Definition of Culture
Henry Van Til defines culture as any and all human effort and labour expended upon the cosmos, to unearth its treasures and its riches, and bring them into the service of man for the enrichment of human existence unto the glory of God.
Culture is simply man's cultivation and development of the earth for the glory of God. As creatures created in the image of God, man is to bring everything into order and subjection to God's purpose and plan, as it is revealed in His Word. It would include such things as music, science, art, literature, engineering, economics, education, architecture, drama, gardening, farming etc.
Creation and Culture
After God created man, He told him to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish the earth, to subdue it, and to have dominion over all the creatures (Gen 1:28). This is often known as the cultural or dominion mandate. This mandate is rooted in the fact that man is created in God's image (Gen 1:26), and as God's image bearer, man is called to develop a God-glorifying culture on this earth.
It is clear that this cultural mandate is closely related to man's relationship with God. We may think of religion as defining man's relationship to God and culture as defining man's relationship to the earth. Religion is the root of culture and culture is the outward form and expression of religion.
Another important point to note is that the final standard or rule of culture is the Word of God. Only God, who gave man the cultural mandate, can tell him how he is to go about his task of subduing and cultivating the earth.
Sin and Culture
The fall of man into sin had drastic effects on creation and culture. God's curse upon the earth, as a result of Adam's sin, made it difficult for man to cultivate it. Furthermore, fallen man has become God's enemy and is no longer able to carry out the cultural mandate in the way that God intended.
Nevertheless, the fall and the entrance of sin into this world did not abolish the cultural mandate, which is rooted in creation and man as the image of God (Gen 9:1-6). The earth, though cursed, continues to be man's habitat and workshop, as it were, for his cultural enterprise.
Christ the Redeemer of Culture
Christ, as the second Adam, came to fulfil what the first Adam failed to do. He came to redeem fallen man in a full and comprehensive sense and this includes culture as well. Redemption does not destroy creation but rather restores and transforms it. Christ did not come to annihilate the earth, which still belongs to the LORD, but to bring it back to subjection to God (Rom 8:19-23, 1 Cor 15:27-28, Eph 1:10, 20-23, Heb 2:5-8).
Culture and the Great Commission
The way that Christ redeems culture is through the Great Commission or the evangelistic mandate (Matt 28:18-20). Without this evangelistic mandate, the cultural mandate cannot be properly fulfilled in a fallen world. Through evangelism and the conversion and sanctification of sinners, Christian culture replaces pagan culture. God's people in this world are to be the agents of a Christian culture. They are neither to immerse themselves in the pagan culture around them nor to avoid and distance themselves from culture altogether. Instead, they are to transform culture to the glory of God.
The Consummation of Culture
When Christ comes again at the end of this age, He will judge and destroy the apostate culture of the world and complete His work of establishing a godly culture upon this earth. Sin and curse will be completely eradicated from the earth and God's people will inherit the earth fully and Christ will dwell amongst them. Today, the Christian is in the world but not of the world; but a time will come when the Christian will be both in the world and of the world!
Biblical Principles for Culture
Based on the fact that the originator of culture is the Triune God - One in Being, Three in Persons, we can learn some principles for culture from the doctrine of the Trinity.
1) Unity and Diversity. There must be a unity in our cultural efforts so that the mind is not confused by all the complexity and diversity. Nevertheless, there must also be diversity to create interest. The greatest works of art, for example, show the highest integration of unity and diversity.
2) Order and Subordination. Just as there is an economic order and subordination in the Trinity, so in our development of culture, there is to be subordination of one element to another and a relationship between the elements.
3) Interpersonal Communication. Just as there is communication and relationship between the persons of the Trinity, so too culture is to reflect this interpersonal communication. Works of culture are not an end in themselves but they are to glorify God and to communication with other people. The Christian should seek to communicate the truths of the Bible in his art, lifestyle, design etc.
4) Love within the Trinity. There is a love and an intimacy between the persons of the Trinity. Ultimately, culture is not for our enjoyment but it is for God's enjoyment and glory. And God wants us to share in that glory and enjoyment. Creation and redemption are for His own glory.
