Christ, Culture, and Creativity

Yesterday, I linked to this post by Al Hsu about the culture war that Dungeons & Dragons sparked when it first appeared in 1974. Some Christian leaders found its content objectionable. The whole post is a real gem, and I didn't dig into its main point. Hsu argues that they failed to win the public argument over gaming because they merely critiqued culture, instead of creating it:

In short, Gygax created culture, whereas Gothard merely condemned culture. Gothard did not create a compelling alternative to D&D - he merely argued that it was evil. Whatever one might think about his perspective, the larger issue for Christians is whether we will create compelling, dramatic narratives and stories for people to participate in, or if we only react against what other people create. Andy Crouch's forthcoming Culture Making argues that Christians cannot change the culture by condemning it, critiquing it, copying it or consuming it. The only way to change culture is to create more culture.

I agree. Christianity must be more than a voice declaring "No!" If we are to live in the image of our Creator, then we, too, must be creative and celebrate beauty where it can be formed and found.

HT: Jollyblogger