The Church and Cultural Engagement

by Michael Carlyle

The American church’s traditional, biblical values are under attack. This attack is not new, but our battle for public morals has lost ground exponentially over the past two decades. We face a crescendo of opposition from nearly every culturally influential institution, including the news media, social media, sports, government, and many corporations. Moral relativism and supposed tolerance have transformed our culture until only biblical views of morality are intolerable. Those who uphold traditional values of marriage and sexuality are shouted down as radical, while these powerful institutions push immoral behaviors into the mainstream of American life.

Having lost so much ground, many believers are renewing their efforts to reshape American culture. Like the attack on traditional, biblical values, the notion that the church should transform the prevailing culture is not new. Under the current climate of steep moral decline, however, this effort is gaining momentum.