The counter-cultural model of contextualization, as its name implies so clearly, has the goal to confront directly a culture. Christians are to hold dearly and firmly to their beliefs and sacraments and to testify that an alternative way of thinking and living is possible. The general idea is that the context is flawed and sinful, and can altogether not be trusted, and the Church has to be apart from the World but constantly questioning it and challenging it to change for the better.
I feel like this model is some kind of extreme or accentuated imaged of the church as it is now, in France at least. I must say that at first it made me uncomfortable. I can’t imagine myself trying to share the Gospel with this mindset, without sounding narrow minded or sectarian. It would have to be in very specific conditions and with people with whom I have built a strong relationship already. It seems to me like this model used indelicately could do more harm than good on an individual level.
However, thinking more about it I found a new and refreshing way of seeing it. Our culture is indeed corrupted and stained by sin. There is abuse, corruption, inequality and perversion all around us. Using this model, the Church can hold a prophetic role to society as a whole and denounce the wrongdoings of our culture.
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