What is Culture?
65 miles northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine is the town of Borodyans'kyi. On the outskirts of this town is camp that, I'm told, was once used as a retreat center for former Soviet bureaucrats. Families of high-ranking government officials and their families would be rewarded with a week away in a camp-like setting. While some of the dormitories have been constructed post-Soviet Union, many of the buildings on campus date to the Soviet era, and the architecture harkens back to the Cold-war era. Walking through the grounds feels partly like a stroll through nature, and partly like exploring an eerie ghost-town:
Today, the camp has been repurposed as a camp and retreat center, playing host to a variety of groups. While visiting there last summer, the camp (as best I could gather) welcomed a ballet troupe, a summer camp for underprivileged (perhaps orphaned) boys and girls, and a preaching conference (the event that brought me there).
In the evenings, after the formal activities of the camp had concluded for the day, the grounds of the conference center were dotted with groups of pre-teens and teens, mingling and laughing together. Gradually, many of them made their way to a concrete amphitheater, where a a dance party unfolded into the late hours of the evening.
As an outsider I was curious, and tried (probably unsuccessfully!) to blend in with the crowd, in order to watch as the music played and as the children danced. Here's what I observed:
Without the benefit of an English translation, it was difficult (for me!) to interpret the meaning of this song. However, two things stand out -- first, the song tells a story. As the participants dance, a villain is suddenly cued to enter the scene, and the chase begins. While the villain chases the students -- first one way, and then the next, the characters begin a choreographed flight that continues for the duration of the song. At one point, the music builds to a crescendo, and the villain figure pumps his fists into the air seemingly marking the climax of the story.
Second, the song is shared. This song and the accompanying dance -- the story -- is a shared story. Every motion is expected and known by the participants. They gesture with their hands and feet in synchronization. Each person knows when to spin, and when to change direction. Even the observers can be heard clapping in the background. This is a shared cultural narrative.
Perhaps this is a helpful metaphor for defining just what culture is. When we speak of "culture", we are describing a shared cultural narrative. It's not uncommon to speak of culture as an event: "We're going to take in some culture at the symphony," or, "We're going to enjoy some local culture at our favorite restaurant." But these things (a concert, a restaurant, a sporting event) are themselves not culture; they are expressions of it, but they are not culture themselves. These events are ways of communicating and sharing a deeper reality, our shared narrative. Our culture is a story of who we are, a story with heroes and villains, a story with s a plotline depicting what is right and what is wrong with the world, a story that shines a light on what matters, what is valuable, and what is not. We give expression to this story in a myriad of ways -- on canvass, on stage, in stadiums, community centers, classrooms, boardrooms, family rooms ad bedrooms.
The question is, what is the greater narrative that our culture communicates? Welcome to intersect. This is a blog for exploring those questions. What is the story we are communicating? How do we express our shared cultural story? How do we answer these big questions -- and how do our cultural expressions interpret our shared cultural story?
This blog is written from a faith perspective -- more accurately, a Christian faith perspective (since all persons have faith in something!). I'll be looking at how Christians shape the culture around them with their faith. Of course, this is not a blog exclusively for Christians -- in fact, it will be richer if there is engagement with those who don't share my Christian convictions. I welcome input from all perspectives.
By way of explanation, the bulk of this blog will be written as I take a Sabbatical from my work as a pastor, and engage these thoughts and questions throughout he summer. I look forward to learning with those who follow along!
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| Some of the images captured on a recent visit -- I enjoyed wandering the grounds, exploring the old and the new, the natural and the man-made. The building on the middle row, far-left serves as the temporary quarters for the Evangelical Reformed Seminary of Ukraine. |
In the evenings, after the formal activities of the camp had concluded for the day, the grounds of the conference center were dotted with groups of pre-teens and teens, mingling and laughing together. Gradually, many of them made their way to a concrete amphitheater, where a a dance party unfolded into the late hours of the evening.
As an outsider I was curious, and tried (probably unsuccessfully!) to blend in with the crowd, in order to watch as the music played and as the children danced. Here's what I observed:
Without the benefit of an English translation, it was difficult (for me!) to interpret the meaning of this song. However, two things stand out -- first, the song tells a story. As the participants dance, a villain is suddenly cued to enter the scene, and the chase begins. While the villain chases the students -- first one way, and then the next, the characters begin a choreographed flight that continues for the duration of the song. At one point, the music builds to a crescendo, and the villain figure pumps his fists into the air seemingly marking the climax of the story.
Second, the song is shared. This song and the accompanying dance -- the story -- is a shared story. Every motion is expected and known by the participants. They gesture with their hands and feet in synchronization. Each person knows when to spin, and when to change direction. Even the observers can be heard clapping in the background. This is a shared cultural narrative.
Perhaps this is a helpful metaphor for defining just what culture is. When we speak of "culture", we are describing a shared cultural narrative. It's not uncommon to speak of culture as an event: "We're going to take in some culture at the symphony," or, "We're going to enjoy some local culture at our favorite restaurant." But these things (a concert, a restaurant, a sporting event) are themselves not culture; they are expressions of it, but they are not culture themselves. These events are ways of communicating and sharing a deeper reality, our shared narrative. Our culture is a story of who we are, a story with heroes and villains, a story with s a plotline depicting what is right and what is wrong with the world, a story that shines a light on what matters, what is valuable, and what is not. We give expression to this story in a myriad of ways -- on canvass, on stage, in stadiums, community centers, classrooms, boardrooms, family rooms ad bedrooms.
The question is, what is the greater narrative that our culture communicates? Welcome to intersect. This is a blog for exploring those questions. What is the story we are communicating? How do we express our shared cultural story? How do we answer these big questions -- and how do our cultural expressions interpret our shared cultural story?
This blog is written from a faith perspective -- more accurately, a Christian faith perspective (since all persons have faith in something!). I'll be looking at how Christians shape the culture around them with their faith. Of course, this is not a blog exclusively for Christians -- in fact, it will be richer if there is engagement with those who don't share my Christian convictions. I welcome input from all perspectives.
By way of explanation, the bulk of this blog will be written as I take a Sabbatical from my work as a pastor, and engage these thoughts and questions throughout he summer. I look forward to learning with those who follow along!
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