Seeping Postmodernism
There's been a rather interesting broad-sweeping discussion going on 'tween Doug Wilson and Andrew Sandlin on the standard postmodernism vs. modernism vs. & what it means for how Christians should go about their business.
Rev. Wilson's first article is here. And Rev. Sandlin's first response here. You can pretty much find your way around from that point.
I largely agree with Rev. Sandlin's take on things, but I'd also introduce into the discussion the issue of the weakness of a correspondence theory of truth/knowledge and some other issues. As best I can tell thus far is that Rev. Wilson started from the standpoint of postmodernism being "wrong", and therefor hasn't taken the opportunity to understand some of its good & needed correctives to American Enlightenment Protestantism. I surmise that he's taken the antagonistic position from the outset, so it should come as no surprise that an entire body of thought (as much as postmodernism could be considered organized into a "body") has been summarily (and vehemently) dismissed. It's a baby with the bathwater sortof thing.
Rev. Wilson states:
"We are not being summoned to cordial discourse between various local faith communities, with the faith once delivered being treated as though it is nothing more than the grammar of our particular community."
Actually, Rev. Wilson, you and the Moscow "camp" are being summoned to cordial discourse, at least within the larger Body of Christ, the "world" can wait until later. Our broader "Faith Community" would love a Christ like engagement with all of its members instead of finding itself all too often on one parts self described "serrated edge."
Of course, you think we all should be ever on that "edge", but at that point I'm not so sure the entire serrated edge discussion isn't anything but rhetorical huff n' puff to defends one love of pulling his siters hair and throwing rocks at his brothers. It's my struggle, and I think, ours.
Nothing bad ever came out of the Church being on-its-knees together humble.
| By Josiah Roe | 07:05 PM
Comments
I've always wished that preachers would focus on the critique of modernism as positioned by Polanyi and spoken to the church by Newbiggen, NT Wright, Mclaren and others rather than see Postmodernism as Derrida and Foucault exclusively. Postmodernism is not just relativism. The simplistic perspective also refuses to admit that modern certainty is at most 400 years old (Descartes) and the fact that it is failing as a project means little to the confidence we can have in the value of our faith.
Enjoy...
Posted by: Rob Hatch at January 4, 2005 09:32 PM
Aww, what's wrong with relativism? The church could use a good dose.
Posted by: ryan at January 5, 2005 12:33 AM
Exactly, Rob. And this is a key mistake when most evangelicals deal with postmodernism: they treat it as modern relativism, and it is *not* relativism.
Posted by: Phil at January 5, 2005 09:04 AM
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