Between Lands What does it mean to engage prophetically with culture?
Aug 22, 2025
Yining Chiu, essayist and reporter who is part of the Estuaries community, joins the conversation. Short takes cover Christian approaches to culture, why engagement matters, and the idea of cultural perpendicularity. They explore witnessing as making a different, humane reality visible and the role of artists and margin networks in long-term cultural change.
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Engage Culture As A Divine Mandate
- Christians are called to shape and engage the world, not withdraw, rooted in the Adam and Eve mandate to fill and rule the earth.
- James Davison Hunter frames humans as "world makers," making cultural engagement an essential Christian vocation.
Culture Changes Through Edge Influencers
- Focusing primarily on converting masses pushes churches to cater to the lowest common denominator and dilutes the gospel.
- Hunter shows culture shifts via interdisciplinary networks of influencers (artists, writers, academics), not mass popularity.
Fund The Arts To Gain Cultural Voice
- Invest in the arts and cultural projects rather than only funding religious charities to gain a seat at cultural conversations.
- Christian foundations currently give minimal arts support compared with secular funders, forfeiting influence.
