CHRIST AND CULTURE

This is not just another volume dealing with the relation of Christianity and society for any book that comes from the pen of this distinguished member of the faculty at Yale University is deserving of special attention. Professor Niebuhr identifies five viewpoints on this subject that have been represented in Christian thought over the centuries: (1) Christ against culture -- a separation from ""the world""; (2) The Christ of culture -- the identification of Christianity and civilization; (3) Christ above culture -- the Thomist position; (4) Christ and culture in paradox -- Luther's position; (5) Christ transforming culture -- exemplified by Augustine and Calvin. Niebuhr does not accept any of the above viewpoints, nor does he advance one of his own. Rather, he maintains that all of these solutions contain some truth and that there can be no one ""Christian answer"" but only the Christian's individual answer. Niebuhr's liberal use of illustrative material saves his book from being abstract and difficult and makes it significant not only to theologians but to a much wider group.