Conformed and conforming: Hybridization, discernment, and the gospel/culture interface

Abstract

This article considers the interface of gospel and culture through the lenses of hybridity theory and (in particular) hybridization theory. These lenses bring important nuance to how we conceive of humans in their cultural worlds, and bring a helpful understanding of what is at stake (and what is often left out) in discussions about gospel and culture: namely the cultural hybridity of all Christians and the crucial question of how discernment on cultural matters actually takes place. Arguing that discernment is best treated as a process rather than a one-point-in-time decision, and that praxis is an integral part of discernment processes, I give five key questions to reflect on as Christians—individually and corporately—seek to faithfully express our allegiance to Jesus in our complex and changing cultural worlds.