Dad, are Christians narrow-minded?

Christians can neither flee into narrow enclaves or conform to the broader culture but must be ambassadors for Christ.

Our increasingly post-Christian society often accuses those who hold to Christian doctrines of being narrow-minded bigots. Though this makes it tempting to either assimilate to the culture’s demands or separate from the culture as much as possible, the gospel gives us a higher calling. We must speak the truth in love as we live out the ministry of reconciliation God has given us.

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Recommended Resources

• Michael Kruger gives a different (but still helpful!) answer to our question, “Are Christians Narrow-Minded and Intolerant?” He focuses on the accusation that a Christian claim to exclusive truth is intolerant.

• The philosopher Charles Taylor is one of the leading thinkers on the challenges (and weaknesses) of the secular worldview. His book, A Secular Age, is not for the faint of heart, though. For more accessible introductions to its main ideas, see this book summarizing his work by James K. A. Smith, and this collection of essays reflecting on its application edited by Collin Hansen.

• David Mathis makes the case for revising the common phrase “in the world, but not of it” to “Not of the world, but sent into it” in light of John 17. 

• In Exiles on Mission: How Christians Can Thrive in a Post-Christian World, Paul Williams describes what faithful Christian witness looks like in a post-Christian culture. Here’s a helpful review from The Gospel Coalition.

• The seven-part podcast series Questioning Christianity with Tim Keller provides Keller’s responses to the difficult questions non-Christians often raise related to God, faith, meaning, and truth. Speaking to a primarily non-Christian audience, Keller provides a stellar example of being an ambassador for the gospel in the culture.

• The In All Things Podcast hosts conversations with authors who have recently written books on pressing issues at the intersection of theology and culture. See also the Gospel Bound podcast hosted by Collin Hansen.