Part 1 of “Two Perspectives on Postmodernism” See Part 2
Postmodernism is almost a curse word in some evangelical circles. It’s a term of dismissal for a film which made us feel uncomfortable, a piece of art we don’t quite understand or even an entire generation—’’those millennials are blinded by postmodernism.’’ We are highly suspicious of postmodernism. Surely it is something which shouldn’t enter the doors of our church, let alone shape our corporate life.
Postmodernism is deeply ingrained in western society. While, like any non-biblical worldview, we have reason to critique it, we need not be afraid of it. In fact, a postmodern church has many blessings.
Postmodernism is deeply ingrained in western society. We have reason to critique it; we need not be afraid of it. In fact, a postmodern church has many blessings.
For illustrative purposes, this article characterises the ‘postmodern church.’ The postmodern church is not a church which embraces all aspects of postmodernism. It is not a denomination or category of church. Rather, it is a simply a church which seeks to engage intelligently with the forces of postmodernism, gaining great blessing from this endeavour. The postmodern church sees both the pitfalls and the benefits of postmodern thought. This is not a church of postmodernism, but a biblical church, existing in a postmodern sphere. There is a certain tension in this. Romans 12:2 cautions us, ‘Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world,’ while in 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul states, ‘I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some of them.’ This tension is to be lived out wisely by the postmodern church.
Most of all, the postmodern church—in order to be a church at all—must follow Christ and his living Word as the only true authority. That being said, here are five postmodern values which benefit the church…
1. Postmodernism dismantles idols
Postmodernist theory understands that many of the ways we seek meaning are futile. The Bible agrees with this, ’See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind’ (Isaiah 41:29). There is a reason that the New Testament writers are so insistent in their warnings, ‘Little children, guard yourself from idols’ (1 John: 5-21).
Historically, the culture of western Christianity was forged in the furnace of Classicism and Renaissance Humanism. Further, over time, Christianity has become entwined with social conditions such as Enlightenment. While, like postmodernism, these philosophies had certain gifts for the Church, they also created enormous idols. They often came with unquestioned assumptions concerning the ‘right’ way to think about things like economic success, education, relationships, societal structure and beauty. Because we so strongly associate these values with a ‘good life’, we assume they are Christian essentials and hold onto them more tightly than values we actually find in our Bibles.
A postmodern church sees the danger of these idols more clearly. Postmodernism dismantles these things before our very eyes, showing their vanity and our inability to hold onto them. As Kalle Lasn and Bruce Grierson observe: ‘We humans are stuck in a permanent crisis of meaning, a dark room from which we can never escape.’[1] While postmodernism alone cannot answer its own problem of meaninglessness, the postmodern church can—with Christ.
2. Postmodernism inverts ideas of beauty
The postmodern movement resulted in a groundswell of new artistic ideas. Contemporary music, art and fashion find their roots in the freedom of postmodernism. This freedom was made possible because postmodernism challenges traditional ideas of beauty.
That’s what the Bible does too. Jesus spent his ministry on earth declaring the unlovely beautiful. The untouchable lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors were the King of Glory’s chosen company. Christ’s beauty is not of this world—it’s not wealth, power or sexual attractiveness. The gospel’s ultimate picture of beauty is shameful death, on a cross. This is beauty which makes no sense to the world, ‘but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles’ (1 Corinthians 1:23). Similarly, postmodern aesthetics confront our oftentimes shallow understanding of beauty. The postmodern church is filled with people who can see the beauty in the ‘foolishness’ of the gospel.
3. Postmodernism encourages intelligent Christianity
Heidegger, the (now disgraced) forefather of postmodernism, once said, ‘The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking’. Two of the core postmodern practices are textual analysis and critical thinking. These might sound like a threat to the church but we should be confident enough in the trustworthiness of God’s Word to welcome intelligent Christianity.
Kevin Vanhoozer makes this helpful comment:
What postmodernity bequeaths to the world is ideology criticism: the criticism of isms. Here we have what is, in my, opinion the single most helpful contribution of postmodernity to Christian thinkers: a thoroughgoing iconoclasm, a radical protest against oppressive systems of thought. My most charitable reading of postmodern thinkers like Derrida and Rorty, therefore, casts them in the heroic role of outraged prophets seeking to cleanse, sometimes playfully and sometimes painfully, the modern philosophical temples of knowledge.[2]
The postmodern church encourages thinking because we believe that by God’s grace, truth will prevail. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus commands that we love God not only with all our heart and all our soul, but with all our mind too. The postmodern church thinks for the love of God.
4. Postmodernism understands human limits
Humanism and capitalism, other major players in contemporary culture, teach us that we can do anything we put our minds to. Postmodernism has a more sobering, and in many ways more biblically aligned, motto, ‘We can’t do anything.’ The postmodern church combines this understanding of mortality and weakness with the good news of abundant life in Christ. Our God who is able says, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).
5. Postmodernism hungrily hunts for meaning
The postmodern church will be filled with people desperate for living water. Postmodernism cures us of delusions of grandeur and clearly displays the brokenness of this world, offering no human solution. This is a biblical perspective too: ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!’ (Ecclesiastes 1:1). Just like Christian doctrine, postmodernism sees through the easy but shallow answers such as New Age self-realisation. Because of this, the postmodern church has immense evangelistic opportunities. Our postmodern friends are hunting for meaning—the postmodern church will open its doors wide to them.
The postmodern church will be filled with people desperate for living water. Postmodernism cures us of illusions of grandeur and clearly displays the brokenness of this world, offering no human solution. This is a biblical perspective too.
Lord of All
The church is right to be skeptical of the claims postmodernism makes. As Christians, we believe that we have found the answer to life and a sure source of truth. But, we cannot, and need not, run from postmodernism. If we do, we will lose valuable and God-given gifts. We will lose an entire generation of critical thinkers and realists. We will lose a church culture which understands the danger of idols. Christ is Lord of his church and he is Lord over postmodernism. Despite its failings, he will use it to build his kingdom and glorify himself. The postmodern church must be a place where meaning is found not in our comfort zone or in our tradition, but in Christ alone.
[1] Kalle Lasn & Bruce Grierson, “A Malignant Sadness”, ADBUSTERS #30, June/July 2000
[2] K. Vanhoozer, “Pilgrim’s Digress: Christian Thinking on and about the Potmodern Way”, in Myron Penner ed., Christianity and the Postmodern Turn (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2005), 80.
Photo:JAM Project, flickr
