Christianity is a Movement, Not a Machine

How Christianity has and can influence a flourishing culture

This week on The Shock Absorber podcast, Stu Crawshaw, Joel McMaster, and I begin with Stu's recent visit to Texas, where he observed the strong sense of identity, friendliness, and open expression of faith that characterises much of Texan culture. We consider the comparison between this Texan culture with Australian cultural values like egalitarianism and mateship, examining how national myths shape the way communities live and relate to one another.

This sparks the longer conversation on how Christianity functions as a movement rather than a rigid institution—one that adapts to cultural contexts while maintaining universal principles such as love for neighbour, kindness, and human dignity. We discuss how these principles have historically contributed to the flourishing of societies and continue to do so today, often through everyday people rather than powerful institutions.

Finally, we touch on how Christians can thoughtfully engage in politics without being co-opted by partisan agendas, referen…