In our final of three interviews focused on the Christian’s response to social justice, our attention turns to one of my favorite interview subjects - Andy Crouch. Andy is the author of the fantastic new book, Culture Making - a much needed treatise for the intersection of faith and culture. He’s also director of the Christian Vision Project for Christianity Today.

I’ve interviewed Andy twice now and each time is drinking from a mental fire hydrant and you come away refreshed and challenged by what Crouch comes up with. This time was no different than the first as he discusses the warnings for those of us charting toward the waters of social justice.

Matt: What’s the balance for counter-cultural movements with their work toward social justice and the mainstreaming of those movements?

Andy Crouch: I think we have to recognize that the mainstreaming of alternative movements is a continual process in American culture since the 1960s. It’s been happening for a long time, so it’s not that new. It’s just the latest version of it now, where something that begins as even very consciously outside the mainstream is adopted for commercial purposes.

I think it’s really double-edged sword. Here’s the positive thing about it: to the extent that social movements that become part of a profitable enterprise, they are much more scalable than they are when they’re not-for-profit. Because a not-for-profit is always have to replenish its resources, whereas a profitable enterprise has found a way to provide something that’s of sufficient value for people that it can actually grow from the generation of excess income. In a way, I celebrate the fact. When anything becomes mainstream enough that people can make money doing it [Laughs]…

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What place does the local church hold for the arts and the artist? Is this even important? Andy Crouch believes so, and after speaking with him a while ago, I am so inclined as well.

Andy is the editorial director for The Christian Vision Project at Christianity Today International and author of the brand new book, Culture Makers. It’s a vital work on the intersection of faith and culture and, in this interview, we get down to business on how the church has went wrong on this issue and what can be made right.

Matt Conner: I’ve read an article of yours in which you discuss the idea of differing generations pushing for key influencers in culture in differing areas. The older generation pushes for Christians in political leadership to influence culture, while the younger tends to push for influencers in entertainment. Can you describe this further? Is there a problem with this?

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