Cultivating a Cultural Theology
Jul 30, 2026 by Dr. Kent DelHousaye
Cultural theology is an emerging specialty that examines the relationship between Christian faith and human culture. It explores how faith influences and expresses itself in different cultural contexts like art, science, media, academics, entertainment, and governance.
A theology of culture involves critically engaging our own society to understand what God’s full revelation teaches us about it and what it has to say about interfacing with the cultural institutions and interacting with the pressing issues of our day.
So, what does God’s revelation teach us about culture? The Bible tells us a lot. In fact, Scripture provides clear instruction about cultural interaction. The most telling is the “cultural mandate” in Genesis 1:28, which charged mankind with dominion over the earth.
This dominion mandate was reaffirmed after the Flood of Noah in Genesis 9 and then reintroduced by Christ himself in Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus reminded and deployed all of us to disciple ALL nations EVERYWHERE to do EVERYTHING He commands.
God’s revelation also teaches us that Jesus is LORD and what His LORDSHIP means in this world. Christ assumed ALL authority in heaven and on earth and famously told us to pray for God’s will to be done here as it is already done there (Matthew 6:10).
Paul told us in Philippians 2:9-11 that Jesus IS Lord and that EVERY person on earth is accountable to that reality. He also told us that Jesus is “the ONLY sovereign one, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords” in 1 Timothy 6:15—a sentiment reiterated twice by John in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.
So, what does God’s revelation say about culture? It clearly says that Jesus is LORD and that his LORDSHIP is without end. It also tells us that we are to build and bring all things under the lordship of Christ, and this includes each and every domain in culture.
This extends to the arts, the sciences, the media outlets, the academic institutions, the entertainment and sports venues as well as the civic and judicial bodies of our society because NOTHING is beyond or outside the sovereign reign of Christ.
For this reason, the Christian strategy is and always has been to ENGAGE culture, not AVOID it. Unfortunately, too many Christians and churches today are indifferent or even opposed to cultural activism simply because they haven’t developed a real cultural theology.
A theology of culture involves critically engaging our own society to understand what God’s full revelation teaches us about it and what it has to say about interfacing with the cultural institutions and interacting with the pressing issues of our day.
So, what does God’s revelation teach us about culture? The Bible tells us a lot. In fact, Scripture provides clear instruction about cultural interaction. The most telling is the “cultural mandate” in Genesis 1:28, which charged mankind with dominion over the earth.
This dominion mandate was reaffirmed after the Flood of Noah in Genesis 9 and then reintroduced by Christ himself in Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus reminded and deployed all of us to disciple ALL nations EVERYWHERE to do EVERYTHING He commands.
God’s revelation also teaches us that Jesus is LORD and what His LORDSHIP means in this world. Christ assumed ALL authority in heaven and on earth and famously told us to pray for God’s will to be done here as it is already done there (Matthew 6:10).
Paul told us in Philippians 2:9-11 that Jesus IS Lord and that EVERY person on earth is accountable to that reality. He also told us that Jesus is “the ONLY sovereign one, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords” in 1 Timothy 6:15—a sentiment reiterated twice by John in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.
So, what does God’s revelation say about culture? It clearly says that Jesus is LORD and that his LORDSHIP is without end. It also tells us that we are to build and bring all things under the lordship of Christ, and this includes each and every domain in culture.
This extends to the arts, the sciences, the media outlets, the academic institutions, the entertainment and sports venues as well as the civic and judicial bodies of our society because NOTHING is beyond or outside the sovereign reign of Christ.
For this reason, the Christian strategy is and always has been to ENGAGE culture, not AVOID it. Unfortunately, too many Christians and churches today are indifferent or even opposed to cultural activism simply because they haven’t developed a real cultural theology.
