On Intentionality: Part 5, Seeking a Thick Culture

Given the modern loss of a taken-for-granted Christian culture, what have been some Christian responses? Where do we see people trying to recover a thick culture?

First, there are the political movements.

There are some, like the Catholic integralists, who want to restore the culture of Latin Christendom. This vision is stronger and more systematic than the evangelical pursuit of “Christian nationalism.” For Catholic integralists, secular political authority must be subordinated to ecclesiastical authority. The ideal is hierarchical, a recovery of the medieval order in which the pope exercised spiritual supremacy over kings and princes, including the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Christian nationalism is a similar but distinct project. Its goal is to make Christianity more publicly visible and to pass laws shaped by Christian moral commitments. The vision is cultural rather than ecclesiastical, to build a nation where it is easier to raise children as Christians and where public institutions affirm Christian values. The state is seen as a partner in sustaining a broadly Christian moral order, not as subordinate to the Church.

Next, there are family, church, and communal approaches. These approaches assume the secular and liberal political order as a given. The goal is not to overturn it but to carve out spaces within it where a thick moral and religious culture can be practiced and sustained. Examples include the homeschooling movement, intentional Benedict Option–style communities, and churches seeking to cultivate deeper forms of spiritual and moral formation.

Finally, we're seeing low church evangelicals "converting" to Orthodoxy or Catholicism. The Protestant privileging of the individual conscience as the ultimate authority is reversed by returning to a magisterial tradition. Instead of the free-wheeling and entrepreneurial experience of DIY non-denominationalism, there is submission to an old, venerable, and authoritative ecclesiology. There is no call for intentionality here. The tradition meets you as an unchanging and objective reality. You don't have to create, decide, or make anything up. You simple receive and submit to an inviolate truth. 

However, each of these moves has its problems. 

With the political efforts, Catholic integralism is largely an exercise in nostalgia. Medieval Christendom isn’t making a comeback any time soon. The challenge for Christian nationalism is different: there is no cultural “steady state” in a liberal democracy, given the volatility and sharp swings of electoral politics. As a result, Christian nationalism is always tempted toward authoritarianism as the only way to secure a “Christian culture” against the shifting tides of majority rule. 

Regarding family, church, and communal approaches, life in these spaces isn’t wholly insulated from the surrounding culture, and the degree of separation varies. Churches attempting to provide a richer cultural and spiritual life often struggle to get people to fully participate. Members opt in and opt out, creating much the same DIY, “choose your own adventure” experience of church. 

Homeschooling faces similar challenges, particularly from social media and cultural exposure. Once children turn eighteen, they plunge into the wider world. A truly thick moral culture should carry a person from cradle to grave, yet homeschool parents can only hope they’ve “done enough” before their children leave home. 

In addition, the more insular and restrictive the homeschool or communal culture, the sharper the contrast with broader cultural libertinism. Children inevitably observe the freedoms their peers enjoy, and resentment or rebellion can follow. In short, these “carve-out” communities face an uphill battle. This is a battle deemed worth fighting, of course, but one where success is far from guaranteed. 

Finally, regarding the drift of low-church evangelicals to Orthodoxy and Catholicism, I'd like to turn to that issue in the next post.