Christian Culture

Essay # 102796

Christian Culture

A discussion of the material and symbolic aspects, as well as the values and norms of the Christian cultural group in the United States.

878 words () | 3 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper considers the cultural group (Christians) of which the writer is a member. The paper outlines the various elements - both material and symbolic - which form that group's ontological and even epistemological views. It then looks at what kinds of values and norms are important to the group and how these values and norms have been learned and internalized. In the end, the paper illustrates the fact that many Christians associate their subjective well-being with their religiosity and not with the material possessions they acquire.

From the Paper:

"In some important respects, Christians are a segment of the American population that few who are not among their fold have made an effort to understand - beyond, of course, the popular (and not always flattering) image of Christians that the mainstream media likes to provide. With that in mind, the following brief paper will argue that Christians are a people who do care about material possessions in some respect (after all, they have loved ones for whom they wish to provide) but are - true to the popular image of them - more overtly concerned with spiritual matters and with inner contentment. Going further, whatever the general clamor against Christianity in today's world, the values and norms of Christians have become the values and norms of many parts of America - perhaps even the most admirable parts of America. Thus, the Christian balance between making money and being a good human being is one that continues to resonate for all the right reasons."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bellah, Robert N. (1970). Response to comments, "Christianity and symbolic realism." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 9(2): 112-115.
La Barbera, Priscilla A. and Gurhan, Zeynep. (1997). The role of materialism, religiosity, and demographics in subjective well-being. Psychology & Marketing, 14(1): 71-97.
Rees-Mogg, William. (2006, December 24). Baubles, burkas, and the birth we must remember. Mail on Sunday, p.49.