Harry Potter, Kid Rock and the OC:

Teaching Youth to Discern the Entertainment Culture

Harry Potter, Kid Rock and the OC:

Teaching Youth to Discern the Entertainment Culture

Dr. William BrownPresidentDr. William BrownPresident

“If you could live forever, would you and why?”“I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, becauseif we we’re supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but wecannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.”

---Miss Alabama (1994 Miss USA contest)

“Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can’t help but cry. . .

…I mean I’d love to be skinny like that but not with all those flies and death and stuff.”

--Mariah Carey

“Smoking kills. And if you’re killed you’ve lost a very important part of your life.”

--Brooke Shields

“It’s boring. We walked out after, like, one minute.”

Paris Hilton on The Passion of the Christ (Entertainment Weekly, June 11, 2004)

Engaging

the Culture?

Engaging

the Culture?

“Will and Grace, WWE Smackdown, Eminem, and Madonna have more to do with the direction of our culture than all of Congress.”

Bill WichtermanPolicy advisor to Senate Majority leader Bill Frist

“Will and Grace, WWE Smackdown, Eminem, and Madonna have more to do with the direction of our culture than all of Congress.”

Bill WichtermanPolicy advisor to Senate Majority leader Bill Frist

“More theology is conveyed in, and probably retained from one hour of popular television, than from all the sermons that are delivered on any given weekend in America’s synagogues, churches and mosques.”

Phyllis TicklePublisher’s Weekly“God-Talk in America”

“More theology is conveyed in, and probably retained from one hour of popular television, than from all the sermons that are delivered on any given weekend in America’s synagogues, churches and mosques.”

Phyllis TicklePublisher’s Weekly“God-Talk in America”

Three Three ApproachesApproaches

Three Three ApproachesApproachesWITHDRAWOffended by Culture

“The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot ever fence it out.”

Gildor Inglorion in J. R. R. Tolkien’sFellowship of the Ring

Three Three ApproachesApproaches

Delighted by Culture

WITHDRAWWITHDRAWOffended by Culture

ASSIMILATEASSIMILATE

““Our father, God, Allah, we thank you for thisOur father, God, Allah, we thank you for thismoment in time. Bless Kanye, bless his album, moment in time. Bless Kanye, bless his album, take over his album and take it to the highest take over his album and take it to the highest place possible . . . In the name of Allah and place possible . . . In the name of Allah and the spirit of our inner essence. Amen.”the spirit of our inner essence. Amen.”Prayer by Kanye West prior to a concert, Blender, Prayer by Kanye West prior to a concert, Blender, September 2005, 126.September 2005, 126.

“Church”“Church”

“The Way You

Move”“The W

ay You

Move”Man, have you ever really wonderedLike why are we here? What the meanin’ to all of this?

Man, have you ever really wonderedLike why are we here? What the meanin’ to all of this?

Three Three ApproachesApproaches

Delighted by Culture

WITHDRAWWITHDRAWOffended by Culture

Distressed by Culture

ASSIMILATEASSIMILATE

ENGAGEENGAGE

  19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

  19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

  22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

  22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

. . . Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

2 Peter 2:7-8

The Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural Challenge

. . . Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

2 Peter 2:7-8

The Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural Challenge

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,he was greatly distressed to see that the he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in thecity was full of idols. So he reasoned in thesynagogues, . . .as well as in the market-synagogues, . . .as well as in the market-place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.that in every way you are very religious.For as I walked around and looked For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship. . .”carefully at your objects of worship. . .”

Acts 17:16-34Acts 17:16-34

The Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural Challenge

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,he was he was greatly greatly distresseddistressed to see that the to see that the city was full of idols. So city was full of idols. So he reasonedhe reasoned in the in thesynagogues, . . .as well as in the market-synagogues, . . .as well as in the market-place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.that in every way you are very religious.For as I walked around and For as I walked around and looked looked carefully at your objects of worshipcarefully at your objects of worship. . .”. . .”

Acts 17:16-34Acts 17:16-34

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,he was he was greatly greatly distresseddistressed to see that the to see that the city was full of idols. So city was full of idols. So he reasonedhe reasoned in the in thesynagogues, . . .as well as in the market-synagogues, . . .as well as in the market-place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see place day by day. . . . “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.that in every way you are very religious.For as I walked around and For as I walked around and looked looked carefully at your objects of worshipcarefully at your objects of worship. . .”. . .”

Acts 17:16-34Acts 17:16-34

The Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural ChallengeThe Cultural Challenge

“Greatly distressed”“Greatly distressed”

Sought to understand the culture (v. 23) Started where they were (vv. 22-23)

Positive about the truth he found (v. 22)

Knew and quoted their sources (vv. 23,28)

Communicated the Gospel (vv.18,30-31)

Sought to understand the culture (v. 23) Started where they were (vv. 22-23)

Positive about the truth he found (v. 22)

Knew and quoted their sources (vv. 23,28)

Communicated the Gospel (vv.18,30-31)

Engaging the Culture with the

Heart and Mind of Christ

Engaging the Culture with the

Heart and Mind of Christ

Dr. William BrownPresidentDr. William BrownPresident