Postmodernism I. Introduction A. Many times we perhaps wonder why it is so difficult to preach the Gospel to people these days B. We also wonder what has changed so from the days when people actually had firm conviction and doctrinal debates could go on C. Many of the differences are due to a shift in philosophy/forms of thinking over the past century D. Postmodernism has taken hold and in its various forms represent the views of a majority of persons today E. The current lack of concern regarding specifics of doctrine, the growing attitude that everyone is the judge for themselves of what is right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude that everyone should just keep their own belief to themselves are due in many ways to inroads of postmodern thinking 1. This is how we can explain why the two matters that ought to require the most discussion, religion and politics, are now the two things you do not talk about and be good company 2. Therefore, it is less and less acceptable to speak of one's faith F. If we're going to be able to promote the cause of Christ among people during our lifetime, we are going to have to understand a bit about the postmodern thinking that has permeated our society 1. What exactly is postmodernism? 2. What has postmodernism impacted? 3. What about postmodernism can be of benefit? What hinders Christ's cause? 4. What do the Scriptures have to say and do about all of these things? 5. Let us explore these questions, and others, today II. What is Postmodernism A. The term "postmodernism" seems rather odd; after all, how can you have anything "after" what is modern? B. In reality, postmodernism is a reaction to the earlier school of thought known as modernism C. Modernism is the umbrella term to describe the patterns of thought from Descartes in the seventeenth century through the nineteenth century 1. Modernism is marked by an optimism regarding the abilities of man to know and to act 2. Modernism accepts absolutes and was in many ways the search to determine the absolute laws dictating our existence 3. Modernism accepts the idea of objective truth and seeks to determine it D. Postmodernism, coming out of the changes in science and the two world wars, is the reaction to these ideas 1. Postmodernism is marked by cynicism regarding mankind 2. Postmodernism rejects any concept of "absolutes" and advocates each person to establish his or her own guiding truth 3. Postmodernism considers all truth subjective 4. Postmodernism is suspicious even of what humans presume they can know E. Postmodernism is not one unified school, and there are differences in opinion regarding many matters, but its general tenets as outlined above have been highly influential in how most people today look at the world F. Let us see how postmodernism has impacted many areas of life III. Postmodernism's Impact A. Promotion of atheism 1. Postmodernism, with its denial of any absolutes and the emphasis on subjectivity, promotes atheism and finds many adherents in atheism 2. After all, if there is no absolute, there really can be no God who is absolute B. Promotion of ecumenicalism 1. While many in various religious communities will not agree with postmodernism to the point of not believing in God, they do accept the subjectivist nature of "truth" 2. Hence, different denominations who believe different things can "agree to disagree" and to promote "unity" and not be bothered by it 3. This is the primary reason why we do not see the debating of doctrinal issues, the sharp disagreements between different denominations, and the difficulties between the denominations as in older times: postmodernism undermines the substantive ground of disagreement by denying man's ability to know the truth C. Moral relativism 1. With the lack of absolutes, there no longer is much of a semblance of moral code guiding the life of everyone 2. When each person is to establish his own path, we should not be surprised to see people engaging in every kind of immorality D. Relativism in Language 1. Postmodernism also emphasizes the subjectivity of language, and acts as if language cannot be fully understood since it changes by the whim of mankind 2. The only meaning that is present is the meaning you take from whatever you hear or read E. While there are many more ways in which postmodernism impacts our society, such are sufficient to show the prevalence of these ideas in the mainstream culture of our day IV. The Problems with Postmodernism A. Postmodernism in many ways represents a significant threat to the Christian faith B. Postmodernism denies the presence of any absolutes 1. Now, to those of us who are more of the modern school, this statement is ludicrous, since it would represent an absolute in and of itself 2. That contradiction does not seem to bother postmodernists, since contradiction is to them part of life and not a problem to unravel 3. This postmodern viewpoint gives reinforcement to those who would deny the existence of God 4. We know, of course, that there is an absolute: God, and that what He says and does is absolute (Genesis 1:1) 5. But how can you try to prove the existence of God to those who deny the existence of absolutes? 6. The only hope is to try to show them that there is more to this world than just what any individual person can perceive 7. One could try to do what God did with Job in Job 38-41 and establish the presence of God by His creative act 8. If one can be convinced of the truth of Isaiah 55:9-10, well and good! 9. Yet many will not, and continue to deny any form of absolute, including God C. Postmodernism denies the presence of objective truth and man's ability to know that truth 1. The Bible is clear: Jesus is THE truth (John 14:6), and that man is able to know the truth (John 8:32) 2. Neither idea, however, carries much weight in postmodern thinking: they would see "truth" in all religions, and gristle at the exclusivity of the Christian message 3. Likewise, they would argue that man cannot really know the truth since man is fallible and can be wrong, both us today and the men who wrote the Bible, because of course the postmodernist would deny the inspiration of the Bible 4. The difficulties in attempting to show the truth of the Bible to such persons are great, since our confidence in the Scriptures are based on faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6)! 5. We can do our best by showing them the historical evidences supplementing the claims of the Christian faith, and hoping that the Lord will grant them repentance 6. Likewise, within the religious world, we are considered strange and outmoded for placing such importance on believing the Gospel as God has established it, and are charged as being "exclusive" or "cultic" 7. Never mind, of course, that these very same groups were involved in similar disputations a century or more ago; they are the ones who have departed from concern about doctrine, and will have to stand in judgment on account of it (Galatians 1:6-9) 8. We should not be persuaded to give up the idea of not only right practice but also right belief (1 Peter 3:15)! D. The moral relativism inherent in postmodernism leads plenty to do as they desire 1. The Bible, of course, establishes God as the author of what is right and wrong (Galatians 5:19-23) 2. Postmodernism gristles at the idea of one's conduct so structured in terms of "righteousness" and "sin" 3. How can you get someone to look toward God for answers? Most often by the bankruptcy that can be perceived in the morally relative life 4. Many times people will see how the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) 5. Unfortunately, many more remain in that state E. Postmodernism denies our ability to understand the Bible 1. Postmodernism would posit that we cannot really understand the Bible since not only are we not ancient Hebrews or Greeks and therefore cannot understand the cultural context fully, but also we cannot have full confidence that Hebrew and Greek means what we think they mean in English, or that our English means what we think it means 2. It is not really considered, of course, that if what postmodernism says is really true, that we would not be able to understand what postmodernism is saying since it would require language to communicate such! 3. Postmodernism has proven amenable to "hermeneutical agnosticism," having an interpretation of Scripture but not proving willing to stand for it or its accuracy 4. We know that God can be known to us (Hosea 6:3), and God has revealed Himself through His word (Psalm 119:160, John 17:17) 5. Hopefully we can convince others to recognize that language indeed can be understood by man! V. Postmodernism is Not Entirely Bad A. The negatives regarding postmodernism are significant indeed, but it would be remiss of us to think that everything about postmodernism is bad B. In reality, modernism had its excesses and was not balanced, and while postmodernism has reacted too far in the other direction, postmodernism can highlight for us some of these excesses of modernism C. Mankind cannot know everything 1. Isaiah 55:9-10 indicates that God's ways are higher than our ways, and Job 38-41 indicates that we cannot understand the intricacies of all things 2. We need to realize that we are not going to know everything 3. We can understand and know what God has revealed to us, absolutely; but there is plenty that is true that we simply cannot comprehend, and we need to recognize that 4. Examples: the idea of infinity, God as Three in One or One in Three, etc. D. Not everything in Spiritual Matters is Mandated in a Particular Way 1. Romans 14 indicates that there are some matters of no consequence to God, and therefore multiple practices can be allowed 2. This is abhorrent to the idea of objective truth in "modern" terms, but yet is present in the Scriptures 3. There certainly are matters that are not to be compromised, but such does not mean that there is to be no compromise on anything! 4. Examples: eating of meat, color of clothes, particular Bible version, etc. 5. Likewise there are many times when different interpretations have legitimacy in terms of different contexts or audiences, particularly in terms of the near context of the Old Testament compared to its Christological or ecclesiological fulfillment E. Language does have some ambiguity 1. It is true that all language is metaphor: there is nothing inherent about any concept or object that demands the particular English (or French, or Greek, or Hebrew, etc.) term used to describe it 2. It is important for us to do our best to understand how language is being used, especially in spiritual matters 3. We must be on the watch for language that we should take at face value, language that is metaphorical, and other devices in language, and interpret properly VI. Conclusion A. We have spent some time today looking at postmodernism B. We have seen postmodernism for what it really is: a reaction to modernism, and a reaction that is too extreme to continue 1. Man requires more structure than what postmodernism would advocate 2. Even in this modern absence of structure, each person creates their own structure 3. At some point, the excesses of postmodernism, its complete denial of absolutes, its denial of objectivity, its concept of language, its moral relativism, will fade C. Regardless, postmodern thinking is a major force with which we must reckon today D. Let us do what we can to promote the Gospel, and to show people that there is indeed a God! E. Invitation/songbook F. No matter what man's philosophy may say (Colossians 2:8-9), there is a God, and He has sent His Son to die for our sin G. If you have not obeyed Christ Jesus, you have the opportunity today H. If you have obeyed Jesus, but have not done as well as you ought, or simply require encouragement, we can also help you now I. Please come to the front as we stand and sing Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: Pilate saith unto [Jesus], "What is truth"? (John 18:38). Pilate's sarcastic question has resonated in sincerity in the minds and hearts of people throughout time. Many today are influenced by postmodernism and wonder what truth is, whether there is such a thing as "the truth," and if it could be known. We do well to affirm the truth of God in Christ and live accordingly! 2: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). For all its faults postmodernism ought to remind us of one great reality: we humans do not know everything. We cannot know everything. We are always biased and subjective in thought. Yet, as Scripture reveals, God does know what we do not, for He is greater than us. Let us trust in God and not in ourselves! 3: Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Postmodernism is as too strong a reaction as modernism was an action; the pendulum has swung beyond the reality of existence. Jesus expresses the fundamental truth of existence: God is, and since Jesus is God, Jesus is as well. So it is that Jesus is the way, truth, and life, and we do well to trust in Him! 4: Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8). Christians have as much business being postmodernists as they did being modernists, that is, none at all. Philosophies of men have some truth in them, but also some deviance; they cannot sufficiently explain the human condition in the creation. The only way to make sense of life is through Jesus of Nazareth; let us therefore root ourselves in Him!