Free Essay

Paradoxically, Although Modernity Appeared to Be a Threat to Christianity, It Had Been Nurtured, in Significant Part, by Christianity Itself.” Discuss.

In:

Submitted By qzqz
Words 2311
Pages 10
Christianity is a religion that believes in God, Jesus Christ and the Bible (Frend, 1985, 10). For over 2000 years, the proportion of Christians in the world has been high as compared to that of other religions. Christianity has been led by laws given in the Bible and by what is believed to be morally upright (Frend, 1984, 20). It is for this reason that Christianity is contradictory when compared to modernity. This is because; while Christianity believes that there is a supernatural force leading humans, modernity mostly believes in a secular world led by humankind only with no other supernatural force (Asad, 2003, 15). Modernity mainly believes in what it sees and in the current living style only. It is for this reason that modernity is greatly affected by factors such as fashion trends, money, and status. On the other hand, Christianity believes that there is something more to staying alive and surviving in the world (Asad, 2003, 18). Therefore, clearly it appears modernity may be a threat to Christianity (Augustine, Pusey & William, 2000, 32). However, despite these threats caused by modernity, it has been found that it is actually Christianity that has fuelled modernity into place. Through a large number of factors, Christianity has significantly nurtured modernity and caused it to develop in the society. Although modernity has brought about poor moral values that were not there in the traditional world, most of these traits mainly arise from Christianity in a broad sense. In addition, the way in which Christian beliefs are changing with time, they may give rise to modernity (Augustine, Pusey & William, 2000, 33). This is because; modernity is not an original lifestyle. It a living style that has grown from what was originally in the world. Since Christianity has been in place for a longer period than modernity, then it can be argued that modernity picked its traits from Christian ways of life. Modernity tries to ape what was original and thus, the human beings themselves shape it.

The fuelling of modernity by Christianity can be clearly observed from the politics practiced in the world today (Berglund, Bruce & Brian, 2010, 11). For a number of years, Christianity had no part to play in politics. Politics have been referred to as a ‘dirty game’ and thus, Christianity believes that leadership only comes from God. This way, Christians would believe that God would choose His own rightful leaders and thus, they would not actively participate in the politics. This subject has been thought as bringing modernity into the world. This is because; with Christianity not participating in the political arena, politics were left in the hands of non-Christians. Consequently, politics were practiced without considering or taking into account, the Christian values written in the Bible or initially practiced by the people (Brown, John & Kim, 2008, 15). There being no opposition, modernity took its course and directed the political field. Leaders would come up with modern ways of meeting their objectives and solving any challenges that they faced. In addition, conflict resolution was no longer conducted using the religious laws in the Bible. Instead, modern arms used to fight the enemy were built up and murder was no longer considered a sin. Indeed Christianity can be said to have fuelled modernity into place. This is because; had Christians taken part in the political environment, politics could have been conducted in the right manner without using modern ways of gaining power. In addition, failure of Christian involvement, also led to increased corruption among the people (Carter, 2000, 84). Political leaders were now eager to find ways of doing things in a fast and easy way. It is in this way that modernity found its way into the world economy since; major inventions were being made to ease the way of life.

Christianity was also not effective in teaching the people the right way of life (Kung, 1980, 74). While people know that they should believe in God, they are not well convinced as to the reason why they have to have faith in Him. Therefore, instead of taking Christianity as a practice, they take it to be just a religion. Therefore, people end up finding something that they can believe in. This way, modernity finds its way into the world since; people come up with easy methods of conducting things. The major characteristic of this issue is technology. In the modern days, individuals have come with cheap and easy ways of performing different duties (Carter, 2000, 86). While in the traditional life, Christianity would teach human beings to trust and have faith in God at all times, with modernity people believe in their technology more than they believe in their creator. This can be mainly owed to the fact that; human beings do not understand Christianity well. Christianity has failed in the way that it imparts the tradition moral living to the people, and in the way that it convinces the people to believe in God. Therefore, making people to find something that they are convinced is real to believe in. Scholars assert that; had Christianity been consistent in teaching people the lifestyles that it believes are morally upright, then people would not have opted for modernity instead (Carter, 2000, 88).

Scholars also believe that some Christian teachings have also led modernity. This is because; just as mentioned earlier, modernity tries to ape Christianity in some ways. In addition, modernity can be said to arise from Christianity because; human beings try to come up with some forms of technology that try to challenge the Christian teachings that have been laid out (Charles, 1989, 128). For instance, modernity came up with the issue of cloning. In a Christian sense, cloning is not upright since; Christians believe that the only person that can create a human being is God. Therefore, although this is a clear threat to Christianity, the same Christianity also causes it because of the poor teaching. When individuals do not understand these teachings, they come up with their own teachings in order to challenge the Christian teachings. Robotics is also a form of modern technology that attempts to come up with machines that can act and behave like humans. This kind of modernity is mainly caused by the ineffective Christian teachings among the people Cloots, 2008, 5).

Christianity can also be said to have caused modernity because of resistance from the people. People resist from what they are taught by Christian values (Anderson, 2012, 1). Although individuals will appear to listen to the teachings being given to them, instead they resist the teachings. Scholars also assert that individuals felt judged and condemned and thus; they would resist the teachings being given to them. Therefore, Christianity was thought to have caused modernity because it causes people to feel judged through the laws that it gives them. Therefore, when individuals feel this way, they find some other ways that do not judge them. People want to live without being given laws to follow. Therefore, they find modernity to be more fulfilling and opt to embrace it (Anderson, 2012, 1). Christianity can also be said to have led to modernity since; it teaches people to believe that God only looks at our inside as opposed to our outside. Individuals have misinterpreted this teaching to mean that what matters most is the heart and not the outside (Cloots, 2008, 8). This brings in modernity since; individuals end up engaging in secular acts while they still claim to be rooted in Christianity. Therefore, the teaching has caused modernity to encroach our society since; individuals do not think that their actions are very important to their Christian lifestyles. People decide to act in worldly acts since they believe that God is only interested in their hearts. This way, Christianity slowly drifts out of their lives since; they are more engaged in the secular world as compared to the Christian World. Therefore, scholars assert that; had Christianity taught individuals clearly that God is interested in both our outside and inside; individuals would not opt to say they are Christians without manifesting it through actions (Cloots, 2008, 12).

Desire to be educated and enlightened in the world has also caused modernity to grow in our society today. This is because; individuals feel that Christianity does not offer them all the knowledge that they need. Therefore, they seek more knowledge from the outside world (Kozinski, 2012, 1). While in the ancient days man would only depend on the teachings of the Bible, in the modern day man has developed education systems that impart him with different kinds of knowledge. This way, individuals continue to enter more and more into the secular world while searching for more information about different things. This is also the same issue that has caused individuals to question different things about Christianity. Individuals come up with theories such as the evolution theory, which gives a different study about the way in which man came to the world. They therefore challenge the teachings of the Bible. Scholars assert that Christianity has had many loopholes that lead to the questioning. Ancient Christian leaders did not try to impart the people with full knowledge and thus, people developed doubts in them (Kozinski, 2012, 1).

Modernity in the society has also been nourished by the fact that; modern Christian teachers have misinterpreted the Bible (Kung, 1980, 75). They state that teachers of the word of God must live the lives of the non-Christians in order to reach out to them effectively. This way, the Christians themselves end up engaging in the secular world in order to reach out to people living secular lives. This has caused development of modernity since; most of the teachers who try to live this way while teaching the word of God rarely change back to their Christian lives (Kung, 1980, 77). Therefore, while Christianity may be stating that it is being threatened by modernity, it actually the one that is causing modernity to grow in the society (Oden & Thomas, 1992, 18). Christian teachers do not know the extent to which they can set boundaries between themselves and the secular world. While Christianity may be trying to win people into Christianity, it is also joining them to the secular world to a big extent.

Christianity has also taught individuals that riches are blessings that come from God (Kung, 1980, 80). Therefore, individuals tend to search for wealth in different ways, while claiming to be blessed by God. This has led to growth of modernity since; individuals use modern ways of making money and making themselves rich. People have developed different kinds of technology that they use to make money (Lindberg, 2000, 27). However, they do not notice that the ways that they use to make money may be lacking Christian values. This way Christianity becomes washed away from people’s lifestyles as people try to live luxurious and lavish lifestyles. This also includes corruption in the world. People use inappropriate ways of making money yet they claim to be blessed by God. This is supported by the fact that; modernity does not challenge of condemn people about their actions. Therefore, people feel more freedom in modernity as compared to Christianity (Marcus & Wright, 2007, 12).

In conclusion, it is clear that Christianity has nurtured modernity largely. Christian teachers have misinterpreted different teachings and thus, causing modernity to grow in the society. Condemnation is also a factor that has caused individuals in the society to opt to take the easier way, which is modernity. Christianity makes people to interpret God’s blessings in the worm way and thus, they end going to unimaginable extends to obtain wealth. On the subject of politics, Christianity has largely caused modernity to spread ion the society. This is because, the political arena has been left in the hands of non-Christians and thus, they control politics using modern methods of ruling. This fuels modernity since; if Christianity would take part, then politics would be conducted in a different way.

Bibliography

Anderson , Brian C. "Modernity and Christianity Reconsidered." First Things, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/12/005-modernity-and-christianity-reconsidered-29

Asad, Talal. Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2003.

Augustine, Thomas, E. B. Pusey, and William Benham. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Westminster, MD, USA:Modern Library, 11/2000 .

Berglund, Bruce R., and Brian Porter. Christianity and Modernity in Eastern Europe. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2010.

Brown, Brian, John Doody, and Kim Paffenroth. Augustine and World Religions. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008.

Carter, Linderbag. "The European reformations sourcebook." The Reformation of the common man 5, no. 1 (2000): 83-89.

Charles, Taylor. "In Interiore homine." Sources of the self : the making of the modern identity 7, no. 1 (1989): 127-142.

Cloots, Andre. "Marcel Gauchet on the Christian Roots of the modern ways of Thinking." modernity and Christianity 61, no. 1 (2008): 1-30.
Frend, W. H. C. The Rise of Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

Frend, W. H. C. Saints and Sinners in the Early Church: Differing and Conflicting Traditions in the First Six Centuries. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1985.

Kozinski, Thaddeus. "A new Christendom: Can Christianity breathe life into modernity? – Opinion – ABC Religion & Ethics (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)." ABC.net.au. Last modified November 27, 2012. http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2012/11/27/3641465.htm. Kung, Hans. "Christianity Confronts Modernity." The Journal of Religion 60, no. 1 (1980): 72-81.

Lindberg, Carter. "The European reformations sourcebook." The Dawn of a new era 2, no. 1 (2000): 25-45.

Marcus, Borg J., and Wright T. N. "seeing Jesus: Sources lenses and Method." The meaning of Jesus : two visions 1, no. 1 (2007): 3-14.

Oden, Thomas C., and Thomas C. Oden. After Modernity-- What?: Agenda for Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Khoabnamap Study About Religion

...Bustamam-Ahmad. II. Jory, Patrick. 297.77 First Printed 2011 © 2011 Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad & Patrick Jory Publisher: Yayasan Ilmuwan D-0-3A, Setiawangsa Business Suites, Taman Setiawangsa, 54200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – for example, electronic, photocopy, recording – without prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed review. The opinions expressed in this publication is the personal views of the authors, and do not necessary reflect the opinion of the publisher. Layout and cover design: Font: Font size: Printer: Hafizuldin bin Satar Goudy Old Style 11 pt Gemilang Press Sdn Bhd iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T his book grew out of a three-day workshop jointly held by the Regional Studies Program, Walailak University, and the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Copenhagen University, in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand, in 2006. The theme of the workshop was, “Voices of Islam in Europe and Southeast Asia”. Its aim was to gather leading scholars in the fields of Islamic Studies from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to discuss contemporary developments in the study of Islam and Muslim societies in...

Words: 104903 - Pages: 420

Free Essay

Globalisation

...Critical Theories of Globalization Chamsy el-Ojeili and Patrick Hayden Critical Theories of Globalization Also by Chamsy el-Ojeili CONFRONTING GLOBALIZATION: Humanity, Justice and the Renewal of Politics FROM LEFT COMMUNISM TO POSTMODERNISM: Reconsidering Emancipatory Discourse Also by Patrick Hayden AMERICA’S WAR ON TERROR CONFRONTING GLOBALIZATION: Humanity, Justice and the Renewal of Politics COSMOPOLITAN GLOBAL POLITICS JOHN RAWLS: Towards a Just World Order THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN RIGHTS Critical Theories of Globalization Chamsy el-Ojeili Department of Sociology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Patrick Hayden School of International Relations, University of St Andrews, UK © Patrick Hayden and Chamsy el-Ojeili 2006 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents...

Words: 100030 - Pages: 401

Premium Essay

A Good E-Book on Various Religions Across the World

...THE HANDY RELIGION AN SWE R BOOK JOHN RENARD Detroit The Handy Religion Answer Book™ C O P Y R I G H T © 2002 BY VI S I B LE I N K PRE SS® This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Visible Ink Press® 43311 Joy Rd. #414 Canton, MI 48187-2075 Visible Ink Press and The Handy Religion Answer Book are trademarks of Visible Ink Press LLC. Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, at www.visibleink.com or (734) 667-3211. Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Graphix Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Renard, John, 1944The handy religion answer book / John Renard. p. cm. ISBN 1-57859-125-2 (pbk.) 1. Religions--Miscellanea. I. Title. BL80.2 .R46 2001 291--dc21 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved ...

Words: 245202 - Pages: 981

Free Essay

Alevi Community

...fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Akçalı Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayata Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Akçalı Assist. Prof. Dr. Aykan Erdemir (METU-ADM) (METU-ADM) (METU-SOC) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Ali Murat İrat Signature : iii ABSTRACT THE ALEVI COMMUNITY IN TURKEY AFTER 1980: AN EVALUATION OF POLITICAL GROUP BOUNDARIES IN THE CONTEXT OF ETHNICITY THEORIES İrat, Ali Murat Department of Political Science and Public Administration Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Akçalı April 2006, 140 pages. The present thesis intends to determine how the ethno-religious Alevi communities in Turkey survive and what are the main sources and factors helping them to sustain their group borders, especially as from the mid-1980s when these communities had started to...

Words: 52011 - Pages: 209

Free Essay

One Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.

...E SSAYS ON TWENTIETH-C ENTURY H ISTORY In the series Critical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by ...

Words: 163893 - Pages: 656

Free Essay

Art and Story Proceedings 2004

...Proceeding for the School of Visual Arts Eighteenth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists: Art and Story CONTENTS SECTION ONE: Marcel’s Studio Visit with Elstir……………………………………………………….. David Carrier SECTION TWO: Film and Video Narrative Brief Narrative on Film-The Case of John Updike……………………………………. Thomas P. Adler With a Pen of Light …………………………………………………………………… Michael Fink Media and the Message: Does Media Shape or Serve the Story: Visual Storytelling and New Media ……………………………………………………. June Bisantz Evans Visual Literacy: The Language of Cultural Signifiers…………………………………. Tammy Knipp SECTION THREE: Narrative and Fine Art Beyond Illustration: Visual Narrative Strategies in Picasso’s Celestina Prints………… Susan J. Baker and William Novak Narrative, Allegory, and Commentary in Emil Nolde’s Legend: St. Mary of Egypt…… William B. Sieger A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon…………… Catherine St. John Art and Narrative Under the Third Reich ……………………………………………… Ashley Labrie 28 15 1 22 25 27 36 43 51 Hopper Stories in an Imaginary Museum……………………………………………. Joseph Stanton SECTION FOUR: Photography and Narrative Black & White: Two Worlds/Two Distinct Stories……………………………………….. Elaine A. King Relinquishing His Own Story: Abandonment and Appropriation in the Edward Weston Narrative………………………………………………………………………….. David Peeler Narrative Stretegies in the Worlds of Jean Le Gac and Sophe Calle…………………….. Stefanie Rentsch...

Words: 117240 - Pages: 469

Premium Essay

Quiet: Power of Introverts

...din, Susan’s own voice remains a compelling presence—thoughtful, generous, calm, and eloquent. Quiet deserves a very large readership.” —CHRISTOPHER LANE, author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness 4/929 “Susan Cain’s quest to understand introversion, a beautifully wrought journey from the lab bench to the motivational speaker’s hall, offers convincing evidence for valuing substance over style, steak over sizzle, and qualities that are, in America, often derided. This book is brilliant, profound, full of feeling and brimming with insights.” —SHERI FINK, M.D., author of War Hospital “Brilliant, illuminating, empowering! Quiet gives not only a voice, but a path to homecoming for so many who’ve walked through the better part of their lives thinking the way they engage with the world is something in need of fixing.” 5/929 —JONATHAN FIELDS, author of Uncertainty:...

Words: 118436 - Pages: 474