Thinking About Jesus-shaped Cultures
Dr. Paul Copan’s message of “Jesus-Shaped Cultures” on February 25 was one of encouragement. The hustle and bustle of the coffee shop began to fade into the background as Dr. Copan spoke of how Christianity shaped cultures around the world with love and virtue. At the core of his message, he sought to demonstrate through multiple examples of how gospel-oriented Christians were found at the root of much advancement in society, from culture reform to the founding of modern science. I have to admit I was shocked at the amount of evidence, both from Christians and atheists alike, that credits Christians for society’s concept of individual moral conscience, human rights, and democracy. At the end of the night, I walked away in awe of how God and His word are transforming people in such a radical way as to affect not just individuals but whole groups of people and even societies.
What really made this event special for me was being able to ask Dr. Copan questions during the Q&A session and talk with him personally after the presentation. It was refreshing to talk with him and see his humility; he did not just show up, speak and leave like some speakers who come to bigger church events I have attended. It is not very often we have the opportunity to sit down and talk with scholars who are so influential in defending our faith and I would definitely encourage anyone in the College of Theology to come to future events hosted on campus where men and women like Dr. Paul Copan come to speak. These events are great opportunities to rub shoulders with the College of Theology faculty, the Dean and especially people like Dr. Copan who are laboring in fields of ministry and academics that, as students of theology, we aspire to one day be in ourselves.
More About Nathaniel:
Nathaniel is a student worker for the College of Theology at Grand Canyon University. He is working toward his Bachelor of Arts in Christian studies with an Emphasis in Biblical Studies. His areas of interest include philosophy and apologetics and he is planning to pursue a master’s degree and Ph.D. in philosophy after attending GCU.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
