Powerpoint for Oct 15: Christlikeness

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

My church history professor once remarked that it is always the sector of the Christian church that most earnestly strives to engage the culture,  that runs the greatest risk of conforming to it.  For fear of conformity, others groups throughout history have sought to live a Christian life apart from the culture of the day, and therefore away from the pull of society’s values.  John Stott tells us that escapism and conformism are both forbidden to us.  He then identifies four challenges to our “being in the world but not of it.” For each of these, I have gathered some online readings that I have found to be of interest. (I am still adding to the list but we begin with these)

I hope that you can pick a topic that seems relevant to you and read about it.  Consider what stance a radical, faithful adherence to Jesus’ teaching would require in that area, and  prepare to discuss it in class.

Pluralism

Every belief system “has its own independent validity and an equal right to our respect. ” pg 19 RD

Harvard Pluralism Project       Global Centre For Pluralism 

Agree or disagree?

a) There are people of diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

b) This diversity is good

c) All backgrounds, worldviews, and values are equally deserving of our respect.

d) Dominance of one view necessarily leads to the suppression of other views

e) Suppression of a culture or belief leads inevitably to the suppression of the people who espouse it.

Is there a difference between religious pluralism and cultural pluralism?

Consider the mixing of Jews, Christians, and Muslims  11th century in Spain,  various Christian denominations in the 18th century in America , Islamic groups in the Arab world,  and the mass immigration to Europe in the past decade.

How have Chinese suffered or benefited from multiculturalism in Canada?

How are material prosperity, status, and pluralism related to each other in countries that are on the rise?  What was the outcome of pluralism in Israel during the united kingdom under Solomon?              1 Kings 11 

‘I told you so.’  Deut 17:14

How did Paul relate the gospel to the multi-cultural-multi-religious world of the Roman Empire?

What is the vision of heavenly worship in the New Jerusalem?

The Good of Religious Pluralism -Peter Berger

Relativism

Relativism is the idea that views are relative to differences in perception and consideration. There is no universal, objective truth according to relativism; rather each point of view has its own truth.^[1]

Tell the story of my patient, the world traveller from PEI 

Materialism

The Millennial Minimalists

Narcissism

“a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts”.  DSM IV

The Narcissism Epidemic 

Summary of Narcissism Epidemic 

Birth Cohort Increases in Narcissistic Personality Traits Among American College Students, 1982–2009

A Sociocultural Approach to Narcissism: The Case of Modern China 

Which one of these is the greatest threat to your discipleship?   What is Christ calling you to do about that ?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.   1 Pet 2:9 

Handout for introductory class

Link to the preface and first chapter :   The Radical Disciple