Writing in on the Huffington Post, Phil Cooke claims that Christians' voices are being drowned out because of a love/hate relationship with the media, a relationship that is driving Christians to retreat to safe zones instead of engaging with the wider culture. He says, “From the Web, to publishing, to record labels, TV networks, universities and more, the last 50 years have seen a remarkable withdrawal from mainstream culture and a move back to a cloistered, protective bubble.”
Cooke cites the rise in Christian book and music publishers, movie production companies, and websites such as dating site Christian Mingle and Christian Chirp, the Christian alternative to Twitter, as factors that have combined to give Christians places where they can avoid contact with the non-Christian world. In doing so, he says, they have effectively lost their voice.
Because of this perceived withdrawal he claims that the church is viewed “as an irrelevant, out of touch museum piece,” adding, “we must react differently if we're to engage the hearts and minds of those around us.”
Cooke contrasts this with Jesus's actions, saying, “Jesus never advocated protective bubbles, and never retreated from the challenges of the culture around him. Jesus spent his life where the people were — in the marketplace, social gatherings, or the Temple Square — and He wasn't afraid to answer the hard questions.”
Q: Does he have a point? Are Christians withdrawing to “bubbles” where they feel safe, or is Christianity as much a part of the wider culture as it's ever been?
The history of Christianity has alternated between social isolation and social engagement, members in the beginning of the Christian church, during the Roman empire, hid from criminal persecution and lived underground lives. Later, for almost 2,000 years, in Europe Christianity was extremely dominant in politics, society and before the law. During those years Christianity hardly needed to work at outreach or engagement, everything the church did affected the lives of everyone. In the United States today there are only a few areas where the church affects everyone, for example in conducting marriages and the opening of sporting and social events. Not all social recognition is desirable. When a minister or church group becomes well know for scandals or crimes that type of exposure is negative.
I believe Phil Cooke is missing an important point in his argument for Christian voices to be louder and engaging the world. It is not as important that a group be heard, but more important that what they have to say is meaningful and helpful to people.
Steven Gibson
South Pasadena
Atheist Meetup
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Phil Cooke's limited focus on Western Christianity is true tunnel vision. He is completely missing the explosive growth of Christianity worldwide, especially in African, South American and Asian-Pacific countries.
I travel extensively, and I've witnessed a significant acceleration in the spread of Christianity, especially in countries prohibiting Christian missionaries, media and publications. Recently, Al-Jazeerah reported concerns over the number of African Muslims converting to Christianity, about 6 million a year. How is Christianity spreading despite the prohibitions? Primarily through the use of Internet media and streaming.
Patricia King, an associate of mine, decided in 2002 to hit the streets filming her brand of prophetic evangelism in action. She captured actual miracles on film, documenting the experiences of onlookers. The footage became “Extreme Prophetic,” her flagship program, viewed internationally by hundreds of thousands. Ten years later she hosts an online media network of over 200 channels of Christian ministries worldwide.
Four years ago, Christian Life Coach Anna McCoy was advised by then Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons to skip the “outdated technology of TV,” and market her coaching efforts through Internet streaming and networking. She recently told me, “The Internet allows me to communicate to a collective group of women entrepreneurs and mobilize action through video, audio, locations and pictures. It is opening opportunities to build business and personal relationships that are shifting cultural norms for women entrepreneurs in nations around the world.”
The most widely viewed and translated movie of all time is not a Hollywood blockbuster, but “The Jesus Film.” Produced in 1979, it has been viewed 8 billion times and translated into 1,100 languages. More than 200 million people have converted to Christianity after viewing the film, which continues to be shown. After 1600 years, Christianity is still the world's largest and fastest-growing faith.
Pastor Ché Ahn
HRock Church
Pasadena
Cooke cites the rise in Christian book and music publishers, movie production companies, and websites such as dating site Christian Mingle and Christian Chirp, the Christian alternative to Twitter, as factors that have combined to give Christians places where they can avoid contact with the non-Christian world. In doing so, he says, they have effectively lost their voice.
Because of this perceived withdrawal he claims that the church is viewed “as an irrelevant, out of touch museum piece,” adding, “we must react differently if we're to engage the hearts and minds of those around us.”
Cooke contrasts this with Jesus's actions, saying, “Jesus never advocated protective bubbles, and never retreated from the challenges of the culture around him. Jesus spent his life where the people were — in the marketplace, social gatherings, or the Temple Square — and He wasn't afraid to answer the hard questions.”
Q: Does he have a point? Are Christians withdrawing to “bubbles” where they feel safe, or is Christianity as much a part of the wider culture as it's ever been?
The history of Christianity has alternated between social isolation and social engagement, members in the beginning of the Christian church, during the Roman empire, hid from criminal persecution and lived underground lives. Later, for almost 2,000 years, in Europe Christianity was extremely dominant in politics, society and before the law. During those years Christianity hardly needed to work at outreach or engagement, everything the church did affected the lives of everyone. In the United States today there are only a few areas where the church affects everyone, for example in conducting marriages and the opening of sporting and social events. Not all social recognition is desirable. When a minister or church group becomes well know for scandals or crimes that type of exposure is negative.
I believe Phil Cooke is missing an important point in his argument for Christian voices to be louder and engaging the world. It is not as important that a group be heard, but more important that what they have to say is meaningful and helpful to people.
Steven Gibson
South Pasadena
Atheist Meetup
---
Phil Cooke's limited focus on Western Christianity is true tunnel vision. He is completely missing the explosive growth of Christianity worldwide, especially in African, South American and Asian-Pacific countries.
I travel extensively, and I've witnessed a significant acceleration in the spread of Christianity, especially in countries prohibiting Christian missionaries, media and publications. Recently, Al-Jazeerah reported concerns over the number of African Muslims converting to Christianity, about 6 million a year. How is Christianity spreading despite the prohibitions? Primarily through the use of Internet media and streaming.
Patricia King, an associate of mine, decided in 2002 to hit the streets filming her brand of prophetic evangelism in action. She captured actual miracles on film, documenting the experiences of onlookers. The footage became “Extreme Prophetic,” her flagship program, viewed internationally by hundreds of thousands. Ten years later she hosts an online media network of over 200 channels of Christian ministries worldwide.
Four years ago, Christian Life Coach Anna McCoy was advised by then Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons to skip the “outdated technology of TV,” and market her coaching efforts through Internet streaming and networking. She recently told me, “The Internet allows me to communicate to a collective group of women entrepreneurs and mobilize action through video, audio, locations and pictures. It is opening opportunities to build business and personal relationships that are shifting cultural norms for women entrepreneurs in nations around the world.”
The most widely viewed and translated movie of all time is not a Hollywood blockbuster, but “The Jesus Film.” Produced in 1979, it has been viewed 8 billion times and translated into 1,100 languages. More than 200 million people have converted to Christianity after viewing the film, which continues to be shown. After 1600 years, Christianity is still the world's largest and fastest-growing faith.
Pastor Ché Ahn
HRock Church
Pasadena
