Dr. Stark makes some very good points. He even credits the strong presence of the Christian faith over the centuries as helping to shape sound reason so that it functions for human flourishing.

But every human being operates on the basis of reason. Everyone wants his or her life to make sense, no matter what the social or cultural context in which that person exists. Human beings are reasoning creatures, and all human beings employ reason, in one form or another, to make their way in the world.

Reason alone is therefore not a sufficient explanation for the triumph of Western institutions, not even sound reason, for such a qualifier only begs the question, “What do we mean by sound?”

Common grace

If we follow Dr. Stark’s argument, his point is that Western values – which shape the use of reason in Western societies – have produced more overall good for the world than the values of any other culture, past or present.

Western values have indeed led to the creation of societies based in law. They have encouraged universal education, the development of the arts, and the right to private property, free speech, and lawful assembly. Western values have promoted business and industry, led to tapping the resources of the earth for the common good, and to advances in science, medicine, and technology, the likes of which no other culture has even come close to achieving.

The sound reason which has led to such achievements thus reveals some distinctive values, including, a recognition of individual human worth, a demand for justice, freedom for creativity and cultural development, the creation of powerful institutions, and a sense of responsibility toward the future.

But even these values are shared, to some extent, by every culture, as C. S. Lewis argued in The Abolition of Man. So the question of where such values arise, and how they are developed into enduring social and cultural norms and forms, lies beyond the scope of human reason, and even beyond Western culture. Human beings are reasoning creatures, and it is inherent in human reason, at least to some extent, to seek justice, beauty, goodness, dignity, and the good of one’s neighbors, at least in some culturally-relevant form.

These values are not the product of reason nor of Western culture; rather, they come from the grace of God – His common grace. They may be more pronounced and have borne more fruit in Western cultures, but that they exist among all human beings, in some form and to some degree, can be clearly seen.

The loving kindness of the Lord

By “common grace” we mean what Jesus outlined in our text. There is an expression of God’s grace – His immense and unfathomable loving kindness – which reaches to all people at all times, even those who are His avowed enemies. Because every human being is made in the image of God, and owes his or her existence to Him, God regards all human beings as the objects of His love. God loves all people, and He desires all people to come to the knowledge of eternal life (2 Pet. 3.9). He has bestowed His goodness and loving kindness on all human beings in a wide variety of ways, as we shall see, and the purpose of His so doing is to encourage people to seek Him, their great Benefactor, and to know Him as their Creator, Savior, and Shepherd (Acts 17.26, 27).

God’s common grace is not at all “common” as in “not extraordinary.” Common grace is common in that it reaches to all creatures, every human being, at every moment, in every place and situation, bringing goodness, beauty, and truth into lives that otherwise would be utterly impossible. Without the common grace of God the world could not exist, creatures could not function, and nothing of what people everywhere cherish and delight in would be even remotely possible.

While it may be, as Rodney Stark argues, that Western culture, more than any other culture, has been the source of benefits to the world as a whole, this is only because the common grace of God has been greatly enhanced by the stream of special, saving grace, which flows through the heart of Western history, beginning with the Roman Empire and extending into the present.

But the common grace of God abounds even where His special grace is yet withheld. And understanding the nature and value of common grace can wondrously enlarge our vision of God and greatly assist us in our callings as followers of Jesus Christ.

Next steps

Reflect on the text which opens this column. How many different examples of “common grace” can you cite within your own Personal Mission Field? Talk with a Christian friend about your observations.

Additional Resources

Download this week’s study, Common Grace.

Sign up for ViewPoint Leaders Training and start your own ViewPoint discussion group.

For a deeper study of God’s grace, order a copy of T. M.’s book,I Will Be Your God, from our online store.

Men, download our free brief paper, “Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning,” by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.