Christian Responsibility in Art and Culture

When you think of culture, what comes to mind?

You may think of “cultured” people who are knowledgeable about fine art. You may think about ethnicity, your family or traditions. These are all parts of culture, but what if culture is actually everything around us? How should a Christian respond to the world?

A biblical perspective 

“In the beginning, God created …” (Genesis 1:1).

In the Creation story, we see God as a great artist over everything. He creates light, the earth and the sea. He shapes life and created us in His image. He makes people who have the job to care for what God created and to make new things as well. Just like the one who made them.

Our place in culture is to create. 

But sometimes it is easy to fall into traps when thinking of culture. We may fall into the trap of condemning, critiquing, or consuming and copying culture. 

First trap — condemning culture 

As a desire to pursue holiness, some Christians have chosen to separate themselves from culture. They view everything as either “Christian” and holy or “secular” and not of God. While these categorizations can be beneficial, sticking to these strict categories may isolate us from our society or cause us to become legalistic, and we forfeit the opportunity to share about God. 

Second trap — critiquing culture 

The second way we may position ourselves when it comes to the world is by critiquing it. When we go to the movies, we distinguish the parts that honor God from the parts that don’t. Then, we call out the parts of culture that we deem evil. The problem with this demeanor is that we may find ourselves doing nothing but thinking. If we stay here, we will never engage in culture, and we will miss opportunities to share God’s Word.

Third trap — consuming and copying culture

Recently, the Christian posture toward culture has become the same as everyone else’s posture toward culture — consume and copy it. We go to the movies. We dress like everyone else. We listen to the “Top 40” songs and often spend too much time on social media. But the world is not left any better for it if we are not also bringing the hope of Jesus into those areas.

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul writes, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). As we engage with our societies, the Lord provides an opportunity for us to use our involvement in our communities as a way to talk about Him. That does not mean that we are forced to conform; it means that we have a different method to show others what true Christianity is.

Utilizing culture to make disciples

You may be asking, “What do you mean? How am I supposed to use society to talk about Jesus?”

Here are some practical steps to engage in culture. 

• Pray for the right posture. None of us have ever renewed our minds ourselves. If you see yourself regularly condemning the “secular,” separating from it or even just consuming it, pray that the Lord would change your posture.

• Learn before you create. Understand art in its social context and how it relates to Scripture. Knowing and understanding these things are key factors of successful biblical creation.

• Support creators. Support good work, whether or not it is by Christians. This is cultivation, keeping good culture around. It can even be a ministry to the makers.

• Contribute. Even if you do not see yourself as an artist, you have something to give to the world. Maybe it is pouring into those younger than you. Maybe it’s your testimony. Maybe it’s an academic field you are especially fond of. All of these are cultures. Sharpen your skills and then use them for the glory of God.