Religion in a Secular Age

Context

• Focus on the Western world, not countries like India and China.
• Historical shift from an era of Christendom to the present.

Christendom vs. Christianity

• Christendom: A period where whole societies, civilizations, and political structures were predominantly Christian.
  • Examples: Creation of the Sha Cathedral and The Divine Comedy.
  • Challenges: Tied to coercion and control; where political structures enforce Christian belief.
• Transition: Christendom has died due to the rise of secular and non-faith alternatives.

Reasons for the Shift

• Coercion and Wars: Revulsion at coercion and wars fought in the name of religion.
• World Wars: Both sides claimed divine support in wars like World War I.
• Ethic of Authenticity: Emergence of individualism; the belief that everyone has their own journey and way of being human.
• Sexual Revolution: Challenged traditional Christian sexual ethics.

Modern Christian Perspective

• Movement away from organized, authoritarian church structures.
• Encouragement towards personal faith journeys, yet within a community.
• Christian faith as one of many in a pluralistic society (e.g., early Church before Constantine).
  • Examples of pluralism: Asian countries and African nations.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Loss vs. Liberation: Some view the end of Christendom as a loss; others see it as a liberation.
• Adaptation: Need to adapt and express Christian faith relevantly in the current era.
• Diversity in Practice: Christianity has historically been diverse, adapting to different societies and times.

Conclusion

• Embrace the new era and work on living the gospel in contemporary society.
• Historical context is important, but living in the present is necessary.
• The focus should be on how to be a Christian and live the gospel today.