David Bosch & Churches of Christ #2: Counterculturalism

On with an analysis of Churches of Christ (particularly the progressive "branch") through the lens of the late, great South African theologian David Bosch...

His masterpiece work is Transforming Mission, a hefty tome that is not easy to wade through. A small volume called Believing in the Future: Toward a Missiology of Western Culture provides the fodder for these articles. In the concluding chapter of this 60-page book, Bosch lays out 6 components that (in his opinion) will mark a healthy missiological approach to Western culture.

As I have said previously, the Western world (US, Canada & Europe) is in need of being re-missionized. We can't assume that churches as they currently exist will be effective in reaching Westerners who are increasingly rejecting the church as they know it.

In light of this thought, these posts ask how Churches of Christ stack up against David Bosch's 6 suggested elements of a Western missiology? In other words, do we in Churches of Christ already have any of these components in place? Or do we have to completely reinvent ourselves if we hope to survive beyond the next generation or two?

I described the 6 elements of Bosch's missiology for the West on Nov. 23 & 24. Here is the second one with my newly added perspective about Churches of Christ in light of that point:

2. Counterculturalism. If you look at the descriptions of early Christians, they pursued the following virtues: sacrifice, asceticism, modesty, self-discipline, etc. These are not popular virtues today. Too many churches, Bosch argues, look so much like the values of our contemporary culture that there is nothing unique, nothing innately Christian that attracts people. We have little effect on the world around us when our lives do not demonstrate commitment to our cause.

Think about this for a minute. How countercultural is your current church? Now think back 30 or so years. How countercultural was your church back then? If you grew up in a Christian home, were you allowed to go to the movies? Did you play cards? Did you go to school dances? Did you attend church services 3 times a week? Did your family live rather simply? Did you open your home to non-family members on a regular basis?

In my youth, Churches of Christ were most definitely countercultural. It seems strange to look back. Many of us are even embarrassed by the thought of it. Today, we have mostly jettisoned counterculturalism and have instead embraced the consumerist, success-driven culture in which we live.

One short story: As a high school senior, our basketball team was playing in a regional semifinal. The opponent was a good team, and this was likely the last game of the year. Several of my friends played and my girlfriend was one of the cheerleaders. I was planning to make the trip to support the team. Until ... my folks told me NO! The game was on a Wednesday night, and I was not allowed to skip church for the game.

In retrospect that looks rather crazy. Who would put Wednesday night attendance over seeing one's team play for the last time? Whether you agree with my folks' decision or not, their refusal to let me go is emblematic of a time when Churches of Christ were unashamedly countercultural.

Today's progressive Church of Christ is decidedly NOT countercultural. Here is some anecdotal evidence:

1. Kids in most churches skip church all the time for sporting events, sleepovers or just to "be at home together as a family." Attending church seems less important than cultural or non-church events.

2. Most church families and church members have no problem watching the latest films & TV shows and are up on all the latest music -- regardless of how racy, violent or vulgar those things may be.

3. Most Christian parents don't hold their kids out of any school activities, including dances, parties and such. They don't want their kids to "miss out" like they did when they were kids.

4. Most Christians live just like everyone else. They drive the same cars and live in the same houses and take vacations that are every bit as nice as the rest of the world. We keep up with Joneses quite well.

5. Many churches have US flags in their auditoriums. Such non-Christian symbols would have been anathema in church when our grandparents were growing up.

6. Most Christian people do not open up their home to one another. Hospitality is now something we usually practice only with our family and closest friends.

This is interesting and discomforting to consider. Bosch is not advocating that we live like oddball hermits or as escapists. His primary concern is that we provide a counter-witness to the hedonism of our society. I'm not suggesting that our actions in 1-6 above are all bad -- they just point to a massive shift in our mentality. We have tried to blend in so much that we no longer offend anyone. Our message and our witness no longer have anything distinct. We seem to have nothing that offers any more hope than that offered by the sports arena or by Hollywood.

Part of our mission, Bosch notes, is to challenge the nihilism and hedonism around us. As Hauerwas and Willimon state, we are to be "resident aliens" who proclaim a different reality than what most people recognize. But how can we do this if we don't stand up against the consumerism, selfishness and oppression that run rampant in our world? We must relearn what it means to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. "Whoever boasts that he is a Christian, the same must walk as Christ walked" (Menno Simons, 16th-century reformer).