What is the stance of the Christian faith towards human culture?
Q559 · The Church and Society
The essence of the Christian faith is that God is not in isolation in heaven, but that He created the world and cares about it. God loves all humanity as it occupies a special place in His heart as said in Zephaniah, “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). It is like a mother who embraces her only child and expresses her joy by cheering and singing.
Christ’s incarnation and coming into the world as one of us, sanctified our land, actions, minds, emotions, talents, and capabilities. This is seen in many monasteries and seminaries that strive eagerly for constant advancement without expecting a reward for their work. Indeed, many universities in the West are originally based on the work of monastic groups.
1118 St. Polycarp of Smyrna, The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians 11 (ANF 1:35).
1119 Minucius Felix, The Octavius of Minucius Felix 9.2 (ANF 4:177).
1120 Aristides, The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher 15 (ANF 10:227).
1121 Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History 6.34 (NPNF II/2:371).
Our Christ came to sanctify the mind as well as the emotions, and so humanity has not ceased to research and learn to the point that it was able to reach space and achieve much technological advancement. This progress will continue since the Word of God Himself came down to sanctify and develop, without despising the human life and human mind. Even if there are a few with narrow minds who take a counter-position (towards technological advancement), the Church, with its flourishing biblical thought, has never ceased to support the world in what is right for the sake of the edification of all!