Phil Cooke

thanks Phil, good topic!

Isaac 

Phil,

Sorry to take so long in digesting this article.

It is, as you represent, very deep, very thought provoking and worthy of time and interaction.

It echoes some thoughts I've had with regard to Evangelical Christians engaging with the culture.  As you've probably pointed out, we as evangelicals don't do a great job in this area.  For a good part of the 20th century, following the Scopes Trial, Evangelicals went underground and separated from the culture choosing retreat rather than continued engagement.

That changed in the 70's with the advent of Political activism, Christian Rock, but the focus there was seeking to engage for the most part by exerting influence by raw power rather than active engagement and persuasion.

We're seeing now I believe, some of the fallout of that strategy in that America is becoming characterized more and more as a post-Christian nation, although certainly by comparison with the rest of the world, we're not as far along that path as some.

In organizational leadership studies I've slogged through, there's a great deal written about corporate culture and how to engage with it and renew an organization.  It's not the same as a nation's culture but what I think may carry over is not necessarily rejecting all that has been done before but recognizing that what we've focused upon doesn't work without other elements being brought in.

Political power is fical.  It comes and goes.  Changing laws may impact behavior, but it doesn't change the heart to assist people in wanting to be different.

Probably the greatest need is the cliche one; Rivival.  The Church has to rediscover what it means to be the Church.  However, for revival to spread and engage the nation and influence the culture it is going to have to engage with these generations in the forums where they are gathered and listening, and that is not the same as past times of revival.

Sorry for the long post …. but it was a long article.