We’re not the only creatures which engage in cultural activities, as we know that many creatures communicate through forms of language, build particular kinds of nests, make and use certain tools, and even sing, play, and dance.

But the “culture” which animals make and use can hardly be compared with the multifaceted, variegated, sophisticated, and ever-changing cultural activities of human beings. In fact, so far beyond comparison with the habits of animals are the cultural activities of men, that we reserve the very word, “culture,” to refer to the activities of humans alone.

From the very beginning God intended humans to be creatures of culture. In order to instruct Adam and Eve concerning His will, God used intelligible language. In carrying out His will, we can imagine our first parents thinking creatively about the shape of the garden, the order and priority of their work, the tools that might be required, and much more.

Human beings are, and have been from the beginning, inescapably cultural. We may not like the culture in which we participate, but that can never be an excuse for denying or seeking to avoid cultural engagement. We were made for culture, and it is inevitable that we shall have it, in one form or another.

What is culture?

But what do we mean by “culture”? This word suggests many meanings, but I think we can outline a general definition that is broad enough to enfold everything that human beings think about under the heading of culture.

Culture consists of the artifacts, institutions, and conventions by which human beings define, sustain, and enrich their lives. Let’s take a closer look at this definition.

Culture consists of “stuff.” It is made up of artifacts – like computers, forks and spoons, melodies, literature, paintings, clothing, homes, and much, much more. Some of the artifacts we create are intended to make our lives a bit easier, or perhaps more productive. Others are designed simply to delight us, whether through the eye, the ear, or by participation – such as playing an instrument.

Culture also consists of institutions – schools, courts, political parties, forms of government, voluntary associations, churches, and so forth. Such institutions serve as repositories of values and organs of communal action. We require them because, as institutions, bodies of people working together, they can accomplish more than what any of us might be able to do on our own.

Finally, culture consists of conventions, such as driving right, observing holidays, languages and dialects, artistic forms, and various types of manners and social protocols. Some of these conventions may be written down, but many of them have become so much a part of who we are that they are transmitted through the simple, everyday activities of life.

To define, sustain, and enrich

All such aspects of culture – all our artifacts, institutions, and conventions – are created as ways of defining who we are as a people, what we value or find delightful, and how we understand our way of life should be organized and conducted.

Therefore, our culture not only defines us, it also helps to sustain and enrich our lives, giving meaning, value, and enjoyment to our everyday experience. The fact that there are so many different kinds of culture throughout the world is a testimony to the many and varied interests which human beings express, and which, in turn, are a reflection of the image of the infinitely beautiful God in which we are made.

So culture is inevitable, and it has enormous potential to bring good into our lives.

But what happens when culture goes bad, when it turns against us and threatens to do us more harm than good? This is when we need to think about renewing culture and redeeming it according to God’s original purpose for our lives.

Next steps

How many artifacts, institutions, and conventions of culture can you identify in your daily life? Jot them down. Then begin to meditate on 1 Corinthians 10.31 and what it might imply for these.

Additional Resources

Download this week’s study, Redeeming Culture.

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

Want to go a little deeper with culture? Order T. M.’s book, Christians on the Front Lines of the Culture Wars 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.