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Ever jump on a bus or train only to discover that you were on the wrong one? It usually doesn’t sink in until you’re nice and comfortable, but then the scenery seems not quite right. Eventually you ask the person next to you, in your most “I’m not really an idiot” tone of voice, if you’re headed to point A. She tells you, in her most “sorry, dear, but yes you are” voice that no, you’re really headed to point B by way of points C through F.
The reasons for the analogy are 1) I’ve been listening to Bill Bryson’s accounts of his travels in Europe on too much cold medicine, and 2) I’m starting to wonder if the emerging church’s travels on the postmodernism express aren’t in some way similarly misguided. Notice that I use the term “misguided” and not “totally and completely heretical”. My goal is not to debunk pomo philosophy, thought, and criticism. There’s enough material on that subject around that I think the astute reader either knows them already or could easily find them on his or her own. Rather, I’d like to beg the question: Is the endeavor to develop a postmodern Christian theology and worldview worthwhile?
While postmodernism has certainly made a tremendous impact in how we think about the world today, we might be overestimating that impact as it applies to real life. Postmodernism is generally considered to be the dominant paradigm in Western culture currently. However, when you start to dig even a little deeper into the culture, you find that this is a very soft postmodernism, even among those who consider themselves to be postmodernist. It’s true that belief in the grand meta-narrative has pretty much given way to individualistic relativism in our culture. It’s generally considered old-fashioned and closed-minded to think of there being a truth with a capital T out there on which to base our beliefs and choices. Yet still people tend to act and make judgments as if they were relying on some absolute Truth, even when they deny the possibility of it. We still make references to concepts such as justice, love and mercy as not merely personal values but of moral absolutes that are shared by humanity. Therefore, it may be a waste of time to try and become postmodern in an effort to reach the culture when the culture itself is not truly postmodern.
Beyond questioning postmodernism's dominance in the culture, one can also question the longevity of postmodernism as a cultural force in the future. Professor Michael Sugrue of Princeton, for example, considers postmodernism to be a “philosophical cul-de-sac” and doubts whether postmodern thought will still be considered seriously in academic circles in a few decades. If this is the case, then perhaps our energies would be better directed elsewhere.
This is not to say that postmodernism should be completely abandoned, as some may argue. It is true that postmodernism’s denial of any overarching Truth runs directly counter to any and every creed in Christian orthodoxy. Postmodernism cannot be wholly subsumed into Christianity for this reason as well as others. However, various aspects of pomo thought, when taken less dogmatically, have been very useful in the development of emerging theology. Qualitative changes advocated in the emergent church in regards to how the modern church handles authority, worship, and community are clear examples of areas where postmodern thought has entered into discussion in a positive way. Furthermore, postmodernism has provided an intellectual counterbalance to authoritarianism and dogmatism, which tends to rear its ugly head in the church more often than not. It has allowed us as leaders, followers, or merely observers of the emerging church to open our minds to new ways of doing and new patterns of being by allowing the conversation to be open to all, not just the elite.
However, I do not believe that the Christian community can jump on the train, because I don’t believe that the destination is one where we would like to find ourselves. Postmodernism, at its core, advocates individuality, dissention, and suspicion rather than community. As our body continues to fracture more and more, what is called for is unity rather than separation. Also, while postmodernism has raised our attention to the marginalized voices in our conversation, it has done so typically by silencing and illegitimating the voices in the mainstream, voices that deserved to be heard as well. The emerging church can ill afford to bar anyone from the discussion, as we must humbly admit that we are all merely travelers on the road, and that all travelers will help us to our destination.
I think the time has come where we need to be looking not at how we can become more postmodern in our thinking and practice, but how we can look beyond it to what lies on the horizon. Christians have always followed Christ within the milieu in which they found themselves, be it classical, modern, or postmodern. But regardless of the era, we have always been pointed beyond ourselves to what lies ahead, that is, the Kingdom of God. We can use the tools of the culture while we are here, but we should not get too comfortable with them. This may call for some radical breaks with postmodernism and culture, and I’m sure that debate will be fueled over exactly which elements of postmodernism are worthwhile and which ones must be discarded. We must always remember that God is always doing something new. Modern Christians have at times been lampooned for being a bit behind-the-times, jumping on the wave just as it comes crashing in to shore. Rather than follow the trends, isn’t it possible for us to set them?
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