Lately, my grown-up children have often said things like this to me: “Dad, young people don't use that word anymore.” The first time I heard it, I simply brushed it off, thinking, “Ah, so there are new buzzwords for the next generation.” But hearing it repeatedly made me realise that the culture and ways of thinking I hold dear are no longer relevant. Personally, I've always been interested in diverse cultures. I've travelled to experience different cultures, of course, and I've also engaged with subcultures like anime, manga, and games, as well as various genres of music. Yet, my children’s comment made me feel left behind by the younger generation. How does this apply to ministry?
As culture and society undergo drastic changes, ways of thinking and values also evolve. Historically, Japanese people have lived under strong collectivism and societal pressure, constantly mindful of the general public. Today's younger generation experiences this collectivism in schools and companies, yet once they turn to social media, they can experience an individualism centred on self-expression. In such an era, where people are exposed to and influenced by diverse cultural and societal values – essentially, the values of different cultures and religions – how can we effectively proclaim the Gospel?
Such challenges existed even in the New Testament era of Paul. Paul was central to the mission among the Gentiles. In his letter to the Corinthians, chapters 7-9, he teaches us crucial elements of engaging with culture – specifically, how to share the Gospel with people of different cultures, societies, religions, positions, and values.
The Gospel as an Absolute Value
First, Paul possesses a standard by which to judge all things in the Gospel of Christ.
6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
(1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV)
Paul holds the understanding that “all things come from God”. This is of paramount importance for the standard of values regarding good and evil in this world, and for judging good and evil. Many Christians tend to try to decide simply what is good and what is evil by clearly dividing things into black and white. However, the biblical perspective is not so simple. According to Genesis 1-2, all things were created as good.Yet, including us humans, this goodness fell into corruption, and evil and sin entered the world. Given this premise, everything possesses both “goodness” and “badness (distortion/corruption)”.
Timothy Keller, drawing on Charles Dickens's “A Tale of Two Cities” and summarising part of his own work, emphasises two elements concerning culture. First, that every person and every culture inherently possesses elements of both grace and sin. Second, that the New Testament does not provide a concrete blueprint for forming a single culture in this world that could be called “Christian culture”.
First, what we must do is not to completely reject any culture we encounter as evil, but to see both the good elements and the bad, distorted elements within it.Through God's common grace, we must discern the inherently excellent elements present, while simultaneously understanding how far that culture has strayed from God's intended form and purpose, and how its functions have become distorted. For instance, the aforementioned Japanese cultural value of “minding one's general public standing” has a positive flip side: “consideration for others, possessing conformity”. Such values are indispensable in avoiding situations where individuals act selfishly and cause chaos during crises like earthquakes. However, overemphasising this value alone in other contexts can create problems. Furthermore, in Japanese schools, the value of forcing conformity and insisting everyone should be the same can take precedence, leading to a lack of appreciation for individuality and unclear personal roles. In the worst cases, being different from others can even become a basis for discrimination. However, according to the biblical values, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12, we are united as the body of Christ while each having our own roles. This perspective holds that both the collective and the individual should be valued simultaneously.
Thus, first and foremost, as individual Christians, we are called to hold the Gospel – the perfect standard of God found in Scripture.This enables us to engage sincerely with a culture without either completely rejecting its values or excessively praising them, thereby avoiding distortion of the Gospel message we seek to convey. Without such a comprehensive foundation of the biblical values, there is a danger of labelling what God originally deemed “good” as evil, and conversely, deeming what is “evil” as “good”.
What is culture?
So, what is the biblical “definition of culture”? From the perspective of Genesis 1-3, briefly touched upon earlier, culture is "something people create to express ways of thinking and values they hold as standards or priorities within society". It can also be seen as an environment created by humans, separate from the world God originally intended, and tailored to their own rules and values.
Originally, Adam and Eve's role was to use the “natural world and materials (primary environment)” given by God to cultivate an environment (secondary environment) where people could live comfortably according to God's will (Genesis 2). However, after the Fall, humans ceased to live centred on God. Instead, they constructed societies and cultures serving their own values and needs, based on their own judgments of good and evil. Even in their fallen state, humans have persistently retained the mission of environmental stewardship – ingeniously reproducing and reworking the environment and materials God provided – enabling their continued existence. The products of this endeavour might be termed modern culture. Put another way, culture is both a value system and a salvific system through which humans strive to survive, even if it means abandoning the existence of God.
Ironically, however, by discarding the most crucial “cog” – the very God, who makes everything function – every culture, while utilising the good elements God provided, remains imperfect. Far from functioning well, the current reality is that cultures are gradually heading towards ruin. One element of the gospel we should communicate to people living in this reality is the good news that through Christ, we can return to the perfect culture: the “Kingdom of God”.
Understanding Idols in Culture
Another crucial element in understanding and engaging with culture is the concept of idols within it. As mentioned earlier, every culture places paramount importance on certain specific values. There exists the belief that upholding and preserving these values enables the culture or society to function. This takes the form of a substitute god, replacing the true God within that culture and functioning, so to speak, as an idol. A worldview centred around and promoted by such idolatrous values is established. Every culture possesses elements deemed “good”, elements deemed “bad”, and elements deemed “indifferent”, and these vary from culture to culture. Building upon this most important idol-like value, every culture attempts to resolve fundamental questions about life, such as: “Why do I exist here?”, “What is most important in life?”, “What are the problems of this world?”, and “What can solve them?”.
For instance, in individualistic cultures or nations, self-expression and one's personal role – particularly becoming a hero – are considered vital. Consequently, they might conclude that ‘if each individual is first honoured and made happy, problems will be solved and the world improved.’ Conversely, collectivist cultures prioritise maintaining the order of groups such as families, tribes, or companies.The root cause of problems is seen as a lack of harmony or conformity, and resolving this is thought to improve society. In other words, each culture shapes its inhabitants' sense of identity, purpose, and the elements that make them feel accepted, loved, and chosen. Of course, culture involves a far more complex interweaving of diverse values; this explanation simplifies matters, and deeper understanding is required in reality. However, the fundamental point remains: if the Gospel is always conveyed using the same methods and approaches across such diverse cultures and value systems, it will be ineffective. The message “Christ died for your (individual) sins” may resonate with those holding individualistic beliefs.Yet for those with a collectivist mindset, it may be a message that fails to resonate deeply. For the latter, the approach, “Jesus bore the sins of all humanity, that is, he took collective responsibility and died for us,” might be easier to grasp. Moreover, the gospel of one person laying down his life for the collective can also provide an opportunity to offer the value that individual actions and assertions should be honoured.
Understanding the idols within a culture, as seen in Paul's approach – “to the Jews I became like a Jew, to those under the law I became like one under the law, to the weak I became weak” (cf. 1 Corinthians 9) – enables one to possess the adaptability and wisdom to engage with people of any culture, value system, or position. Only then can the most effective methods for communicating within specific cultures and value systems be devised.
Finally, the most crucial aspect of a Christian's engagement with culture is the deep permeation of the values of “God's culture, the Gospel”, within ourselves. In Colossians 3, Paul asserts that there is no longer 'Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free.Christ is all, and is in all...“ He emphasises that we are to live “as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved”. In every culture, people live desperately striving to be chosen, holy – that is, “special” – and loved and accepted within that culture, centred around certain values.If even we Christians live seeking to be chosen, regarded as special, and accepted not by God but by the culture in which we live, we will never be able to bring the good news of Christ's salvation to that culture. In Christ, we are already chosen by God, made special, and loved and accepted. That is precisely why, like Paul, we can live patiently and with forbearance towards people, standing in their shoes when necessary, and living with God's wisdom and knowledge.
For further reflection: Japanese gods are not confined to the deities of so-called Shinto. Modern Japanese people possess a sense that they themselves are the gods who determine their own lives. This tendency is particularly evident in Japan, where multiple divine entities exist – the eight million gods, or the unseen, situational forces known as “the general public”. People select gods from among these according to their own convenience. However, a contradictory state can arise where, despite having chosen them, they find themselves bound by these very divine entities.
At a church in the suburbs of the metropolitan area, a children's dance recital was held. Typically, such recitals for extracurricular activities are premised on diligent practice leading to a polished performance. Within the Japanese cultural context, where one can choose from various gods, children might focus primarily on performing well to gain recognition from parental or general public deities. Therefore, the pastor conveyed to the children that it was important not just to perform well, but above all, for the audience to be delighted and encouraged through their performance. This was because the pastor believed that the children's very joy in God, their Creator, and the awareness that they themselves are beings who bring joy to God, would naturally shine through in their performance. Consequently, the children were able to perform in a relaxed manner. Remarkably, their performance was so impressive that even the non-Christian audience remarked that it was ‘of a higher standard than typical dance school recitals’.
Author:CTCJ Collaborative Writing Team
In 2025, CTCJ set out a new vision to become a thought leader in the field of urban church planting in Japan. The Collaborative Writing Team (Co-writing Team) is one of the ways we are working towards this goal. The team is made up of a core group of staff members, as well as a number of writers and editors from diverse backgrounds, who work together to produce articles on topics that are useful for church planters, with the gospel as the foundation and focus.