The relationship of the church to culture has long been debated among church leaders and social researchers, with little real consensus. One thing is clear, however: In far too many cases, the relationship of many churches with the culture has steadily shifted from infatuation and intimidation to out-and-out captivity, a situation that always results in loss for the church.

To be captured by culture is to be held by a fickle master who insists that all the church is and does be filtered through demographics, social trends and shifting belief systems. This is always culture’s demand, even if filtering requires silencing the church’s prophetic voice, redefining sinful acts in more palatable terms, and compromising biblical truth for coexistence.

Cultural captivity requires the church to be more committed to the bottom line of public perception, numbers and revenue than to the baseline of “you shall have no other gods before Me.” Sadly, what began as a means to gain understanding for ministry through cultural knowledge has become, for many churches, captivity to a new lord whose ultimate demand is unchallenged servitude.