Postmodernism and the Christian Faith

1. Postmodernism and the Christian Faith

2. Introduction • Personal Testimony at University of Wisconsin • Beliefs • God • Jesus lived, taught, and died on the cross • Bible had authority • Absolute Right and Wrong • Truth could be discovered • Apostles Creed and the 10 commandments • Heaven and Hell

3. What is Postmodernism? • We need to ask the expert, the master, the preeminent scholar and icon of postmodern thought!

4. Bart Simpson

5. What is Postmodernism? Duh!

6. What is Postmodernism? Who Cares!

7. What is Postmodernism? It means what you want it to mean!

8. What is Postmodernism? There isn’t really an certain answer to that question!

9. What is Postmodernism? Actually the answer does not exist!

10. What is Postmodernism? Whatever!

11. What is Postmodernism? At first it seems that Bart did not help us out that much but maybe he did.

12. The Three Major Periods Related to Modernity (General) Pre-Modern:NT up to Enlightenment. Questions concerning the truth were addressed directly to Bible and/or Church. An atmosphere of confidence governed the expectation that agreement in understanding could be reached. Belief in the supernatural and that God was acting in history. .

13. The Three Major Periods Related to Modernity (General) Modernity: Enlightenment through most of 20th century. Most begin it in 1641 A.D. by French Philosopher Rene Descartes’ famous statement, cogito ergo sum = I think therefore I am. An atmosphere of trust remained in the individual’s rational capacity, but everything else was submitted to doubt especially matters related to church and church belief. Truth and the greater good was to be pursued and obtained intellectually through human reason and science. The stories of the supernatural (Bible) was relegated to purely naturalistic explanations. Since God did not act in history man was responsible for his own fate.

14. Modernity: The Triumph of Reason The Tenets of Modernity • True knowledge is determined with certainty by reason • Two levels of knowledge: objective/scientific (open to debate) and subjective/spiritual/moral (only personal conviction) • World exists in cause-effect relationship • Knowledge is good; facts are “value-free” • Progress and scientific discovery will lead to better world and happiness • Humanity basically good and reason can solve all problems • Individuals are autonomous in society and have rights society must honor Graham Johnston, Preaching to a Post-Modern World, Baker, 2001, pp. 25-26

15. The Three Major Periods related to modernity (General) Post-Modern: 1980s to Present: There is a suspicion that any understanding is achievable through rational methods. Questions the objectivity of the modern method and assumes biases in any modern method. It is a rejection a reaction against modernism. Ideas were around after WWII but the theory gained some of its strongest ground early on in French academia. In 1979 Jean-François Lyotard wrote a short but influential work The Postmodern Condition : a report on knowledge. Jean Baudrillard, Michel Foucault, and Roland Barthes are also strongly influential in postmodern theory.

16. The Three Major Periods related to modernity (General) Wikipedia formal definition: the condition of Western society aftermodernity. . . .in the era of postmodern culture, people have rejected the grand, supposedly universal stories and paradigms such as religion, conventional philosophy, capitalism and gender that have defined culture and behavior in the past, and have instead begun to organize their cultural life around a variety of more local and subculturalideologies, myths and stories. Furthermore, it promotes the idea that all . . . paradigms are stable only while they fit the available evidence, and can potentially be overturned when phenomena occur that the paradigm cannot account for, and a better explanatory model (itself subject to the same fate) is found.

17. Welcome to Our Post-Modern World Pilate’s Question Lives ON!! “What IS the truth?” The Postmodern answers with: “The Truth Is Out There” Never “in here.” You will never know it even if it is there.

18. Post-Modernity: The Triumph of Ignorance The Tenets of Post-Modernity (Johnston, 26) • Reacting to the all the tenets of Modernity • Reject idea of objective truth • Suspicious and skeptical of authority (family, government and society) • In search of identity apart from knowledge but through relationship • No morality, only expediency • In search of transcendence, to experience otherness

19. Post-Modernity: The Triumph of Ignorance • Material and media-driven girls and boys • In quest of meaningful community • The “knowing smirk” at anyone who says they know the truth

20. Modernity’s View of Life Romantic view of life Have a purpose Design Hierarchy Word-oriented A completed work Analysis from a distance Creation/synthesis Metaphysics (philosophy that deals with first principles to explain the nature of reality) “Father Knows Best” Post-Modernity’s View of Life Absurd view of life Play instead Chance Anarchy Silence-oriented Work in process Analysis thru participating Deconstruction/antithesis Irony “The Simpsons” Modernism vs. Post-Modernism

21. The postmodernist umpire says: “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call ‘em the way I see ‘em!” The modernist umpire says: “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call ‘em the way they are!” The radical postmodernist umpire says: “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and they ain’t nothing until I call ‘em!” Walter Truett Anderson, Reality is not what it used to be.

22. The Introduction to a “Simpsons” (Quoted in Johnston, p. 30) “Hello, I am Leonard Nimoy. The following tale of alien encounters is true, and by true I mean false. It’s all lies, but they are entertaining lies and, in the end, isn’t that the real truth? The answer is . . . No.”

23. The Attacks of Post-Modernity • The attack on communication • The attack on objectivity • The attack on veracity • The attack on meaning and understanding • The attack on the idea of “truth”

24. Modern and Postmodern Approaches to the Bible • Things We Sometimes Hear • “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” • “The Bible can be made to say anything you want.” • “You can’t really understand the Bible. It is full of contradictions.” • “People can justify anything from the Bible.” • “No one can understand the true meaning of anythinganyone says.” • This is what the Bible means to me. • What works for you is fine; what works for me is fine, whatever.

25. Thought Questions • How can I effectively communicate the gospel in a post-modern environment? • How can I communicate the gospel in a pluralistic environment? • If I make a change in my approach or what I say am I being faithful to God’s word?

26. Suggested General Method • Have to use different starting points in introducing spiritual truth to people. • Have to start where they at and are ready to accept. • We have to get into their world; bridge the gap by introducing spiritual truth into their world in a way they can accept. • Thus friendship evangelism would seem to me to be the best way to reach the postmodern generation. • Crusades, Church, Bible thumping, tract distribution are for many with the postmodern mind just a turn off to be rejected with all other forms premodernism and modernism.

27. Suggested General Method • We still cannot compromise the basic message of the gospel: Saved by faith alone in Christ alone. • However, God is sovereign and he does and is using many methods. • Not all people even young people are postmodern.

28. Suggested General Method for Postmodern Evangelism Different starting points\same ending point

29. The Example of Paul in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-6) • Starting Point • Synagogue OT Scriptures • Jewish people, Devout Greeks (worshipped the God of Israel) • Finishing Point • Christ suffered and rose from the dead • Result • Some Jews many Greeks responded in faith: Church planted • Opposition and persecution by Jewish leaders

30. The Example of Paul in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) • Starting Point (Acts 17: 16-29) • Synagogue: Jewish people, Devout Greeks • Marketplace with Greek philosophers • Epicureanism: Epicurus (341-270 BC) sensible pleasure and happiness (not self indulging hedonism) is the beginning and end of living the good life. • Stocism (Zeno of Cyprus, 336-263 BC) People should be self sufficient and individualistic. Most dominant view of 1st century. • Altar to the Unknown God • God as creator (24-25) • God has determined our times and where we live (e.g., he is sovereign, (26)). • God as sustainer and provider (28) • He wants us to seek him (27) • Poet and Stoic Philosopher (We are God’s offspring, 28-29) (the Stoic Cleanthes (331-232 BC, Hymn to Zeus). • Don’t think his nature is silver or gold or stone (29).

31. The Example of Paul in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) • Finishing Point (Acts 17:30-31) • Repentance • An “Appointed Man” whom God raised from the dead • Result (Acts 17:33-34) • Sneering, mocking • Some believed

32. Postmodern Starting Points • Getting into their world. What are their interests and current life experiences? • Studies • Work • Music • Sports • Relationships • Good • Broken or Bad • Deaths • Perceived needs that they have

33. Postmodern Starting Points • Johnston’s Suggestions • Use dialogue not one way conversation • Use the inductive method of teaching; do not get to the main point until the end. Let them discover spiritual truth with you. • Use story telling more • Use personal testimony how the truth affects you • Use Audiovisuals, drama, art • Use humor to greater degrees, irony, paradox • Speak in terms of spirituality not religion and church

34. Concluding Thoughts from J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. • Humanly speaking evangelism is a hopeless task. The sovereignty of God in grace gives us our only hope. • It is not right when we regard ourselves as responsible for securing converts, and to look to our own enterprise and techniques to accomplish what only God can accomplish. The terms of our calling are to be faithful not successful.

35. Sowing and Reaping Matt 13:3 Behold the sower went out to sow . . . . .