You Tube Theology

Dr. Wolterstorff asks 'What is the essence of the American nation?' His answer is that America is unique in that its identity is composed primarily by adherence to a way of life or idea. It is not based on kinship or descent, being a nation of disparate immigrants, attracted by the American ideal. While there were certainly exceptions in the history of the country (Africans and Native Americans), most people came to America because of this idea. It is composed of four parts: liberty, economic opportunity, classlessness, and having a voice in government. In addition, there is a certain moral culture that has shaped American life. This moral culture also has four values or components: human dignity; the dual notion of duties and responsibilities; and respect for individual rights. Dr. Wolterstorff argues that these values are being eroded by popular culture taking in and internalizing certain ideas that began during the scientific revolution: physicalism, egoism, and moral relativism. These ideas are in conflict with ideas of an earlier origin, certain Judeo-Christian conceptions of human beings as being made in the image of God. This conception gave ground for the allied notions of human dignity and rights, while today's non-theistic conceptions of man and his place in the cosmos, militate against this view.