Here is a book that you will want
to read, especially if you are trying to understand something of
the postmodern. Worship wars, consumerism, ethics and morality,
politics and the entire spectrum are under the postmodern
umbrella. If you are not convinced that you need to expand your
understanding of this philosophy, read this book and then make
that determination.
For those of you who have read
Making Kingdom Disciples, or a few other books that deal with
philosophical and theological development, you will recognize
White’s overview of philosophy in the three major periods of
history: pre-modern, modern, and postmodern. While we are
definitely in the postmodern period, we are actually still in
transition from modern to postmodern. Understanding this
transition is important to interpreting our culture and world
and knowing how the Christian faith provides what is missing in
both the modern and postmodern paradigms.
We have previously mentioned how
the reformers surrendered much of their influence early on by
trying to use the framework of modernism and its language to
communicate the Christian faith, leading to a strong movement in
the direction of dualism in the western world. Hopefully, but
obviously not in all cases, we did not learn that lesson very
well, because today Christians are trying to synthesize and
syncretize Christianity with the postmodern paradigm and it may
be giving away the essence of the Christian religion.
Postmodernism is a worldview that
influences our perception and understanding of reality. Though
many of the leaders in the postmodern philosophy movement are
Frenchmen, postmodernism is no longer simply growing in Europe
but all through the Western culture, including North America.
And though postmodernism is extremely difficult to define, there
are enough key ideas that once understood will enable you to see
how impacting this philosophy really is, especially with who we
call the “rising generation.”
White is right on target when he
says that ideas drive culture. We can be pragmatists and say
either ideas do not have consequences or I do not need to
understand ideas, I just need to see what works and go in that
direction. Or, we can move beneath the surface and try to
understand why things are moving in the direction they are in
order to know better how to respond, challenge, and offer better
ideas.
White reminds us that new ideas
take time to actually permeated and transform a culture, which
says to me, we should know what those ideas are and challenge
those that are contrary to the Christian philosophy of life
before they take root. Postmodernism, as the third major school
of thought in history, is new enough that maybe there is still
time to recapture those who are embryonically involved in
postmodernism. For example, why are so many rejecting modernism
and embracing postmodernism? White states, “The culture is
changing and postmodern ideas are driving the change.”
The change in our culture is
impacting every aspect of our lives, from private to public,
religious and philosophical, to day to day living. While we are
reminded that it is hard to identify our own worldview and be
somewhat objective about our culture, we must put forth that
effort or Christianity will never have the transforming
influence on the world that God has in mind. White mentions
three general concerns that Christians have with postmodernism:
the moral concern--tends towards relativism, the evangelistic
concern--knowing something about postmodernism will help
communicate to postmoderns without changing the message, and the
theological concern--a time to rethink and develop new ways of
teaching what Christianity is all about.
Reading this book gives you a
basic understanding of postmodernism and deals with six areas
that are so crucial in understanding its impacts: ethics, self,
language, knowledge, culture, and history. White raises one
thing that demonstrates the importance of taking the time do
read and study this topic, “the social forces that have such
power over individuals are not in general trustworthy. After
all, how many of them have your best interest at heart?” To
which I would also say, how can a postmodern, with his socially
constructed view of reality actually know what is in his best
interest? Society has to determine that.
I agree with White that
postmodernism is a big deal because it involves a worldview
shift. It affects what people think on so many topics. I also
agree, contrary to what some have said, postmodernism is not a
flash in the pan, and that modernism with its rational, logical
and scientific approach is not likely to return, though those
things will never totally leave us. White concludes, and I amen
what he says, “Postmodernism, as outlined in this book, is the
latest large-scale cultural change to hit Western civilization.
It will change a lot of things for Christians and non-Christians
alike.” Please take the time to read, discuss, and study this
little book. You will benefit in so many ways. It is written in
an easily readable and comprehensible style.
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