals film presents two conflicting visions of human purpose. Does humanity exist for itself, or for something bigger? Eternals echoes and affirms a popular cultural response to this question.
||Short Article|| Anthropology shapes ethics. In other words, what we believe about the human person shapes what we think are appropriate behaviours. Our nature as divine image-bearers puts us in a special relationship with our Creator which comes with unique privileges, duties, and responsibilities.
||Book Summary|| Children from families who have immigrated are often said to be caught between two cultures. They belong to their parents’ culture but grow up within another. It can be a tricky tension for them to navigate as they often wish to be faithful to their ‘home culture’ as well as fit in with their adopted culture at school and with their friends.
||Short Article|| Cultural diversity is a fact of life in 21st century New Zealand. Cultural unity, is not. The gospel has sufficient power to unify a culturally diverse society. But it needs to conform attitudes into its image first.
It is awkward when you are represented in such a way that you neither wholeheartedly endorse nor wish to outright deny.
As Christians the gospel should shape our values and perspectives on all issues, and here I would like to offer the example of one man whose perspective on one of these was indeed formed by his commitment to Jesus. His name was Paulus Orosius.
Is Christianity progressive? It certainly is – it just has its own vision, that sets its own agenda.
The customer is not always right
Chris Northcott 