Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World like the Early Church

by Stephen O. Presley

How to keep faith in a culture hostile to Christianity    In an increasingly secular world, Christians are often pulled in two directions. Some urge us to retreat and build insular communities. Others call upon us to wage a culture war, harnessing the government to shore up Christian cultural power.     But there is another way—and it’s as old as the church itself. Stephen O. Presley takes us back to the first few centuries AD to show us how the first Christians approached cultural engagement. Amid a pagan culture that regarded their faith with suspicion, early Christians founded a religious movement that transformed the ancient world. Looking to great theologians like Augustine, Origen, and Tertullian, Presley shows how the early church approached politics, family, public life, and more. From these examples, he draws lessons for practicing authentic, pious discernment in how we engage with the wider culture.     The Christians who came before us endured persecution to share a vision of human flourishing that changed the world. Following in their footsteps, we can sanctify our society through social witness. Readers anxious about shifting cultural tides will be left with hope in the already-present kingdom of God and the promised resurrection.

Genres: Theology, Church History, Christian, Nonfiction, Cultural, Christian Living, Faith

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2024

Reviews

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I feared that this book would be an overly sentimentalized rebuke of contemporary Christianity with a reductionistic commendation of “third wayism” under the guise of theological retrieval. But I’m happy to conclude that this is not the case. This book is true retrieval in the best sense: a sober recognition of the distinctions between the early Christians and Christians today, and a careful commendation of the best of early Christian political theology. There is an implicit rebuke of much of what constitutes contemporary Christian public theology, but it isn’t cheap or reductionistic. It is honest, humble, realistic, and careful. It’s not an exhaustive proposal for political and public theology, but it is a welcome contribution to that end. I commend it highly.

[Ched Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent discussion of the theological framework that the early church drew upon as they engaged the culture of the ancient world.

Presley puts forth the example of the earliest churches as a model for contemporary cultural interaction in a post-Christian culture. His suggestion is to avoid both withdrawal from culture (the “Benedict option”) and also the attempt to reassert Christendom (various iterations of “Christian nationalism”). In a world surprisingly similar to the context of early Christianity, the church must learn to live embedded in our culture while being willing to both contribute to and critique the institutions/influences of a pagan society.

Worth your time!

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book (with a terrible title). Easily in my top 5 for the year.

The subtitle is way better than the title for understanding what Presley is doing. It’s the book we needed after Trueman’s Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Trueman said “the second-century world is, in a sense, our world” (407).

Presely’s book looks primarily at pre-Constantine (first to third century) apologists, martyrs, and theologians to glean from their engagement with a pagan world/culture lessons and insights we can apply in our own similar yet different situation.

I loved it and hope it receives a wide reading.

[Gabe Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Does a phenomenal job of explaining why we need to look at church history to help todays church grow

[Mitchell Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. This was a wonderful work of historical retrieval from the early church fathers and their wisdom of engaging the culture. How do we live well in the face of an antagonist culture? We can gain insight about this from the early church fathers call to catechisms, virtue, a political dualism and hope in the age to come!

[Joseph Krum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good and timely book on how believers can and should look to the early church’s example on how to engage in culture!

[Ian Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid book. First chapter and fourth are my personal favorites and made the book. The middle couple chapters are interesting and find but didn’t hit like the others. Great look at the early church and how they protected their church while they engaged and sanctified their culture. Great read for pastors and church leaders who care about guarding their church and engaging the culture in a way that is different that how we usually think about it.

[Logan Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by my Doktorvater that situations well the relevance of the early church in current conversations on Christian cultural engagement.

[Steve Linskens · Rating 4 out of 5]

We live in a day when many Christians wonder what's the correct way to orient ourselves to the culture around us. There are a variety of "options" that have been proposed in the past decade, which tend to emphasize either the external ways we can facilitate change in the world around us, or focus on the inward health and strength of the church to survive an increasingly imploding society around us. Presley draws from the rich history of the early church to help Christians chart the course forward by identifying some of the similarities that we and the early church share, along with highlighting effective strategies to strengthen the local church and fortify it to engage with the outside world. Rome was no friend to disciples of Jesus, and Christians needed confidence, resolve, and methods to weather the storms of persecution while still endeavoring to shine as lights to the dark world around them. Presley mines from the past to litter these pages with inspirational history lessons; this is a strength of the book. But it lacks somewhat in implementing concrete, practical applications for readers to take away with them. Some readers may find this frustrating. None the less, it's definitely worth the read and will at least lead the careful reader to ponder how they can appropriately implement these strategies in the context they live in.

[Jake Each · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! The modern church could learn a lot from the ancient church about thriving in a pagan culture, and the views highlighted in this book are a great starting point for what that should look like for us.

[Nathan Pettit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read for early church history. Palatable for non-history nerds. Helpful present-day application.

[Ger Vang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful for sure. I think looking back and understanding how the Early Church saw the world and how similar it is now for believers we can learn a lot. Love the historical context and people.

[Clark Fobes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Presley gives a thoughtful look at the past as a model for cultural engagement that is rare in today's world of Christian thought. Looking to our forefathers in the pre-Christendom centuries prior to the Edict of Milan, Presley exhorts us to learn from the marginalized community of believers for our present-day cultural engagement as a church being increasingly pushed to the margins in our post-Christendom, post-Christian culture.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Christians and non-Christians carried on regular every day interactions, in the marketplace and conversations at social gatherings in public places. Pagans “came in contact with the movement in a number of casual ways," Nock says in his classic work on conversion, because “there was little, if any, direct preaching to the masses.” The church was not distinguished from the culture by anything in their outward appearance, especially since they were not typically found among the upper crust of society and thus blended in even more with those around them. What did distinguish them was their distinctive doctrine and practice. Christianity came on the scene with "very distinctive roots and, though fully embedded, was never fully enmeshed in the culture."

What's Cultural Sanctification About?
In the West, the Church finds itself in an increasingly Paganized culture, a post-Christiandom—Presley (and countless others) asserts. In response to this, several responses have been proposed, and can largely be lumped into two categories—some sort of Culture-War response where various and sundry methods and tools are used to push back against this, with the goal of re-establishing some sort of Christendom 2.0; the other is some sort of retreat into virtual, or literal, monasteries—communities of faith, separated from the rest of the culture.

Presley has another idea—why not look to the Early Church, the pre-Constantinian believers who were in a situation very similar, but a pre-Christendom. How did they go about interacting with the culture? This book explores that idea by looking at the way Christians believed, taught, and acted (generally speaking, recognizing outliers and sins along the way) in the spheres of: Identity, Citizenship, Intellectual Life, Public Life, and Hope.

Essentially, he places the Christians effort along two paths, as these two quotations summarize:

In an age when cultural Christianity is waning, there is no doubt that now is the time to revive our basic commitments to discipleship and regular worship together that will testify to the beauty of the community of faith. Living faithfully in a secular world will most certainly require Christians to take their Christian identity more seriously and the specific ecclesiological structures they take.

Before we start complaining about outside worldliness, we need to do some healthy self-examination and consider the doctrines and morality by which we actually live to better know how to offer true light in the darkness. Cultural engagement begins in the hallowed hall of the church with good instruction in the contours of Christian faith and practice.

His position is, to over-simplify: through a focus on catechesis (or, if you prefer, discipleship) and liturgy (or, if you prefer, worship) the Church was able to build identity and community, able to live out the lives they were called to and to impact—slowly and organically—the culture around them.
The Indexes
There are two indexes for this book—"Index of Names and Subjects" and "Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources." While I've frequently found it difficult to discern what makes a "good" index over a "mediocre" or even "bad" index, sometimes quality just jumps out at you. Such is the case here—top-notch indexing.
So, what did I think about Cultural Sanctification?

...a Christian vision of cultural sanctification must begin with crafting Christian identity through catechesis (or discipleship) and liturgy (or worship). If Christians do not know the basic contours of Christian doctrine and morality, how can we expect them to live Christianly in a pagan world? Unfortunately, much current literature on cultural engagement begins with discussions of methods rather than formation. We are often concerned with how to respond to culture without considering the very basis upon which that response must proceed. Methods are essential, but without the right Christian assumptions informing them, we will be tossed about and finally prove ineffectual.

I know, I know...this is the third book* I've talked about this year focusing on the Early Church, Her approach(es), and relation to the culture and those individuals around her, with at least some application for the contemporary Church. At this point, I have no plans to add a fourth (but I won't turn up my nose at one). There's a lot of overlap in these three—they might not be entirely on the same page in application, but their descriptions of the Early Church in various contexts overlap a great deal. I find that pretty encouraging, honestly.

* The other two were Cultural Christians in the Early Church: A Historical and Practical Introduction to Christians in the Greco-Roman World by Nadya Williams and Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling by Nijay K. Gupta

The other two, however, were more about describing the Early Church first and then looking at our circumstances secondarily. Presley's goal is to find lessons and guidance for today (and the near future) from the Early Church. The difference in approaches and overall aims does color this a good deal. But since he's clear about it from the outset (as were Williams and Gupta), so it doesn't take you off-guard.

I was talking to a friend about it while working through the book and told him at the mid-point (or a little later) that I wasn't sure I liked it because Presley was so good, insightful, and helpful or if it was because he was serving up a heaping plate of confirmation bias. This is, in very many ways, exactly what I wanted to read in a book with this aim—just with many more details and facts—and better argued than I could've offered. So, while I do think it's a solid and helpful book—do know that I was primed to like it from page one.

As Williams shows and Gupta affirms (as does Presley), there's a danger in relying too much on the Early Church—just because they were pre-Constantine (or pre-whatever mark you want to use), doesn't make them infallible. They're just as human, just as fallible, just as prone to wander as we are. However, we can look at how they responded to the culture around them and see how that culture responded. Can we assume that our results will be the same? No. But we can definitely see what didn't work—and learn from what did in a culture that increasingly looks like theirs.

There are some things I wish he'd given us more detail on, a few notes that I think he struck too often, and a few things that I'm not sure I think he proved. But when it comes to almost all of those points, I've forgotten them (and/or can't read my handwriting in my notes—which tells me I didn't care enough to write clearly), so we're talking about minor points. So I'm going to call this very helpful, solid, and pastoral work on a tricky subject.

Presley does indicate that there are times to back off (a la the Benedict Option)—at least in areas—and sometimes we need to approach something like a Culture War footing on a temporary basis. But neither of those ought to be the primary mode of interacting with our culture, neighbors, and government. Instead, we ought to follow in the faithful paths laid down before us—faith and practice, discipleship and worship, catechesis and liturgy. Presley's book can help point us in the right direction.

Disclaimer: That section on the Indexes is a little tongue-in-cheek. I happen to be friends with the gentleman who prepared the Indexes. I do think they're good and useful tools, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure they're really worth mentioning (like all indexes). You'd probably have to offer an inaccurate or insufficient one to find a reason to talk about one, right?

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I don’t agree with his stance on military service but this is such a solid read.

[Christian Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Presley makes a most compelling case for what cultural engagement should look like today by drawing from the wisdom of the early church in a context of persecution. Each chapter is dripping with application for our cultural moment. I think this is the best book out there on the subject and a must read.

[JT Stead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a great compliment to Carl Truman’s “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Where Truman leaves off his work, Dr. Presley picks it up and shows how Christian can engage our Pagan culture. Dr. Presley casts an old vision for cultural engagement- that of the early church living under Roman paganism prior to Christendom. The correlations between Roman paganism, and today’s modern paganism are frightening and also comforting. It is comforting because the way those early Christians engage the culture lead to the first Christendom.

Presley concludes his book by writing:

“There is much the contemporary church can learn from the ancient one. The ancients, to be sure, were not perfect; there were plenty of saints and sinners to go around. But the church survived and even thrived in times like our own, and God was faithful through it all. Yet our own world is different, too, without such lions as Justin, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Blandina, Ori-gen, and Augustine, not to mention the apostles themselves. We have to do our own good work of exhorting the faithful to holiness and defending the faith before a pagan world. This will require both basic theological and moral formation and serious cultural discernment. No doubt the demise of Christendom is a fearful time, and fear is a paralyzing emotion. But a most common injunction in the Bible is "fear not; take courage." In the words of the Epistle to Diognetus, Christians must remember "the important position to which God has appointed them, and it is not right for them to declineit. We can face this cultural moment with hope, even when the clouds look ominous, for we can remind each other that we are, as the inscription in the Lateran Baptistery says, "consecrated to another city, whom the Sprit brings forth from the fertile waters." (Final Paragraph)

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful book for thinking about how the church should live in a post-Christian culture.

[Ethan Moehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well-written and balances accessibility with depth exceedingly well. Lots of great application. Wish there were footnotes instead of endnotes.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: How the early church pursued cultural engagement through holy discernment rather than fight or flight.

How ought Christians engage a post-Christian, secular culture? Some opt for a strategy of flight, a retreat into communal Christian life exemplified by Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option. But others opt to fight to recover what they believe is a lost Christian cultural hegemony, as described in James Davison Hunter’s Culture Wars. Stephen O. Presley argues for a third way, which he calls “cultural sanctification.” Instead of turning to Benedict or Constantine, he turns to the early church of the first centuries, making its way amid the Roman empire, and many competing religious options.

Presley argues first of all that Christians exhibited a distinctive identity that began with baptismal catechesis, formed through distinctive liturgy in worship. There were doctrinal distinctives to be embraced in a rule of faith. And there were moral distinctives to be practiced in everyday life. Conversion marked a turning point between two ways–one of death and one of life. Baptism dramatically marked that turn, a dying to the way of death and a rising to the way of life.

Christians had to define what it meant to be citizens within the Roman empire. God’s transcendent sovereignty and providence framed all. Specifically, this included their belief that God bestowed political power for the purpose of promoting peace and security, enacting just laws that curbed sin, and to protect free exercise of religion. Christians walked a tension between appropriately honoring and obeying Caesar while worshiping God. This included praying for rulers, paying taxes, promoting virtue, while defending religious liberty.

Christian apologists and theologians actively engaged Roman intellectual life. Theophilus of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Origen are important examples. They had to meet the likes of Celsus, who wrote On True Doctrine, an early example of the ridiculing of Christian belief. Apologists brought together Greek education and biblical training that “plundered the Egyptians,” offering an indigenized defense and proclamation of the faith. They argued for the uniqueness, antiquity, and public good of Christianity.

In addition, the early Christians faced discernment decisions concerning their participation in everyday, public life. For example, what occupations could they pursue and how did they deal with the religious rituals associated with many of them? Likewise, were there leisure and entertainment activities in which they could partake? Also, could the growing number of converts among soldiers partake in military service? In response, Presley argues that the Christians brought a response involving contingency, sanctification, and improvisation. By this, they sought not only to preserve their own purity but to have a redemptive influence through acts of love and pursuing justice.

The faithful presence of cultural sanctification did not always transform society or even result in a peaceful life. During various periods, it meant martyrdom. Rather than losing heart, most Christians persevered because of their hope in God’s coming kingdom and the resurrection. Neither did they lodge hope in the political structures and personalities of the day. As a result, Christianity subverted the established order rather than becoming captive to it.

In concluding, Presley argues that our current, post-Christian culture is not unlike that confronting the early Christians. He argues that their example of engaging the culture, while not perfect, is worth consideration. They fostered robust catechesis and formative liturgy that shape a distinctive identity with society. They engaged intellectually, as citizens, and in public life. And they sought to live holy lives in society, honoring and obeying the authorities while giving ultimate allegiance and worship to God. Thus, Presley makes what I think a persuasive case that we may learn from the early fathers as we seek an approach to culture that is neither fight, flight, or assimilation. Rather, the way of Jesus offers a distinctive path, reflecting our distinctive identity in Christ.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book was disappointing.

Despite an interesting topic, there was actually minimal connection to, let alone application for the modern church (mostly it's just "we should do likewise"). The writing is frequently redundant with sentences saying the exact same thing (e.g., "The postconversion challenges facing Christians arose when they reentered society as baptized people and navigated the conflicts raised by their new convictions. This process demanded a culturally discerning spiritual life. In their postconversion resocialization, those who came up out of the waters of baptism had to navigate the pagan world by a new set of convictions."). The content is made less accessible by confusing, repeatedly clarified terms (i.e., contingency, improvisation, indigenize, etc.; even "cultural sanctification" itself is muddy).

The first chapters on Identity (shaped by catechesis and liturgy, aka discipleship and worship) and Citizenship were most interesting, but it was more dull from there; you could simply read the conclusion and get the gist of this book (missing a few interesting quotes and much wordiness). Below are a few such quotes:

"At every turn, there is a simultaneous call to be distinct and holy and an assumption that their lives are embedded with their neighbors'."

"The doctrine and morality they confess cannot remain theoretical and abstract; it needs to shape an embedded life so that the world can see the church as a place for human flourishing."

"The church was a light in the midst of the surrounding darkness, and its vision for human flourishing was ultimately more satisfying and successful than that of any other religious or philosophical system in the ancient world."

"They knew that when believers walked out of their worship services, they would enter into a culture set against them. They had to be prepared for casual conversations that raised questions about matters of ultimate concern. So they cultivated an environment that honored Christian thinking and encouraged an apologetic and evangelistic posture embedded in the culture."

"But their response [defending the faith in the public square] was also commensurate with their lives, dedicated to the pursuit of virtue. In our intellectual arguments, we must walk this line between rhetoric and virtue and make persuasive arguments, but never in ways that undermine our call to embody virtue."

"The dual call to live a disciplined life according to divine law while simultaneously living by the normal patterns of life within the culture defined the early Christian understanding of cultural discernment."

"...with them temperance dwells, self-restraint is practiced, monogamy is observed, chastity is guarded, iniquity exterminated, sin extirpated, righteousness exercised, law administered, worship performed, God acknowledged: truth governs, grace guards, peace screens them; the holy word guides, wisdom teaches, life directs, God reigns." - Theophilus

"...you can kill, but not hurt us." - Justin Martyr

"Religious belief and ritual confront and mutually confirm one another; the ethos is made intellectually reasonable by being shown to represent a way of life implied by the actual state of affairs which the worldview describes, and the worldview is made emotionally acceptable by being presented as an image of an actual state of affairs of which such a way of life is an authentic expression." - Clifford Geertz

"The Christian religion is inescapably ritualistic (one is received into the church by a solemn washing with water), uncompromisingly moral ('be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect,' said Jesus), and unapologetically intellectual (be ready to give 'a reason for the hope that is in you,' in the words of 1 Peter)." - Robert Wilken

[Jared Beebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers an insightful exploration of how the contemporary Christian church, particularly in Western society, grapples with the challenges posed by a rapidly declining cultural landscape, especially in terms of ethical standards and the treatment of the church by society at large. Dr. Presley, the author, is not only a respected scholar but also a dear friend, and I hold him in the highest regard for his thoughtful and compassionate approach to these pressing issues.

In this work, Dr. Presley draws parallels between the challenges faced by today's church and those encountered by the early church during the pagan Roman Empire. He argues that Christian virtue, as demonstrated by early believers, should serve as a guiding principle for the church in our current age. This is particularly relevant in light of the divisive and often hostile rhetoric prevalent among some self-identified "Christians" on social media platforms.

The book skillfully explores a deeply rooted intellectual Christian faith, addressing its critics with well-reasoned arguments that reflect a profound understanding of theological principles. It emphasizes living a virtuous life grounded in the love and glory of God and encourages readers to embody these values in their daily actions. Through thought-provoking insights and engaging narratives, Presley invites us to embrace our beliefs with both conviction and grace. In today’s dynamic landscape, a lively debate unfolds as contrasting viewpoints emerge. On one end are the Christian theonomists, who advocate for a gradual takeover of societal norms in the name of Christ, often promoting rigid interpretations of biblical law. On the other end are Christians who feel overwhelmed by the cultural decline and prefer to retreat from engagement, choosing instead to isolate themselves in a metaphorical cave while watching society deteriorate.

Dr. Presley strikes a commendable balance between these extremes, presenting a nuanced perspective that encourages constructive engagement rather than withdrawal or aggression. His insights are both timely and necessary for fostering meaningful dialogue within the church and beyond.

[Delarrion Milner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor: read this book!

King Solomon declared long ago that there was nothing new under the sun. It's also been said by a much wiser man than I that history may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. Christians today, especially in the West but not exclusively here, face a cultural climate that is eerily similar to that experienced by the early church. In Cultural Sanctification, Dr. Presley takes us back in time and introduces us to some of our forebearers in the faith, some of those giants on whose shoulders we stand, to learn how they handled similar issues in their day. I tend to be more antagonistic towards the culture, so it was a great blessing to consider the uniquely Christian way that the ancients walked with more biblical balance. They weren't perfect by any means. Neither are we! But if you are someone who loves God, is grateful for how He has worked through His church throughout history, and wants to walk in a manner worthy of Christ in this present age, I would highly recommend you give this book your serious consideration. I guarantee you'll walk away with at least one thing that resonated with you and that you can prayerfully seek to apply to your own unique context.

[Daniel Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Cultural Sanctification, Stephen Presley presents how the early church in the ancient world lived in and engaged the world around them. This is before Constantine, when the Roman Empire was openly hostile to, and actively persecuted, Christians. He looks at how early Christians viewed identity, citizenship, intellectual life, public life, and hope, and presents their approach as an example for us today.

This book presents several important concepts and insights, and I think the author does well to look at the ancient world (before Christianity became dominant in the West) for guidance on how to interact with our current, post-Christian age. That said, I did have problems with two underlying assumptions, and I thought the book was repetitive (it could have been an essay).

[Holland Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that has a really ugly cover and title and so you assume it is one of the most boring books you will ever have to read for a class, but then you read it and actually thoroughly enjoy its content so much that it has an effect on your beliefs.

Cultural Sanctification is about looking at the ancient church and what they prioritised and seeing what our contemporary churches can learn today from them. I loved how easy of a read this was. In fact, the title is probably the most dense part of the book tbh. I would recommend this to people interested in how the early church did stuff.

[Lianna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study of the early church. This book conveyed much information about the intellectual life of early Christians, which I appreciated. The call to engage with the world and respond to the questions of the day was inspiring. The church also practiced catechesis and liturgy, demonstrated good citizenship, bore social witness to the pagan world, and proclaimed hope in the life to come. I highly recommend this work.

[Tim Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best book I've read all year.

[Michael Langer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book. Intersection with Perry's "Drama of Discipleship" and some reframing of "the Benedict Option." An excellent bibliography of 1-2 century authors.

[Nicholas Moonis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s pretty good but nothing notably profound. If you are interested in a general look at the early church’s engagement with culture and how that applies to today, “take up and read”!

[Steve Herreid · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was OK but perhaps of less practical value than I had hoped. I liked the book but did not love it.