Craig T. Owens

The dictionary defines culture as “a particular stage of civilization.” In other words, culture is constantly being molded by those who are exercising influence on it at a particular moment. What about Christians? How are they supposed to influence culture? That is a subject that can be so perfectly addressed by A.W. Tozer in a collection of insights in the book with the apropos title Culture.

A.W. Tozer was a man ahead of his time. Although born in 1897, he had a God-given knack for reading the current culture, ascertaining how the church was influencing or being influenced by civilization, and making accurate predictions of what was coming next. This amazing foresight was on display throughout his long and extensive preaching and writing ministry.

Culture is a collection of chapters from more than a dozen of his books. Time and time again you will read how accurately he read the trends in civilization and warned the church how she should respond. Today we have the advantage of looking around us to see how many of his unheeded warnings have come to make up our current culture.

I love the sub-title for this book: Living as Citizens of Heaven on Earth. Although Tozer is no longer with us, his wise words still are. And it’s still not too late for the church to heed his words and make the changes he outlined. Anyone who believes that Christians can still make a difference in our culture will enjoy reading Culture.

I am a Moody Press book reviewer.