Why We Focus on Changing Culture
by Dr. Corey Miller, Ratio Christi President and CEO
Ratio Christi has a vision to change the culture. We want to change the world through the reason of Christ. As thoughtful Christians, we begin upstream at the universities seeking to address and overcome initial obstacles providing persuasive reasons for faith, we present the Gospel, and, if done right this strategy of transforming lives up stream has dramatic payoff changing culture downstream. Lives are transformed in the universities in a holistic, integrated way, with cultural benefit including better soil for Gospel presentation.
This means that we need to see every aspect of life as subject to Christ, not just the moral component. Rather than living a disintegrated life—a compartmentalized life, we want to see apprentices of Jesus flourish in lives of integrity, integrating faith and reason, faith and life, faith and vocation. We need to explore the relationship of Christ and culture and subvert the notion of an occupation in favor of a vocation, a job in favor of a calling. Apprentices of Jesus need to see Christ as relevant to all of life, “every square inch” as the statesman Abraham Kuyper said, and this includes transforming the disciplines with a view of God’s redemptive, missional perspective.
Jesus didn’t come simply so that we’d have a greater morality. The apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God.” This includes how we spend money, what it looks like to be a Christian engineer, doctor, lawyer, home maker, political leader, artist, journalist, etc. This is not a theocracy like the Old Testament, but a Christ-bathed culture is a game changer including creating culture suitable for Gospel presentation.
We need to be culture makers, or shapers for the good, by helping people find and sustain a developed Christian world and life view. Christ in culture makes a difference. Christ transforms culture. These are some of the reasons we focus on changing culture. When culture corrupts, we need to be counter cultural; even revolutionary in the way of Jesus.
Help us promote the reason of Christ, Ratio Christi. We are seeking full time Campus Ministers. Apply today!
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For more on how and why we focus on changing culture, check out the video below. We also have a mini-series on specific areas where we prioritize being counter cultural.