Credibility of Christian Life in Contemporary Narcissistic Society – Part I

Back to series
By James M. Houston on December 3, 2010 , , ,

The Credibility of the Christian Life in the Contemporary Narcissistic Society

(This is a two-part series on The Credibility of Christian Life in Contemporary Narcissistic Society.  Part 1, Part 2 )

Click here to open a Print - Friendly PDF

The apostolic message to each of the early Christian churches is clearly prompted by the church’s cultural context. Sexual immorality prompted Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. In Rome the issues revolved around the tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christian communities. Writing to the Ephesians, he addressed the civic pagan cult of the goddess Diana.

But today theological studies tend to become as specialized as all other academic studies; theology can be taught as an educational program like any other topic, without directly speaking to our way of life. This heightens our need to relate the gospel, not just to “church” or “the academy,” but to how we identify ourselves and how we actually live daily. To do so, theologians should be as much engaged with the disciplines of society—whether history, political science, sociology, [behavioral] economics, psychology, etc.—as with biblical scholarship per se. Otherwise Christian leaders can be unaware and uncritical of cultural influences and so succumb to the temptations they present....

 

James M. Houston

CSLI Co-Founder James M. Houston (1922 – 2026) is a co-founder of the C.S. Lewis Institute. Jim served as a Senior Fellow of the Institute, lecturing at CSLI events over the past five decades. He received his Bachelor of Science and M.A. degrees from the University of Edinburgh and a D. Phil. from Oxford University. He was a University Lecturer at Oxford from 1947 – 1971 where he taught cultural and historical geography. While teaching at Oxford, he met C.S. Lewis and participated in a regular Bible study with him for six years. He is known as one of the “founding fathers” of Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia where he has served as the first Principal, Chancellor and Professor of Spiritual Theology.  

COPYRIGHT: This publication is published by C.S. Lewis Institute; 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 301; Springfield, VA 22151. Portions of the publication may be reproduced for noncommercial, local church or ministry use without prior permission. Electronic copies of the PDF files may be duplicated and transmitted via e-mail for personal and church use. Articles may not be modified without prior written permission of the Institute. For questions, contact the Institute: 703.914.5602 or email us.

0 All Booked 0.00 All Booked 0.00 All Booked 25547 STUDY PROGRAM: In the Footsteps of the Apostles (Turkey & Greece) https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/?event=biblical-study-program-in-the-footsteps-of-the-apostles-turkey-greece&event_date=2026-09-12&reg=1 https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr 2026-09-12
Next coming event
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

STUDY PROGRAM: In the Footsteps of the Apostles (Turkey & Greece)

On September 12, 2026 at 3:00 pm at İstanbul, Türkiye

Grow Your Faith with a New Online Course:

Jesus and the Ten Commandments
, , ,

Full details Get Directions

Print your tickets