What topics do you like to discuss?
I focus on three main topics: Faith, Politics, and Culture, which I refer to as the “secular trinity of confusion.” Many Christians find it challenging to navigate these issues and understand their intersection with theology. This is why I have dedicated this website to exploring these topics.
Faithful Christians frequently find themselves uncertain about their position on the political spectrum. In an increasingly secular society, faith-based communities face pressure to compromise on biblical values and virtues that often contradict sound theology. The topics I address are frequently considered off-limits for discussion, but I believe that such conversations are essential.
It is often said that “politics is downstream of culture,” a phrase popularized by Andrew Breitbart. While this may hold some truth, it is even more certain that all culture is influenced by theology, whether it be positively or negatively.
Faith:
Definition. “Faith in the OT and NT carries several meanings. It may mean simple trust in God or in the Word of God, and at other times faith almost becomes equivalent to active obedience. It may also find expression in the affirmation of a creedal statement. Thus it also comes to mean the entire body of received Christian teaching or truth. So in Colossians 2:7, the term suggests something to be accepted as a whole and embodied in personal life. In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul witnesses to having ‘kept the faith.’” – Robert W. Lyon, “Faith,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 761.
Politics:
noun (used with a singular or plural verb)
- The science or art of political government.
- The practice or profession of conducting political affairs.
- Political affairs: The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics.
- Political methods or maneuvers: We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill.
- Political principles or opinions: We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair.
- Use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc.
- (initial capital letter, italics) a treatise (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle, dealing with the structure, organization, and administration of the state, especially the city-state as known in ancient Greece.
[Dictionary.com, s.v. “politics,” accessed April 26, 2025, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/politics.]
Culture:
- Shared Beliefs, Values, and Practices (Social Sciences): This is the most common anthropological and sociological understanding. Culture refers to the shared patterns of behaviors, interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through socialization. It includes:
- Knowledge and Beliefs: What a group collectively knows or believes about the world, spirituality, history, etc.
- Values and Norms: Shared ideas about what is good, right, desirable, and the expected rules of behavior.
- Customs and Traditions: Established ways of doing things passed down through generations (e.g., holidays, ceremonies, social etiquette).
- Language and Symbols: Systems of communication and representation unique to the group.
- Arts and Artifacts: The material objects, technologies, artistic expressions, and institutions created by a group.
- In essence, it’s the “way of life” for a particular group of people, encompassing everything acquired by humans as members of society. A famous early definition by anthropologist E.B. Tylor (1871) described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
- The Arts and Intellectual Achievement: Culture can also refer specifically to the arts (like music, literature, visual arts, performing arts) and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. This is sometimes referred to as “high culture.” It focuses on aesthetic pursuits, intellectual endeavors, and refined tastes.
- Cultivation (Biology): In a completely different context, especially biology and medicine, “culture” refers to the growing of microorganisms (like bacteria or yeast), tissues, or cells in a specially prepared nutrient medium under laboratory conditions. For example, a “throat culture” is used to identify bacteria causing an infection.
- Development and Improvement: Culture can also mean the cultivation, development, or improvement of the mind, manners, or tastes through education or training.
Key Characteristics (mainly related to definition 1):
- Learned: Culture is not innate; it is acquired through socialization and learning from others.
- Shared: It is collectively held by a group or society.
- Symbolic: Culture relies heavily on symbols (like language) to convey meaning.
- Integrated: Different aspects of culture (e.g., economy, religion, family) are often interconnected.
- Dynamic: Culture is not static; it changes over time due to internal factors and external influences.
In summary, while often used to describe the entire way of life of a group, “culture” can also specifically mean artistic/intellectual pursuits or, in science, the cultivation of biological organisms. The most encompassing definition relates to the shared, learned patterns that define a society or group. Sources and related content
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