Living at the Crossroads #2

Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew are authors of the book Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview.

They suggest that we (Christians) live in the crossroads of the Christian story and the Western Story.  What is the Western Story?  It has two parts: modernism and postmodernism.  In summary, here is what Goheen and Bartholomew write about the Western Story of modernism during the medieval period:

During the “medieval” period (5^th century AD – 15^th century AD) our culture’s story became a fusion of gospel and culture.  Augustine (354-430 AD) came onto the scene as a neo-Platonic philosopher who converted to Christianity and carried dualism into Christian thinking.  Because of the influence of dualism, medieval Christianity tended to depreciate cultural and social life on earth and focus on heaven and life-after-death.  In addition, Aristotle’s writings were “rediscovered” during this period and translated into Latin.  This led to a growing interest on life on the earth rather than the vertical and otherworldly thinking of the churches.

Into the fray stepped Thomas Aquinas.  He attempted to synthesize these two opposing views (the this-wordly focus on science, philosophy, and culture and the other-wordly thinking of the Church).  Aqinas maintained the superiority of the otherworldly and vertical emphasis of the Church, urging that human life should be oriented upward.  Yet he also affirmed the goodness of the present world, the body, social and cultural life.  Ultimately, however, this simply led to a greater distinction between upper and lower “storeys”, heaven and earth, spiritual and secular.  

In summary, during the medieval period the Church’s adoption of the dualism of ancient Greek thinkers and contemporary thinkers led to an even greater separation between “spiritual” and “secular”.  In addition, the Church was perceived as being concerned solely with the “spiritual” life and not with the “secular” life; with otherworldly things and not with this-worldly things. 

– more to follow –