A little blog from an upstart theologian that will do its best to exemplify Christ while sharing a thing or two along the way.
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| Preachin's Blog A little blog from an upstart theologian that will do its best to exemplify Christ while sharing a thing or two along the way. |
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Thursday, November 11, 2004 There is no Postmodern ChristianityJean Lyotard has wisely defined philosophical postmodernism as "incredulity towards metanarratives" in his work The Postmodern Condition. Through this definition one can grasp the underlying tenant of philosophical postmodernity, that there is no final worldview whereby all creation is held accountable. This is exactly what philosophical postmodernity is purporting, my metanarrative is just as legitimate as yours. Now I don't simply limit philosophical postmodernity as "subjectivism" or "relativism" since philosophical postmodernity is so much more than those unhappy monikers. In our current day there is a ground swell movement in the Christian Church to develop "postmodern" ministries, or ministries that reach "postmoderns" specifically. There are self-assumed ecclesial prophets that are running around shouting this new ministry venture and purporting it as something brand new and virginally pure since it hasn't been either embraced or corrupted by the modern church. I shall posit hereafter that these ministries are neither thoroughgoing postmodern ministries nor are they awfully original. I couch this entire essay through the phrase: there is no postmodern Christian. Within the western world a revolution of thought has been taking place for the last one hundred years. In this revolution the Cartesian partiality in philosophical thought has been nixed in favor of more progressive styles of thinking. In reality this new progression in thought began with Nietzsche and has progressed since through such philosophers as Foucault, Fish, and Rorty (to name several.) While philosophical postmodernity finds much of its roots in nihilism, it has developed past this foundation. Within philosophical circles the new cool is post-"something" or another. We have thus seen this trend of classifying things as post-"something" or another (post-Christian, post-Protestant, post-cultural, etc.) Since philosophical postmodernity suggests that there is no final, dare I say absolute, metanarrative which all fall under it is quite incoherent for an evangelical Christian who believes in the exclusivity of salvation through Christ to be a true postmodern. Furthermore in a society that is suggested to be increasingly postmodern I shall suggest that most aren’t postmoderns, rather that most in our culture are hyper-moderns. One of the claims that these “postmodern ministers” toss around is that there are several factors which are unique to postmoderns in our culture: seeking community, experience driven, interested in spirituality, and looking for authenticity. These are some good things for postmoderns to look for, and if the philosophers of postmodernity are correct than several of these are conditions of postmodernism…the problem is the “postmoderns” in our society aren’t truly looking for several of these. Take the seeking for community condition, and then watch the young crowd and their relationships. By and large they are casual relationships which don’t get deep. Sure virtual communities exist and are, often, wonderful places of community but it is a safe community, a sterile community where one can move in and out of with never having to truly confront those they are dialoguing with. The virtual communities allow unfettered anonymity for the participant where they never have to encounter their virtual neighbors and never have to make an emotional connection. Instead in our culture we have become increasingly individualistic, shunning true community for a false obligation of planned flash mobbing to appease the cultural monoliths around us and not incur their wrath (or raised eyebrow.) If postmodernity were an actual cultural condition they would be building porches, not decks. As for the spirituality, there is an increased interest in things spiritual in our culture. Yet again it is a faux spiritual interest for few young “postmoderns” in our culture actually want to engage a definite spirituality and will float around to whatever appeases their varied appetites. The fake search for ancient forms of spirituality by many ministers in the “postmodern” church always exists in a place where the ancient form is conditioned through our contemporary expressions. We make these ancient forms intermeshed with contemporary forms of worship expression to  suit our needs. For goodness sake if you want to have a “Celtic Worship Service” go to the woods, build a fire and stand in the cold barefoot. Yet we seem to embark into these forms presupposing the equal legitimacy of our contemporary expression. Lots of people look for spirituality, while I agree that coffee shops breed conversations about spirituality it is because they are a societal warm blanket and a comfortable place to discuss matters…who’s going to shout and holler in a coffee shop?
This is why I suggest that our culture is not broaching into pure postmodernism as some of the ecclesial prophets have suggested. Rather it is a cultural postmodernism that is actually the beginning last vestiges of hyper-modernism. This is why I suggest there are two forms of postmodernism to confront: cultural postmodernism and philosophical postmodernism. I further suggest that those in the “postmodern” church confront neither of these awfully well. Candles, incense, low lights, and breathy chords don’t make one a postmodern. Thankfully lots of people are seeing the hypocrisy here and have moved away from this sole classification. If one is to engage cultural postmoderns it is not the language or terminology or methodology that must change, rather it is the matter that we must deliver the unfettered Gospel with resolve. To reach postmoderns I suggest that the first thing that the church must do is go and reach them…using words if necessary. While I do appreciate the zeal and understand the state of despair (when confronted with many dead modern churches out there) which many of my “postmodern” brethren posses, I would ask that we be a bit more coherent in our discussion. You cannot be a thoroughgoing postmodern and a Christian. You have embraced a metanarrative that is the only way by which people can find salvation if you are a Christian who believes the main tenants of the Gospel. There is no accommodation to pagan religions alongside the salvation of Christ. We must say plainly that Christ’s Gospel is the path by which all are judged, to disagree is death. The major thing missing in our churches today isn’t a postmodern connection…it is a passion for souls. There are lots of things broken in our churches, that happens we’re human after all, yet the Gospel still remains unfettered. posted by Preachin Jesus | 11:49 AM | |
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