Chapter 22: Faith and Society
Societies with a single dominant faith resist change as they fit and support each other. A movement for change in one will meet resistance in the other.
For example, assume a patriarchal society with a patriarchal church. A movement to give equality to women in society will be resisted by the leadership of the church. A movement to give more equality to women in the church will meet resistance by the leadership of the society.
Societies without a dominant faith facilitate change by society and faith communities. Some churches gave equality to women long before western society did. Some churches still resist equality.
Societies without a dominant faith tend to have greater diversity and adapt more easily to change. There are more open discussions, debates, and conflicts over many issues, such as in Canada.
Society with its different groups and the various faith communities influence each other in dynamic ways from technology to group rules and customs.
What is lost is a clear sense of a group identity. The society will tend to focus on what it is not. The faith communities will include a mix of faith communities that identify themselves as not part of society and faith communities interested in finding common purpose. Often this shared purpose includes a shift from what we are to what we do. Food banks and shelters are two examples where faith communities share in a common purpose.
The dynamic relationship between society and faith communities influences and is influenced by history along with other changes. Inherited values, beliefs, and practices jostle with new values, new beliefs, and new practices in a landscape where geography, economy, and demographics provide the playing field or theatre for that jostling.
What we believe and how we live out our beliefs eventually makes a difference in society. How big a difference depends on the readiness of society for that difference and the how of living out our beliefs.
The decline in many churches promotes helpful introspection by those communities. Religious magazines and websites have many stories of how declining churches asked themselves why they were there. Many of them found answers that changed their short-term goals and practices to better serve their long-term goals. Often this meant joining community organizations in repurposing their facilities or their land.
Garneau United Church in Edmonton in 1999 replaced their church building with a housing complex that included a chapel. Recently there are stories of churches transforming their buildings into Arts Centres and community centres. In this way, faith communities make a difference in society.
Recently technologies changed society in many ways.
Information sharing technologies such as digital projectors changed business and government meetings and now change many worship services.
Education and businesses learned to use asynchronous (not accessed at the same time) tools for teaching and data sharing such as Moodle and the cloud, and churches are providing webinars and worship services that can be accessed at anytime. Education, businesses, and government used synchronous tools such as webcasting and Zoom for interactive virtual lessons and meetings. Churches use Zoom, Facebook Live, and other tools for providing interactive virtual worship services and meetings.
Businesses reduced formality in clothing and most churches became more informal.
To keep church relevant, leaders pay attention to changes in society and listen to those on the edge of their communities. People on the edge often understand more clearly what is happening in society and why.
Just as fashion companies look to ghettos for new fashions. churches need to look to those on the edge for inspiration.
Faith communities change and are changed by the societies where they live, intentionally or consequentially. Each of us chooses how to use our roles in those dynamic interchanges.
Societies with a single dominant faith resist change as they fit and support each other. A movement for change in one will meet resistance in the other.
For example, assume a patriarchal society with a patriarchal church. A movement to give equality to women in society will be resisted by the leadership of the church. A movement to give more equality to women in the church will meet resistance by the leadership of the society.
Societies without a dominant faith facilitate change by society and faith communities. Some churches gave equality to women long before western society did. Some churches still resist equality.
Societies without a dominant faith tend to have greater diversity and adapt more easily to change. There are more open discussions, debates, and conflicts over many issues, such as in Canada.
Society with its different groups and the various faith communities influence each other in dynamic ways from technology to group rules and customs.
What is lost is a clear sense of a group identity. The society will tend to focus on what it is not. The faith communities will include a mix of faith communities that identify themselves as not part of society and faith communities interested in finding common purpose. Often this shared purpose includes a shift from what we are to what we do. Food banks and shelters are two examples where faith communities share in a common purpose.
The dynamic relationship between society and faith communities influences and is influenced by history along with other changes. Inherited values, beliefs, and practices jostle with new values, new beliefs, and new practices in a landscape where geography, economy, and demographics provide the playing field or theatre for that jostling.
What we believe and how we live out our beliefs eventually makes a difference in society. How big a difference depends on the readiness of society for that difference and the how of living out our beliefs.
The decline in many churches promotes helpful introspection by those communities. Religious magazines and websites have many stories of how declining churches asked themselves why they were there. Many of them found answers that changed their short-term goals and practices to better serve their long-term goals. Often this meant joining community organizations in repurposing their facilities or their land.
Garneau United Church in Edmonton in 1999 replaced their church building with a housing complex that included a chapel. Recently there are stories of churches transforming their buildings into Arts Centres and community centres. In this way, faith communities make a difference in society.
Recently technologies changed society in many ways.
Information sharing technologies such as digital projectors changed business and government meetings and now change many worship services.
Education and businesses learned to use asynchronous (not accessed at the same time) tools for teaching and data sharing such as Moodle and the cloud, and churches are providing webinars and worship services that can be accessed at anytime. Education, businesses, and government used synchronous tools such as webcasting and Zoom for interactive virtual lessons and meetings. Churches use Zoom, Facebook Live, and other tools for providing interactive virtual worship services and meetings.
Businesses reduced formality in clothing and most churches became more informal.
To keep church relevant, leaders pay attention to changes in society and listen to those on the edge of their communities. People on the edge often understand more clearly what is happening in society and why.
Just as fashion companies look to ghettos for new fashions. churches need to look to those on the edge for inspiration.
Faith communities change and are changed by the societies where they live, intentionally or consequentially. Each of us chooses how to use our roles in those dynamic interchanges.
Last edited:
