The Americanisation of Christianity
April 8th 2008 04:35
There’s no doubt about it, the world is becoming more Americanised. American products and entertainments are invading our countries, our towns and our homes. We watch American movies and television products. We eat American food and drink American drinks. Our teenagers dress like Americans and think like Americans. Here in Australia, we almost seem to be more American than Australian at times.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that this Americanisation of the world is extending into religion. The fastest growing church is the Pentecostal church – which so happens to be the most American. We read American Christian books. We watch American Christian TV programs. My pastor is influenced by American teachings. And it seems that any time some Christian in my church says something that they have read or heard in a Christian context, it comes from an American source.
Now I certainly wouldn’t want to suggest that everything that comes from America is bad. Out of the books I’ve read this year that I would suggest to others, many of them are written by American authors. I can’t think of a movie I love that wasn’t produced in Hollywood. My two favourite bands are Bon Jovi and Switchfoot; both of them American. I drink Diet Coke as if I’d die of thirst without it. Let’s face it. One of the reasons why Americanisation is so successful is they know how to produce some good stuff. Or maybe they just produce so much stuff that some of it has to be good.
I like American products. I just don’t like Americanisation. When it comes to Americanisation of religion, I think there are some very real dangers.
Firstly, Americans – by definition – live in American. They are shaped by American culture and they speak to people who are shaped by that same culture. Admittedly, here in Australia, that translates pretty well. Our lifestyle and culture is very similar to America. But even here, there are differences. I think about the American method of evanglising. What works in America wouldn’t necessarily work in Australia. We don’t see things in quite the same way.
The second danger is that, when we read the same views in book after book and hear them on TV program after TV program, we may begin to think that there is a strong biblical basis for these views. Whereas, in fact, they are really only products of the American culture. We find the same views because the people are all influenced by the country they live in. American thinking is not necessarily Christian thinking.
Thirdly, when the bulk of our information about the Christian faith comes from the one country, it gives us a very narrow view of Christianity. Because our writers and speakers all live in America – and quite often are themselves influenced by other American theologians – they can have a very similar message. Basically, they say almost the same thing. Now I tend to search out books that have something new and fresh to say. But I remember when I first became a Christian, every single book I picked up seemed to talk about the same things in the same way. For a while I stopped reading Christian books. Why bother? I had heard it all before.
There’s not much we can do about the Americanisation of religion. They produce more books because they can. They have the resources to do more television programs. And even if I could, I’m not sure I would want to stop it. Maybe some of the books that wouldn’t make it to Australia would be those books that I really enjoy.
However, I challenge you to let yourselves be influenced by non-American sources. Read books written by other writers. Research Christians in other countries. Don’t let yourself believe that the American view of Christianity is the gospel truth.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that this Americanisation of the world is extending into religion. The fastest growing church is the Pentecostal church – which so happens to be the most American. We read American Christian books. We watch American Christian TV programs. My pastor is influenced by American teachings. And it seems that any time some Christian in my church says something that they have read or heard in a Christian context, it comes from an American source.
Now I certainly wouldn’t want to suggest that everything that comes from America is bad. Out of the books I’ve read this year that I would suggest to others, many of them are written by American authors. I can’t think of a movie I love that wasn’t produced in Hollywood. My two favourite bands are Bon Jovi and Switchfoot; both of them American. I drink Diet Coke as if I’d die of thirst without it. Let’s face it. One of the reasons why Americanisation is so successful is they know how to produce some good stuff. Or maybe they just produce so much stuff that some of it has to be good.
I like American products. I just don’t like Americanisation. When it comes to Americanisation of religion, I think there are some very real dangers.
Firstly, Americans – by definition – live in American. They are shaped by American culture and they speak to people who are shaped by that same culture. Admittedly, here in Australia, that translates pretty well. Our lifestyle and culture is very similar to America. But even here, there are differences. I think about the American method of evanglising. What works in America wouldn’t necessarily work in Australia. We don’t see things in quite the same way.
The second danger is that, when we read the same views in book after book and hear them on TV program after TV program, we may begin to think that there is a strong biblical basis for these views. Whereas, in fact, they are really only products of the American culture. We find the same views because the people are all influenced by the country they live in. American thinking is not necessarily Christian thinking.
Thirdly, when the bulk of our information about the Christian faith comes from the one country, it gives us a very narrow view of Christianity. Because our writers and speakers all live in America – and quite often are themselves influenced by other American theologians – they can have a very similar message. Basically, they say almost the same thing. Now I tend to search out books that have something new and fresh to say. But I remember when I first became a Christian, every single book I picked up seemed to talk about the same things in the same way. For a while I stopped reading Christian books. Why bother? I had heard it all before.
There’s not much we can do about the Americanisation of religion. They produce more books because they can. They have the resources to do more television programs. And even if I could, I’m not sure I would want to stop it. Maybe some of the books that wouldn’t make it to Australia would be those books that I really enjoy.
However, I challenge you to let yourselves be influenced by non-American sources. Read books written by other writers. Research Christians in other countries. Don’t let yourself believe that the American view of Christianity is the gospel truth.
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Comment by S. L. Bradish
If something about American preachers bothers you, find a new preacher. If a church teaches strictly from the Bible, what's the problem?
Comment by samaritan
Fringe Faith
Although Catholics are based in one country, when you read books written by Catholics they tend to come from a wide variety of countries. I'm not so much worried about where the church is based, as the fact that the majority of our teaching comes from the one country.
In Australia, there are a number of Christian television programs (probably about eight or so, I think). Only two of them are Australian - the rest are American. Every month or so I get a catalogue from my local Christian bookstore. Occasionally they have a page dedicated to Australian authors, but most of the books are American.
It's great that Americans do so much of this. If it wasn't for the United States, I'd have a much smaller book catalogue to look at! But I'd prefer that the teaching came from a variety of viewpoints with different experiences.
Even when preachers teach strictly from the bible, they will be interpreting with the bible from a particular frame of reference that is influenced by the country they live in. They will perhaps focus more on certain issues, rather than others. They see how the bible applies to them - which means how it applies to an American.
Samaritan
www.fringefaith.com