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Every Square Inch: An Introduction to Cultural Engagement for Christians
Jesus is Lord over everything. So his lordship should shape every aspect of life. But what impact does faith really have on our day-today existence? And how should we, as Christians, interact with the culture?
In Every Square Inch , Bruce Ashford skillfully navigates such questions. Drawing on sources like Abraham Kuyper, C.S. Lewis, and Francis Schaeffer, he shows how our faith is relevant to all dimensions of culture.
The gospel informs everything we do. We cannot maintain the artificial distinction between "sacred" and "secular." We must proclaim Jesus with our lips and promote him with our lives, no matter what cultural contexts we may find ourselves in.
In Every Square Inch , Bruce Ashford skillfully navigates such questions. Drawing on sources like Abraham Kuyper, C.S. Lewis, and Francis Schaeffer, he shows how our faith is relevant to all dimensions of culture.
The gospel informs everything we do. We cannot maintain the artificial distinction between "sacred" and "secular." We must proclaim Jesus with our lips and promote him with our lives, no matter what cultural contexts we may find ourselves in.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2015
28 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Ashford
11 books11 followersProvost / Professor of Theology & Culture at SEBTS. Elder at SummitRDU.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 3, 2015
If you have been looking for a roadmap that will help you navigate the chaos in the culture, you won’t find a better starting place than "Every Square Inch." The title lays out the agenda of the book, namely, that every square inch of the created universe belongs to God, and we are called to testify to Christ in every square inch.
The author explains a variety of views on the theology of our interaction with the created universe. He explains some of the strategies Christians have used, and works through some case studies going all the way back to St. Augustine. It has never been easy for Christians to live among people who claim many gods or no god at all, and it is comforting to discover that many of the issues we face today are not new to God.
Ashford looks at cultural interaction in five different realms—the arts, science, politics, economics, and education. He carefully points out that an exhaustive study in any of these realms is beyond the scope of an introduction, and the reader will be grateful that he provides an orderly high-level view. This view is exactly what most Christians need in order to begin picking through the tangled web of moral, social and political issues that keep their heads spinning as they try to find a foothold in a landscape that changes constantly. He discusses the issues Christians need to face, and he discusses the consequences of succumbing to the temptation to opt out.
He closes with three important questions for Christians who accept the challenge of engaging the culture. His bibliography is impressive, and it provides ample guidance for further reading in any of his topics.
I recommend "Every Square Inch" especially to Christians who have been tempted to refuse to vote in recent elections, because they thought there was no candidate who deserved their vote. Christians who ask themselves the question, “How can I bring healing to the situation?” will find themselves compelled to recognize that their silence brings nothing helpful.
Read this book and argue with it, or read this book and carry it with you right beside your Bible. It is a powerful and useful book.
The author explains a variety of views on the theology of our interaction with the created universe. He explains some of the strategies Christians have used, and works through some case studies going all the way back to St. Augustine. It has never been easy for Christians to live among people who claim many gods or no god at all, and it is comforting to discover that many of the issues we face today are not new to God.
Ashford looks at cultural interaction in five different realms—the arts, science, politics, economics, and education. He carefully points out that an exhaustive study in any of these realms is beyond the scope of an introduction, and the reader will be grateful that he provides an orderly high-level view. This view is exactly what most Christians need in order to begin picking through the tangled web of moral, social and political issues that keep their heads spinning as they try to find a foothold in a landscape that changes constantly. He discusses the issues Christians need to face, and he discusses the consequences of succumbing to the temptation to opt out.
He closes with three important questions for Christians who accept the challenge of engaging the culture. His bibliography is impressive, and it provides ample guidance for further reading in any of his topics.
I recommend "Every Square Inch" especially to Christians who have been tempted to refuse to vote in recent elections, because they thought there was no candidate who deserved their vote. Christians who ask themselves the question, “How can I bring healing to the situation?” will find themselves compelled to recognize that their silence brings nothing helpful.
Read this book and argue with it, or read this book and carry it with you right beside your Bible. It is a powerful and useful book.
February 5, 2021
An excellent primer on building a Biblical theology of Christian engagement with culture. So many Christians today have not really thought much about how their faith should impact their relationship with culture. For many Christians, without this intentional reflection on culture, the tendency is just to go along with the tide of their day - unknowingly being shaped and formed more by the culture around them (whether secular or some other false religious culture). The stakes are high, and it’s a topic that few churches and Christians have intentionally addressed.
“Nothing in a culture is entirely neutral. Cultural institutions are either directed toward Christ or against him, or perhaps they are an inconsistent mixture of the two. When God’s people neglect cultural engagement, they do so to the detriment of society. To ignore culture is to ignore the cultural institutions that shape people’s lives and that will point people either toward Christ or against him.”
Ashford writes very clearly and gives three practical questions every Christian should ask when they engage in a certain realm of culture:
1. What is God’s creational design for this realm of culture?
2. How has it been corrupted and misdirected by our sin and rebellion?
3. How can I bring healing and redirection to this realm?
After defining culture and providing some case studies to illustrate his point, Ashford addresses how a biblical shapes how we think about the arts, sciences, politics, economics and education. Each of the chapters are brief, yet thought-provoking primers on these topics and are sure to get the conversations going. He also provides a list of helpful reflection questions as well as recommended further reading for those who would want to dive deeper into the chapter’s topics.
I think this book would make for really good small group material or individual reading. The chapters are a manageable length (about the length of a long article) and the content is very well stated in an efficiency of words. It’s definitely a book that will inspire many to think more deeply about how they engage as thoughtful Christians in culture - because we have no choice but to engage with culture... the only question is if we will do that “Christianly” or not.
Highly recommended read!
“Nothing in a culture is entirely neutral. Cultural institutions are either directed toward Christ or against him, or perhaps they are an inconsistent mixture of the two. When God’s people neglect cultural engagement, they do so to the detriment of society. To ignore culture is to ignore the cultural institutions that shape people’s lives and that will point people either toward Christ or against him.”
Ashford writes very clearly and gives three practical questions every Christian should ask when they engage in a certain realm of culture:
1. What is God’s creational design for this realm of culture?
2. How has it been corrupted and misdirected by our sin and rebellion?
3. How can I bring healing and redirection to this realm?
After defining culture and providing some case studies to illustrate his point, Ashford addresses how a biblical shapes how we think about the arts, sciences, politics, economics and education. Each of the chapters are brief, yet thought-provoking primers on these topics and are sure to get the conversations going. He also provides a list of helpful reflection questions as well as recommended further reading for those who would want to dive deeper into the chapter’s topics.
I think this book would make for really good small group material or individual reading. The chapters are a manageable length (about the length of a long article) and the content is very well stated in an efficiency of words. It’s definitely a book that will inspire many to think more deeply about how they engage as thoughtful Christians in culture - because we have no choice but to engage with culture... the only question is if we will do that “Christianly” or not.
Highly recommended read!
July 28, 2017
For millennia, Christians have desired a proper interaction with the cultural context in which they live. Interaction with culture is one of the most important aspects of the Christian faith as we seek to be the “salt and light” we are called to be. Dr. Bruce Riley Ashford, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has added a short, wonderful work to the many books available. The book, Every Square Inch: An Introduction to Cultural Engagement for Christians (Lexham Press, 2015), is the first of a three book series on Cultural Engagement by Lexham Press and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Ashford’s aim in the text is to “equip Christians to think holistically about how the gospel informs everything we do in the world” (Kindle Loc 117). Ashford rightly states that the Christian message cannot be separated into “sacred” and “secular” spaces. The Gospel of Jesus Christ should inform everything that Christians do, say, and think. This includes engaging with culture. The book has a “workbook” feel as at the end of each chapter there are “action points” which are questions for the reader to consider that relate to the topic of the chapter. Ashford also includes a recommended reading list for each chapter.
One’s position on cultural engagement takes one of three approaches, argues Ashford. One can argue that Christianity is “against” culture, “of” culture, or “in and for” culture. The first has clearly been seen in much of Christian history. Christians “against” culture, Ashford writes, are those who believe that the Church needs to be completely protected from the outside culture. This can be done either as a “bomb shelter” or “ultimate fighter” (Loc. 211). The second position seems to have increased over the past 50 years. This position argues that the Church should “mirror” culture and incorporate it, uncritically, into the Church (Loc 225-226). Finally, the third position argues that Christians should acknowledge that the “structures” of culture are good, but the “direction” of our culture is corrupt (Loc. 225-226). Ashford uses the rest of the text to show this to be true and then to show what it means for the Christian who holds this view of culture.
Ashford’s argument is based on a Creation, Fall, Redemption/Restoration framework of Scripture. At creation, all aspects of culture were good, both in the “structure” and “direction.” Since God said that everything was “very good” when creation was complete, we can know that the culture created at that point was good as well. Upon the fall, the structure of the culture was not corrupted, but mankind was corrupted in his use (and abuse) of the culture as an instrument directing away from God (Loc 375-376). Finally, in Redemption/Restoration, Ashford argues that, in Christ, even culture can be re-directed in a proper relationship towards God.
From this framework, Ashford shows how Christians can, and should, interact with several aspects of culture. Christians cannot be either fully separated from, nor fully at harmony with culture. One’s vocation, the arts, science, politics and economics, as well as scholarship are all areas where a distinctly Christian message must shine through if we are to be consistent with the transforming message of the Gospel.
This book is a short, well written work that would be easy to incorporate into a small group study. Christians would do well to pick up a copy of this book to see a biblically based position about how Christians should engage culture. Especially for those in the US, this book will be both enlightening and thought-provoking.
Ashford’s aim in the text is to “equip Christians to think holistically about how the gospel informs everything we do in the world” (Kindle Loc 117). Ashford rightly states that the Christian message cannot be separated into “sacred” and “secular” spaces. The Gospel of Jesus Christ should inform everything that Christians do, say, and think. This includes engaging with culture. The book has a “workbook” feel as at the end of each chapter there are “action points” which are questions for the reader to consider that relate to the topic of the chapter. Ashford also includes a recommended reading list for each chapter.
One’s position on cultural engagement takes one of three approaches, argues Ashford. One can argue that Christianity is “against” culture, “of” culture, or “in and for” culture. The first has clearly been seen in much of Christian history. Christians “against” culture, Ashford writes, are those who believe that the Church needs to be completely protected from the outside culture. This can be done either as a “bomb shelter” or “ultimate fighter” (Loc. 211). The second position seems to have increased over the past 50 years. This position argues that the Church should “mirror” culture and incorporate it, uncritically, into the Church (Loc 225-226). Finally, the third position argues that Christians should acknowledge that the “structures” of culture are good, but the “direction” of our culture is corrupt (Loc. 225-226). Ashford uses the rest of the text to show this to be true and then to show what it means for the Christian who holds this view of culture.
Ashford’s argument is based on a Creation, Fall, Redemption/Restoration framework of Scripture. At creation, all aspects of culture were good, both in the “structure” and “direction.” Since God said that everything was “very good” when creation was complete, we can know that the culture created at that point was good as well. Upon the fall, the structure of the culture was not corrupted, but mankind was corrupted in his use (and abuse) of the culture as an instrument directing away from God (Loc 375-376). Finally, in Redemption/Restoration, Ashford argues that, in Christ, even culture can be re-directed in a proper relationship towards God.
From this framework, Ashford shows how Christians can, and should, interact with several aspects of culture. Christians cannot be either fully separated from, nor fully at harmony with culture. One’s vocation, the arts, science, politics and economics, as well as scholarship are all areas where a distinctly Christian message must shine through if we are to be consistent with the transforming message of the Gospel.
This book is a short, well written work that would be easy to incorporate into a small group study. Christians would do well to pick up a copy of this book to see a biblically based position about how Christians should engage culture. Especially for those in the US, this book will be both enlightening and thought-provoking.
August 28, 2025
“This small book…is written as a little introduction for Christians who wish to live faithfully in their cultural contexts. It shows how all of life matters to God, and how every Christian can serve powerfully as a representative of Christ, even if he or she is not an international missionary or a pastor. It is meant to show that God cares not only about the goings-on within the four walls of a church building but also about the goings-on in every corner of society and culture. He wants us to take seriously our interactions in the arts (music, literature, cinema, architecture, interior décor, culinary arts), the natural sciences (biology, physics, chemistry), the social sciences (psychology, sociology), the public square (journalism, politics, economics, law), the academy (schools, universities, seminaries), sports and competition, and homemaking. Every dimension of our lives relates in some way to Christ and can in some manner be directed toward him.”
This is a great book on Christian engagement of culture. Ashford points out the inescapability of culture and how sin has impacted and distorted culture. Yet, Ashford calls the Christian to engage culture for the sake of engaging God’s good creation and redirecting the corrupted aspects of culture, rather than the common attitudes of demonizing culture or completely assimilating to culture. However, Ashford is no reconstructionist. He does not believe Christians will attain some utopia or establish the kingdom of God this way. Culture will always contain some misdirected elements, and we won’t live in a perfect culture until Christ returns and establishes his kingdom.
Even in this introduction, Ashford dedicates brief chapters to specific areas of culture (arts, sciences, economics, etc.), shows how these cultural realities relate to the biblical storyline, and proposes his method for Christian engagement in these areas. The standout chapter for me was his case studies in cultural engagement, in which Ashford summarized how certain figures throughout church history have engaged culture. I learned some things about Dorothy Sayers, who was an unexpected inclusion in that chapter. I especially appreciated his chapter on the arts, but I found his discussion of Christianity and the sciences to be somewhat deficient.
Very good read! I would highly recommend it as a starting point to any Christian wanting to read about Christianity and culture. At the end of each chapter, he also has an annotated bibliography for further reading on the subject of the respective chapter. This was a nice touch!
This is a great book on Christian engagement of culture. Ashford points out the inescapability of culture and how sin has impacted and distorted culture. Yet, Ashford calls the Christian to engage culture for the sake of engaging God’s good creation and redirecting the corrupted aspects of culture, rather than the common attitudes of demonizing culture or completely assimilating to culture. However, Ashford is no reconstructionist. He does not believe Christians will attain some utopia or establish the kingdom of God this way. Culture will always contain some misdirected elements, and we won’t live in a perfect culture until Christ returns and establishes his kingdom.
Even in this introduction, Ashford dedicates brief chapters to specific areas of culture (arts, sciences, economics, etc.), shows how these cultural realities relate to the biblical storyline, and proposes his method for Christian engagement in these areas. The standout chapter for me was his case studies in cultural engagement, in which Ashford summarized how certain figures throughout church history have engaged culture. I learned some things about Dorothy Sayers, who was an unexpected inclusion in that chapter. I especially appreciated his chapter on the arts, but I found his discussion of Christianity and the sciences to be somewhat deficient.
Very good read! I would highly recommend it as a starting point to any Christian wanting to read about Christianity and culture. At the end of each chapter, he also has an annotated bibliography for further reading on the subject of the respective chapter. This was a nice touch!
December 15, 2022
love it ✓ recommend it ✓
good for starters who wants to be enlightened about Christian applications to different areas of culture. although concise, it has brought a meaningful message and insight that is easy to remember as it constantly follows a pattern where it relates the discussion to the biblical storyline. in that way, we get an encompassing picture of how God, Jesus, and the Bible is involved in every aspect of our living, and we can use this pattern as we figure out how to lead "redirective" lives "in and for" other areas of culture that were not mentioned in this book. it's also packed! with footnotes and additional book references at the end of each chapter. we know that Ashford really put his intentions and sincerity in this book - to influence and make a difference on the Christian walk.
another thing i love about this book: it's transformational for the mind of the reader. at the end of each chapter, Ashford leaves a set of questions that allow you to reflect (yes, like a devotional) not only on the manner you would plan to execute what you have learned but also reassess your prior performance in the topic. i find this important because it gives the reader an opportunity to digest the book's contents - for me, that's the magic it did to indulge my attention and understanding. i also admire how this book did not tack with vague inspirational messages and bible verses. rather, it expounded every Word (when mentioned) and how it properly applies to the topic being discussed, giving justice and context to what it truly means. this is also important for the readers to understand because it's very common for the Word of God to be distorted, misinterpreted, and be taken without appropriate context. lastly, Ashford shared views and arguments that were biblically founded, yet at the same time not too far grounded on reality, both backed with research from other authors and studies.
this book revealed a stretch of balance and the possibility of it between theology and culture.
all in all, it can be a go-to compact book for any reader interested to know how Christian interaction with society and culture should be done.
i give this a 5 ⭐
good for starters who wants to be enlightened about Christian applications to different areas of culture. although concise, it has brought a meaningful message and insight that is easy to remember as it constantly follows a pattern where it relates the discussion to the biblical storyline. in that way, we get an encompassing picture of how God, Jesus, and the Bible is involved in every aspect of our living, and we can use this pattern as we figure out how to lead "redirective" lives "in and for" other areas of culture that were not mentioned in this book. it's also packed! with footnotes and additional book references at the end of each chapter. we know that Ashford really put his intentions and sincerity in this book - to influence and make a difference on the Christian walk.
another thing i love about this book: it's transformational for the mind of the reader. at the end of each chapter, Ashford leaves a set of questions that allow you to reflect (yes, like a devotional) not only on the manner you would plan to execute what you have learned but also reassess your prior performance in the topic. i find this important because it gives the reader an opportunity to digest the book's contents - for me, that's the magic it did to indulge my attention and understanding. i also admire how this book did not tack with vague inspirational messages and bible verses. rather, it expounded every Word (when mentioned) and how it properly applies to the topic being discussed, giving justice and context to what it truly means. this is also important for the readers to understand because it's very common for the Word of God to be distorted, misinterpreted, and be taken without appropriate context. lastly, Ashford shared views and arguments that were biblically founded, yet at the same time not too far grounded on reality, both backed with research from other authors and studies.
this book revealed a stretch of balance and the possibility of it between theology and culture.
all in all, it can be a go-to compact book for any reader interested to know how Christian interaction with society and culture should be done.
i give this a 5 ⭐
April 4, 2025
Christians are called to obey God in every area of life. This goes well beyond the Ten Commandments; everything we do, think, and say should be faithful to and reflect Christ. That includes engaging the culture around us. In Every Square Inch, Bruce Riley Ashford provides an introduction for how to do just that. After starting with general thoughts on culture and a theology of it, Ashford looks at the arts, sciences, politics, economics and wealth, scholarship and education, and a few other areas of our lives. In each, he revisits the basic Christian story (creation-fall-redemption) and how that story shapes how we approach a given topic.
This is a mostly solid, if basic, introduction. I was already familiar with a fair amount from my other readings, but I did learn a few new thoughts and concepts I found useful. I questioned a few of his statements (especially in the 'economics and wealth' chapter), but overall, this is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the idea that being a Christian affects how we live in every sphere—it is far more than going to church each Sunday.
This is a mostly solid, if basic, introduction. I was already familiar with a fair amount from my other readings, but I did learn a few new thoughts and concepts I found useful. I questioned a few of his statements (especially in the 'economics and wealth' chapter), but overall, this is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the idea that being a Christian affects how we live in every sphere—it is far more than going to church each Sunday.
August 17, 2022
Some helpful ideas in here; however, his explanation of his biblical view of culture as "Christianity in and for culture" (Chapter 1) comes before his discussion of a biblical theology of culture (Chapter 2). He makes some key statements in Chapter 1 that he does not support in chapter 2.
For example, he says, "Our mission is Christians includes identifying the ways in which our cultures are corrupted and misdirected by sin, and then doing everything in our power to help bring healing and redirection to them." (p. 19) This concept of identifying corruption in our culture for the purpose of healing and redirecting it is not necessarily a bad thing. It just does not seem to be the emphasis of the NT--Ashford doesn't attempt to support this statement with any Scripture. Without overtly stating it, Ashford does seem to have the mindset that the Christian's duty is to redeem culture.
After this point in the book, I didn't have any real problem with the content, but this foundation seems a bit shaky.
For example, he says, "Our mission is Christians includes identifying the ways in which our cultures are corrupted and misdirected by sin, and then doing everything in our power to help bring healing and redirection to them." (p. 19) This concept of identifying corruption in our culture for the purpose of healing and redirecting it is not necessarily a bad thing. It just does not seem to be the emphasis of the NT--Ashford doesn't attempt to support this statement with any Scripture. Without overtly stating it, Ashford does seem to have the mindset that the Christian's duty is to redeem culture.
After this point in the book, I didn't have any real problem with the content, but this foundation seems a bit shaky.
May 22, 2017
A pretty good introduction on developing a uniquely Christian perspective on all of life. This book effectively argues against the impulse of compartmentalization and correctly identifies the doctrine of creation as the answer to this error: if the Triune God of Christianity created and sustains everything, absolutely nothing is unrelated to this Triune God or Christianity. Ashford also correctly exposes the myth of neutrality. If we got this book in the hands of every average church member, the church (and the world) would be significantly blessed.
July 8, 2017
Basic primer outlining how Christians should think about culture, arts, politics, etc. Easy to read in one sitting or a few days. Each chapter follows a similar pattern; biblical narrative then cultural figures and or implications. End of each chapter asks questions to dig deeper and would be good to review with a group of fellow believers. Additional reading is also provided at the end of each chapter since some of the topics discussed briefly in the book warrant reading original sources and ideas.
July 26, 2018
I thought Ashford wrote a great introduction on cultural engagement. He establishes definitions and then more specifically (albeit briefly) works out his ideas in more narrow categories such as science, politics, economics, and the academy. This would be a great book for high school and college students. I thought the most helpful part were his application questions at the end of each chapter. I also appreciated his section with book recommendations for further reading - I added many more books to my Amazon wishlist.
December 31, 2018
#100/100 for 2018
Quite an accomplishment to write a primer on contemporary American culture for the sake of Christians who want to be faithful witnesses in the public square.
If you've heard of Schaeffer and Kuyper and know that you should know more about them, but also realize you'll probably never read their books, this would be a fantastic introduction to their thought. Ashford concisely summarizes action points at the end of each chapter and offers his Christian readers suggestions for how to faithful engage our culture in facets such as the arts, economics, and education.
Quite an accomplishment to write a primer on contemporary American culture for the sake of Christians who want to be faithful witnesses in the public square.
If you've heard of Schaeffer and Kuyper and know that you should know more about them, but also realize you'll probably never read their books, this would be a fantastic introduction to their thought. Ashford concisely summarizes action points at the end of each chapter and offers his Christian readers suggestions for how to faithful engage our culture in facets such as the arts, economics, and education.
August 4, 2020
[Thoughts]
Bruce Ashford defines culture as well as asserts a strong correlation between culture and the Christian mission by exploring multiple areas of topics such as politics, economics, education, science, etc. Ashford succeeds in bringing multiple views to the table while speaking up about his own opinions.
I put this book down feeling challenge and left with thought "what areas of culture am I currently engaged in and how do I feel the Lord is calling me to reconsider my obedience and witness?"
Bruce Ashford defines culture as well as asserts a strong correlation between culture and the Christian mission by exploring multiple areas of topics such as politics, economics, education, science, etc. Ashford succeeds in bringing multiple views to the table while speaking up about his own opinions.
I put this book down feeling challenge and left with thought "what areas of culture am I currently engaged in and how do I feel the Lord is calling me to reconsider my obedience and witness?"
May 20, 2017
A fairly good introduction to the topic with a wide skope that certainly needs furher reading as the author also suggest. He actually provides good list of material to dig in later if the subject is getting the readers interest.
The book is titled Every Square Inch, still the author reflects and focuses on the US and could have looked at some issues from more global perspective. It could be that he has intended the book mainly for US readers.
Easy to read.
The book is titled Every Square Inch, still the author reflects and focuses on the US and could have looked at some issues from more global perspective. It could be that he has intended the book mainly for US readers.
Easy to read.
February 12, 2019
Incredibly concise introduction to theology and culture. Perfect to get in the hands of church members (if you’re sympathetic to the Kuyperian school of thought, at least). Five stars because Ashford winsomely achieves his stated goal of writing a popular level book on this important topic (even if it is very intro-level).
January 15, 2024
An amazing book that gets you to think Christianly in a darkening world! Christianity has so much to offer the world more than the world has to offer. Reading it as an African, I am more equipped to think of ways in which I can engage in the public square in a God-glorifying, Christ-exulting, others-loving manner.
January 20, 2024
A very helpful introduction to how Christianity applies to every sphere of life, beyond church and worship. We must discard that popular but false understanding of the gospel as relating just to our personal lives; the Biblical narrative, centred on Jesus, influences how we engage in and create culture.
August 5, 2025
Best primer I have found to those studying the connection between Christ and Culture. Book is divided where each chapter is a different realm in our culture (reason, science, art, education, charity, etc.), one does not necessarily need to read in order. Some of the arguments can be a bit surface level at times, but overall a good read.
March 24, 2019
A fine introduction for those who have no background in Christianity and culture. Though, at parts, it can be too short and may not adequately address the material.
October 9, 2025
Great intro!
Read
May 26, 2024dnf... textbook for class
March 5, 2017
Brief, easy to read, and introductory.
March 5, 2017
This was a great, concise overview of worldview and Kuyperian, cultural engagement. A great introduction to the topic.
June 4, 2017
As the title says, this is a pretty good introduction into cultural engagement. The book is best summed up in this quote:
What is at stake here? Nothing less than true and false worship. Nothing in a culture is entirely neutral. Cultural institutions are either directed toward Christ or against him, or perhaps they are an inconsistent mixture of the two. When God’s people neglect cultural engagement, they do so to the detriment of society. To ignore culture is to ignore the cultural institutions that shape people’s lives and that will point people either toward Christ or against him. (p. 130.)
What is at stake here? Nothing less than true and false worship. Nothing in a culture is entirely neutral. Cultural institutions are either directed toward Christ or against him, or perhaps they are an inconsistent mixture of the two. When God’s people neglect cultural engagement, they do so to the detriment of society. To ignore culture is to ignore the cultural institutions that shape people’s lives and that will point people either toward Christ or against him. (p. 130.)
June 12, 2015
A thoughtful look at the connections between Christianity, history, free-thought, academia and media and their effects on culture. Religion has been ostracized from the mainstream in the name of tolerance to the point that it is no longer considered useful. For those that think it is relevant to humanity and would like to see it applied practically to create positive cultural change, this book provides great insight into the drivers of that change.
July 10, 2015
What is culture? More importantly, how are Christians to interact with the culture around them? Ashford outlines several perspectives, also citing examples of cultural engagement throughout the centuries and examining various aspects of culture—arts, politics, science, and more. As Ashford readily admits, his scope is too broad to afford sufficient depth in a book this size, which is both a benefit and detriment to his work. A useful introduction, but further reading will be required.
January 17, 2017
Ashford's book is a brief and insightful look at culture and how Christian's should shape and engage it. It's not comprehensive, but very thought provoking. Definitely recommend as a starter book before delving into more in-depth works.
January 22, 2017
This book accomplishes what it set out to do: provide an introduction to the lordship of Christ and the resulting cultural engagement that can come only because of that lordship. I can see using this to help students begin thinking along these lines.
December 26, 2015
It's an ok intro book.
Read
May 23, 2016A good little book on culture and seeing it as not 'evil', but also not conforming to it. Instead, we should engage with it, and use it where we can.
May 25, 2016
A short book with an overview of several issues facing Christians from the prevailing Western culture.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews