Kerk en kultuur in 'n postmoderne samelewing

Abstract

The church never exists and acts in a cultural vacuum. Its members live within a given cultural framework of values and symbols co-existent in society. This entails a very real danger of the church subserving the pressure of group interests asserted in this programme of activities. It is the task of the church to maintain a prophetic-critical stance in relation to a given cultural sphere. This does not imply a hostile attitude to culture, but one of critical evaluation in relation to tradition and culture. Modern culture, which in due course superceded mediaeval culture, was built on the basic differentiation in the subject-object paradigm. This rational scheme, which accorded priority to the 'knower' as subject, brought science and technology to unknown heights. The dilemma in which the post-modern society finds itself inevitably leads to new dimensions of man as a human being, and, amongst other things, to existential thought, which places the emphasis on man as a being in relationship. Naturally postmodern culture brings challenges and poses threats to which the church will have to pay attention.