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Innocents Abroad gives plenty of space to the era when culture was the same as civilization—something Americans gave "natives." But the period since then—when the notion of culture as a monolithic, prescribed package often tangled with the teachers' goals and ideas—is more interesting.

Each competing view of the issues was, at some time, the only correct way, according to the then-dominant view of culture. So, while in the early 20th century natives needed to be disciplined with a cane because, well, they were natives, later on, the very idea was horrifying. But then the same people who were horrified began to use corporal punishment when they realized that it was expected and effective—culturally acceptable—and it had the benefit of scoring them some respect and establishing a semblance of order.

"Culture," in the minds of the most recent generation of teachers shipped off to the ends of the earth, is closely related to human rights. Many American teachers are surprised to realize that, in trying to break down racism—which they consider to be universally wrong—it is "culture" they come up against.

This is not irrelevant to those who will never be followed in the streets by children shouting, "Khello, teacha!" False conceptions of culture—which often don't last long abroad—have caused many Americans to deal with the world as though morals undergo extreme diffraction when they pass into another language or place. These misconceptions have been an excuse for a failure to confront injustice. They have caused many to regret the loss of cultural heritage discarded in the light of the gospel, and to resent or be ambivalent toward conversions to Christianity because they necessarily restructure someone's life away from his culture.

Those who have been foreigners can say that whatever culture may be, it can also be wrong. Those who are Christians can say that whatever culture may be, it is fallen—including, of course, our own familiar American brand.

Susan Wunderink is assistant online editor at Christianity Today magazine.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Books & Culture magazine.
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