A Lesson on Postmodernism. . .

Postmodernism, I have found, seems to be almost a bad word among a lot of Christians. Below is an article from the Youthworker Journal by Matt Kelley that dispells some of the assumptions regarding this new culture. . .

Postmodernism isn't an outright rejection of modernism in the way that modernism rejected what had come before it. People who are postmodern seek to preserve modern attitudes and philosophies that they find helpful, as well as rediscovering older traditions and ways of thinking. In his book, Postmodern Youth Ministry, Tony Jones identifies several attitudes present within our postmodern culture.

Subjectivity
Postmoderns recognize that it's almost impossible to be objective about anything. Our socio-economic backgrounds, our upbringings, our friends, our educational levels, and everything else about us influence the way we perceive every situation. Even when we simply observe a situation, we interact with it and change it to some degree. Human beings simply cannot be totally objective--and that's okay.

Postmoderns seek to understand more fully what it is that affects the way we see things. Only by recognizing this inherent and inescapable subjectivity can we see more clearly. The result: postmodernism is all about self-awareness.

Truth
Postmoderns also have a nuanced view of truth. Some go as far as to say "there is no Truth with a capital 'T'." As with subjectivity, postmodernism recognizes that what we hold to be true is anchored in fundamental assumptions that vary from person to person. This scares many Christians, because it sounds suspiciously like moral relativism: the idea that there's no absolute truth. While many secular postmoderns certainly fall into the camp of moral relativism, that's not the case with all postmoderns. Postmodern Christians don't necessarily believe that there's no absolute truth, but many believe that it's very hard to understand and even harder to articulate.

The Jewish philosopher Martin Buber believed that truth is the very essence of God, and that God cannot be contained by human language. To be able to understand and articulate something is to exercise a degree of control over it, and we certainly cannot control God. Postmodern Christians believe that truth, like God, is transcendent and can only be encountered through being, not through intellectual understanding.

Questioning
As a result of these attitudes about subjectivity and truth, postmoderns believe that everything must be questioned. This can be another scary thing for Christians, because questioning basic assumptions and things we've taken for granted all our lives can seem to border on heresy. However, postmoderns believe that people can't truly believe something unless they've honestly considered that the alternative might be true. This is very different from the type of apologetics found in Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, or Josh McDowell's More Evidence that Demands a Verdict, which are based on the modern idea of reason and rationale...convincing ourselves beyond any doubt.

Paul Tillich, one of the most important theologians of the 20th century, maintained that doubt is an essential element of true faith. Superficial faith is that which holds on to supposed truths for the sake of security. Tillich said that "this element of uncertainty in faith cannot be removed, it must be accepted." Tillich articulated a postmodern attitude by recognizing that an element of doubt or uncertainty is an integral part of faith precisely because of the radical transcendence of God and God's truth. Because the mortal mind can never "possess" God, the life of faith always involves anxiety.