Cultural Romanticism and Cultural Revisionism: Challenge of the new generation

by koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

conjoint lecturer for Avondale College

We all live in an environment packed with symbols. Something become a symbol when a concrete object is seen in the place of something that is not seen. At the funeral of president Kim Dae Jung of South Korea, the Catholic Church allowed his photo in a frame to be carried through his house so that he can "see" his own house and rooms for a last time. They even made him a cup of tea and left a gift for him there as he past symbolically through the house. What is the problem here with this so-called cultural ceremony? The symbol is now confused for the reality and the symbol takes on the reality and do not represent it but become actually Kim Dae Jung incarnated. All on National Television, for all to see.

Cultural Romanticism is an attitude by the person of the eye of the beholder. It is the eye of the beholder that sees three dimensional, width, length and depth, colors, shapes, in a continuum of "O that is nice; O that is beautiful; O that is attractive; O that is desirable; O that is what I always wanted; O that is what I want now; O that is what I can get now provided . . . ;".

With a little effort, the participator of a phenomenon become wrapped up with the phenomenon and coming out of it, thinks that it didn't change him or her, so there cannot be anything wrong with it.

What do these people expect? Did they think that a thunderbolt from heaven would kill them instantly participating in the phenomenon?

Moses Maimonides: Cultural Romanticist

A startling example can be given from Moses Maimonides. He was born in Spain and spent many years wandering at lived in Acre, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt (1153-1204 CE). In his book Mishneh Torah, Maimonides tries to tell people they should drink wine, but in moderation. He denoted as wrong anyone who goes to the mountains or wilderness or wearing strange clothes abstaining from enjoyments. He appeals to Numbers 6:11 "And he (the priest) shall make an atonement for him because he has sinned against his soul". He refers positively to the rabbis who asked, "sinned against who's soul? Against his own because he abstained himself from wine". Maimonides argues that you should drink alcohol since in his perception the Lord wants you to enjoy it with moderation and to abstain 100% from alcohol is wrong and sinful. The modern Jewish saying is "between Moses and Moses no-one is like Moses". However, one has to say here that Maimonides should have abstain from wine and his judgements and interpretation of the Word of God would not have been so impaired. Cultural Revisionism will be to reject Maimonides words and go back to the Word of God properly and abstain 100% from Wine as a Nazarite had to do. Jesus also abstained 100% from wine and the grapejuice He made with His first miracle at Kana was the best. Yeast is a symbol of sin in the Bible and thus Jesus will not drink alcohol. In many respects then, one would have to see Maimonides as a liberal Jew, liberal since he compromise the Biblical standards with his own opinions to find favor with his cultural audience and cultural environment. His desire to be praised by his environment, caused him to compromise and adapt the Word of God to make it comfortable for his audience and himself. One cannot say this on everything Maimonides did or say.

Abraham ibn Ezra: Cultural Revisionist

Contrary to Maimonides were the views of Ibn Ezra (1089-1140 CE). He also was born in Spain and also wandered to many places, including Egypt. Even in cases in which, according to Jewish custom and traditions (of the rabbis) the partaking of wine is a religious act [not according to the Bible but their tradition] Ibn Ezra recommends total abstention (see Ibn Ezra's book Yesod Mora ii op. cit. M. Friedlaender, Essays on the Writings of Ibn Ezra [1877]: 38 at footnote 4 [online available]). Ibn Ezra disregard the so-called "golden rule" namely: "to avoid both extremes". Ibn Ezra thus follow the Bible in this regard more strictly than Jewish tradition or wisdom of the rabbis. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that one should not sin extremely but only moderately.

So it is the custom of the Jews to drink moderately. The South African joke figure with the name of Koos van der Merwe, once said: "I drink one glass of wine, then I feel like another person, and it is that other person that drinks so much!"

The Cultural Revisionist will not drink wine as it is the custom among Jews to do. The Seventh Day Adventist will say "No thank you" since it is biblical not to drink.

The golden rule is not outside the Bible but it is the Bible itself. Cultural Revisionism is to be like Ibn Ezra saying, regardless what our custom is in this country, university, meeting, among friends, relatives, funerals or weddings, I will not be a Cultural Romanticist but a Cultural Revisionist that will say "No" to alcohol or anything contrary to the Bible.

There are governments across the globe who teaches their agents for other countries to be Cultural Romanticists, respecting other cultures to the point of zero Revisionism and to the point of always participating whatever is been ambassadors, government officials, military men, superiors of all kinds, they expect their agents to forfeit their Biblical principles and participate in drinking and other non-Biblical actions uncritically and non-revising. Be a "sport" they say. "Don't think of yourself a holy poly".

Culture in Biblical times were no different than today. What is interesting is that cultural ceremonies is not described in full. Here and there are some events indicated. Only when God is forcefully participating like with the battle of Jericho in 1410 BCE do we have a full description of the marching orders in the event.

TV idols into the Church

The pop-idol is a "star" in the eyes of the beholder, the beholder being the young person or teenager watching TV and their performance on stage with lights, swinging young people, hands waving, and on stage an electric guitar, drums, video clippings, amplifiers and big sounds.

What some churches, like the Presbyterian church with their TV program as well, is doing, is to imitate these pop-idols by creating "Christian pop-idols" that can substitute the mesmerism in the secular world.

Nothing needs to change, only the words. So what happens is that here is no cultural revisionism but actually cultural accommodation. It is another form of Cultural Romanticism.

The swing of the idol, the step forward, step back, the hand up, the appeal to the audience, the attractiveness aspect, lights, sounds, rhythm and movement are simulated but the words are changed to Christian words.

There is no "step out of the pop culture" but step sideways from the secular pop-culture six days a week to sacred pop-culture on Sabbath and then back to the secular pop-culture the rest of the week.

Conclusion

Not all that culture has to offer is good and uplifting for the human soul and mind and life. Revising is needed day by day.

Dear God

Help me to be not caught up with the wave of society, swept away with what my eyes find appealing and my passions desire. Help me to judge appropriately with your Word and not with the likes and dislikes of my feelings. Amen