Christians in a Time of a Historic Cultural Shift by John Stonestreet for BreakPoint
We are living in one of these historical hinge points. And, if we take seriously what Paul told the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens, God intentionally put us in this time and this place.
There are certain moments in history, such as the end of the Roman Empire or the dawn of the Enlightenment, when it becomes obvious just how much the cultural ground has shifted. In such moments, cultural norms that once fostered social cohesion and defined the good life can change dramatically. Shared ways of thinking, such as the definitions of words, can no longer be taken for granted.
It’s precisely at these historical hinge points that Christians must “re-catechize” themselves. This means recommitting to what is true and good, and regrounding who we are and how we live in the unchanging, overarching story of redemption outlined in Scripture.
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We are living in one of these historical hinge points. And, if we take seriously what Paul told the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Athens, it is not by accident. God intentionally put us in this time and this place. Or, to quote something Tim Tebow said at the “Preparing for a Post-Roe World” event at the recent Wilberforce Weekend, “Anyone who has been rescued is now on the rescue team.”
God has called the Colson Center to help Christians navigate this consequential cultural moment, to become more deeply grounded in the True Story of reality, and to embrace their calling to this time and this place.
In fact, every resource the Colson Center offers is designed to provide (a) a Christian worldview analysis on culture (that’s Breakpoint, The Point, and the What Would You Say? video series), (b) a deeper dive into Christian worldview, one that counters the dominant cultural narratives (that’s the Upstream and Strong Women podcasts, short courses, and Wilberforce Weekend), or (c) in-depth formation in Christian wisdom and leadership (that’s the Colson Fellowsprogram and the Colson Educators collective).
Our founder, Chuck Colson, realized that American culture was changing dramatically—he could see it coming—and that the Church needed to prepare for what lay ahead. We’ve embraced that call fully, and as our podcasts, conferences, training, and events continue to grow, we sense that more and more Christians are also sensing that they need to go deeper in their understanding of truth. This year’s Wilberforce Weekend event was the largest yet and featured the commissioning of the largest class of Colson Fellows yet. We anticipate over 1,000 Colson Fellows in next year’s class, studying in nearly 60 regional cohorts and over 40 church affiliates. That’s amazing. The Colson Educators collective is an investment into the training and formation of thousands of Christian educators, at a time—right now—where it is crucial for Christian education. And this year, by God’s grace, the Colson Center will launch a new, online education in public theology that every Christian can access. We believe that every Christian can live like one in this time and this place. And that’s exactly what every Christian is called to do.
