Denver Seminary

source of their knowledge. As Christians, we can acknowledge that humans, created in the image of God, do certain things well. We build incredible structures, we create literature and art, we serve others with new technology. But when we turn our gifts towards destruction, the celebration of the human figure becomes pornographic, music becomes dissonant noise, literature fails to elevate us above the mundane, technology is no longer a tool but our master. We must learn to be like Paul at the Areopagus, flattering the devotion of those around him: "I see that in every way you are very religious. … I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god" (Acts 17:22b–23). But unlike the second choice Niebuhr examined, Paul not only embraces the efforts of the culture, he directs them towards the truth: "Let me tell you who that unknown God is." Rather than the dichotomy posed by Tertullian—who argued that Athens and Jerusalem (pagans and Christians) had nothing in common—our common humanity, endeavors, and longings can be transformed towards Christ. A crooked line points somewhere; it's up to us to straighten that line. Niebuhr and Fujimura, along with Paul and the Apostles, encourage us to engage what is good in the world, to acknowledge where God is working and the things that point towards Him. But we must also reject that which is not of God, that which reflects the Fall that occurred in the garden. Rather than one or the other— demonizing or deifying culture— we must walk a line of tension, locating common ground while holding to our convictions with grace and humility. Sara Evans MA THEOLOGY Sara Evans graduated from Denver Seminary in 2015. She serves as the communications coordinator and a grader at the Seminary. She is passionate about theology, delicious food, church history, good coffee, and most of all, seeing all four intersect in deep conversation. ENGAGE 21 CULTURE Kagemusha/Shutterstock

• Cover