Emerging Worldviews (Part 2): Faithful Resistance and Listening

For many who follow Christ today, faith is evolving in ways that make the old prevailing worldviews feel irrelevant, or even untrue. Some are holding onto faith by a thread, shedding everything about religion except Christ. Others are pastors, desperately trying to guide their churches toward change but facing burnout, resistance, or despair.

The reality is that these Emerging Worldviews are not just cultural trends. They are often more faithful to historical Christianity than the systems they are replacing. This isn’t rebellion—it’s reformation. The shift is happening because people are seeking what is true, not just what feels good.

If you missed Part 1 of Emerging Worldviews, we’ve added some Doug Foltz Bonus Content.

Here are two more Emerging Worldviews but Doug and I use Prevailing Worldviews as a contrast.

Faithful Resistance > Power & Influence

For centuries, the Church has been seduced by Empire. And still, too many pastors and Christians take the bait, cozying up to cultural and political power under the illusion that they can wield it for good. But that’s not how the Kingdom works.

In knowing that both 1st century Jewish culture and Rome had systems of voting, I would love to ask pastors, Jesus didn't talk to his disciples about voting, why do you think the Spirit convicted you too? 

Answer: Because their prevailing worldview is to pursue influence from a position of power. Power corrupts, even when Christians think they’re using it for good. Any Lord of the Rings fans out there? Pursuing the ring of power…we know how that goes. 

6 months ago, a local megachurch pastor “felt the Spirit convict him” to preach about voting on the election. What followed was a blatant nudge toward voting Republican, Scripture twisted out of context, and a toxic blend of patriarchy and culture war language. In short, he gave into the very temptation Jesus resisted. 

“In a world of manufactured kings and curated illusions, we’re invited into something more honest, more human, and more holy. Not spectacle, but presence. Not domination, but communion. Not the manipulation of desire, but the transformation of the heart. This is the slow, unglamorous work of faithfulness—the kind of resistance shaped not by popularity or platform, but by love rooted in the cross. Together, we can reclaim a truer way of seeing, a deeper way of living, and a braver way of standing—with Jesus, with one another, and with all who are being silenced, displaced, defunded, or dismissed.” - JR Woodward

I work with JR at The V3 Movement and he recently started a substack on this very topic. What does faithful resistance look like? You can subscribe to his substack for free. 

Doug Foltz: “I like the idea of also providing a why. ‘Why’ helps us understand the previous generation and empathize rather than just criticize.”

Aaron: “I like to criticize, but okay, you’re probably right.” Here’s Doug on the “Why”…

Prevailing Worldview: The best way to shape culture is by gaining power in politics, media, and society.

Why?
After the social changes of the 1960s and 70s, many conservative Christians felt pushed aside by a more secular and liberal culture. In response, movements like the Moral Majority and the Religious Right formed. They believed that keeping Christian values in society required gaining political power, influencing laws, and controlling media. Many saw America as a “new Israel,” meant to spread Christian morals through government and culture.

Emerging Worldview - Why is This Changing?
For much of the 20th century, churches tied themselves to systems of power—whether through politics in the U.S. or colonial Christianity in other parts of the world. But younger generations have seen the damage this caused: scandals, nationalism, abuse, and political corruption.

Today, people are losing trust in big institutions, and many see power struggles as part of the problem, not the solution. Instead of trying to control culture, they look to Jesus—not as a ruler seeking power, but as a servant. His way of love and sacrifice connects with past movements of faithful resistance, like the early church, liberation theology, and the civil rights movement.

Listening > Teaching

Prevailing church culture prioritizes charismatic preaching—loud voices, big personalities, and monologue sermons. But emerging worldviews hunger for something else: the power of listening. Being truly heard. And truly hearing others. 

For too long, churches have relied on sermons as the primary tool of discipleship. But let’s be real—they don’t work. Research, neuroscience, and even Scripture itself tell us that transformation happens in dialogue, not monologue. Jesus asked questions. He told stories. He engaged in conversation. And yet, we’ve built a system where one person talks while everyone else listens in silence.

It’s time to let that die.

Faith isn’t a performance. It’s not a TED Talk. It’s a living, breathing, relational movement. And if the Church is going to have a future, it won’t be found in polished sermons or political power plays.

It will be found in faithful resistance, courageous listening, and the slow, unglamorous work of relational love.

Here’s Doug again on “Why”:

Prevailing Worldview: Preaching is the most important part of church.

Why?
This idea comes from revival movements, where powerful sermons were seen as the key to changing hearts. Preachers like Charles Finney and Billy Graham helped spread the belief that passionate speaking could lead to mass conversions. Over time, churches built services around sermons because they were effective, easy to organize, and helped control what was being taught. This created a system where one person talked and everyone else listened.

Emerging Worldview - Why is This Changing?
We no longer live in a time when people struggle to find information. With AI, smartphones, and the internet, knowledge is always at their fingertips. But what many lack is a safe space to explore, question, and process that information.

For years, big churches relied on preaching, shaped by mass communication and revival traditions. But today, people value conversation, therapy, storytelling, and learning together. Think about podcasts, Reddit discussions, or coaching—these allow for back-and-forth dialogue.

After the pandemic, more people became aware of trauma and the need for safe spaces. Now, listening isn’t just a nice thing to do—it’s a real skill that gives pastors and leaders credibility. In a world full of noise, listening is the new way to lead.

Aaron - “I agree! Listening is a lost art. My wife (therapist) and I are sketching out a 4 Week Listening Cohort where we teach people how to be good listeners. Seriously, this is a major problem right now. Everybody wants to be heard and nobody wants to listen.”