What is postmodernism? What is objective truth and how is that different to subjective truth? What are differences between postmodernism and modernism? What is absolute truth? How do postmodernism and Christianity relate?
Introduction
Have we set ourselves an
impossible task? Surely it would be easier to climb Mount Everest; at least we
know where the destination is, and other people have already conquered its
heights. Can a discussion on postmodernism and Christian truth come to any
conclusions at all? Is it not all just relative, and our capacity to make particular
judgments on the topic are all flawed and useless, or rather, irrelevant?
We could dive in straight away
and ask what role do rational proofs of the claims of Christianity have in a
postmodern society? But, it is more helpful, in a truly modern way that we
define what is meant by a ‘rational proof’. To be rational is to be ‘having or
exercising reason’[1].
Evans (2002: 98) says that rationalism is the, ‘Conviction that reason provides the best or
even the only path to truth’. To exercise reason means, ‘to
form conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises’[2].
So, a rational proof would be a premise or a conclusion that is made that can
be proven by reason to be true.
Environmentally, a rational proof
would be that photosynthesis is a vital process in ensuring there is the right
amount of oxygen on Earth. Historically, a rational proof would be, that Saddam
Hussein was executed on 30th December, 2006 and therefore greater
peace will come to Iraq in the years ahead. Clearly the first part of the
former statement is objectively true, but the second part is subjectively true.
Another rational proof, this time within the political arena, is that former Australian
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declined in popularity during his first term in
office, and this was the reason Julia Gillard took over the Labor Leadership.
The point is rational proofs can at times be objectively true, yet sometimes
subjectively true. When a statement is objectively true, it is not debatable;
it occurred; it is right and true. Take for example the statement that ‘Prince
William was born’. This is objectively true. Take the statement, ‘Prince
William makes a great search and rescue pilot’. This is subjectively true. Many
may well agree with the statement, but the statement is nonetheless subjective.
The question worth pondering is
whether a postmodernist would even enter into the finer details of this
discussion about truth. The worldview of a postmodernist is that there is no
objective truth and no discussion is worth entering into regarding absolutes
and objective truths because they do not exist. Interestingly, are
postmodernists claiming that there is no absolute, objective truth? Further, is
that statement in itself an absolute statement that merely highlights the
irrationality of the postmodern movement?
Firstly we will delve into the
background of modernism and then explore the transition from modernism to
postmodernism. Following this, the unpacking of the facets that make up
postmodern thinking will be considered, and then how that thinking connects
with Christian truth. Lastly, this whirlwind of rational objectivity and relative
subjectivity will end with a discussion on rational proofs amongst unbelievers
and then rational proofs amongst believers.
Modernism
On any discussion on postmodernism it is helpful to examine the
worldview in which this new worldview derives itself. Simply, postmodernism is
exactly what the name implies; it is ‘post’ the modern worldview. Interestingly
this new, still evolving worldview does not have a name per se, but is by
definition simply a move away from modernism, or as Beardslee says it is the
breaking away from, ‘the determinism of the modern worldview’ (Dockery, 1995:
34). When delving into modernism we
unpack a tradition that holds rationalism up as its trump card, and science and
technology as the foundation for its thoughts and practices. As Bosch writes,
there was a preeminence of reason, and that ‘Rationalism made such superb
sense, particularly since its achievements in science and technology were so
manifest…’ (1991: 350). This in essence was the modern worldview – a view that
embraced accurate knowledge, provable theses and unquestionable, reliable data
(: 350).
Ideas, strategies, thoughts and discoveries were best described
using rationalism in a modern worldview. In fact, new discoveries in any field,
whether it be medicine, theology, science or politics were not generally
adhered to or bought into if the new concept could not be proven step by step,
with reason. This mindset of reason was what encapsulated the modern worldview
for hundreds of years, but in the early to mid-twentieth century, the view
began to change.
Modernism to Postmodernism
The modern paradigm began to shift. In light of both World War I
(1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), the steady trust in the conventional
ways of thinking was breaking down. In the field of Physics in the early
twentieth century saw the likes of Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr communicate
revolutionary new ways of thinking, that shifted the very foundation on which
science built itself (Bosch, 1991: 350). Lyotard places the shift later, saying
that the transition had been under way since the end of the 1950s (1979: 3). This
gradual shift would maneuver every field of thought and practice, from science
to politics to entertainment to a new era of theological thought. Oden writes
that the time span of modernity was 1789 to 1989 and that we now live in ‘after
modern consciousness’ (Dockery, 1995: 25). Actually it is better to place the
ending of the modernist worldview back in the post-Second World War days. Arguably
there are streams of modern thought that still exist today, so to even mention
that the modern worldview has completely shifted is naïve. What interests us
here is the shift in theological thought brought on by the wider societal
shifts of these worldviews. How has our theology changed in light of
postmodernism? More importantly, how has this changed our apologetic task of
communicating the gospel to the world?
The Exploration of Truth in a
Postmodern Worldview
Before engaging in theological discourse related to truth, absolutes
and such, there are general ways of thinking that help to explain the
postmodern worldview. Postmodernism is known to have a suspicion of
‘metanarratives’ and have a focus on the uncertain character of human knowing (Dockery,
1995: 59; Evans, 2002: 95). This assault against rationalism does have some
positives. According to Bosch, it allows rationality to be expanded, and:
One way of
expanding it is to recognize that language cannot be absolutely accurate, that
it is impossible finally to “define” either scientific laws or theological
truth….neither science nor theology “proves”; rather, they “probe”. This
recognition has led to a reevaluation of the role of metaphor, myth, analogy….and
to the rediscovery of the sense of mystery and enchantment (1991: 353).
Postmodernism has the tendency to be suspicious about overly
analytical, scientific and rational approaches to understanding. The meaning of
anything is held to the subjective view of the one who has the view. There is a
suspicion related to linguistics, as Bosch mentioned above and written texts.
In fact as Henry writes, ‘Texts are declared to be intrinsically incapable of
conveying truth about some objective reality’ (Dockery, 1995: 36)[3].
This is really, what is labeled as ‘destructive postmodernism’, where ‘absolute
relativism prevails’ and ‘objective truth is intolerable and nonexistent’ (:
38).
So should we abandon any form of rationality because of this intruding postmodernist worldview? Is reason to be thrown out with the murky bath water of modernism? As Young writes (Bosch, 1991: 353), we need to take the best of the modern science, and politics and philosophy and the others field of knowledge established and developed throughout the modern years. Though, what we should be wary of is ‘reductionism’, that is, the modernist attempt to reduce everything down to absolute, objective, verifiable statements that explain all of reality. In contrast postmodernism offers the ability to rediscover mystery, and to explore new ways of thinking. This does not necessarily contradict all the premises and understanding of the modern worldview but rather expands on it.
So should we abandon any form of rationality because of this intruding postmodernist worldview? Is reason to be thrown out with the murky bath water of modernism? As Young writes (Bosch, 1991: 353), we need to take the best of the modern science, and politics and philosophy and the others field of knowledge established and developed throughout the modern years. Though, what we should be wary of is ‘reductionism’, that is, the modernist attempt to reduce everything down to absolute, objective, verifiable statements that explain all of reality. In contrast postmodernism offers the ability to rediscover mystery, and to explore new ways of thinking. This does not necessarily contradict all the premises and understanding of the modern worldview but rather expands on it.
Postmodernism and Christian Truth
Some like William Lane Craig argue that postmodernism is a lie of
the devil, and that individuals still hold strongly to objective truths, e.g.
the label on a bottle of rat poison (1984: 18). Other apologists and
theologians have provided different thoughts, including Kenneson, who chooses
to embrace postmodernity as a way to engage people with Christianity. He says
that moving away from modernity, ‘gives the church the opportunity to explore
other paradigms without being fixated on such matters as objective truth and
evidentialist and rationalistic justifications for that truth’ (Okholm, 1995:
20).
Kenneson errs on the side of the relativistic Richard Rorty, when
he challenges the Christian’s view of absolute truth in view of Christian
mission. If we claim, for instance, that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Universe,
then from his viewpoint:
…that
lordship must be visible somewhere; it can never be objectively true, nor
should we desire it to be, for such a desire not only requires us to bow down
to the modernist god of objectivity, but more importantly, it involves us in denying
our very reason for being (Phillips, 1995: 168).
He closely relates a Christian’s embodiment of the gospel, with
the truth the Christian is claiming. He seemingly says that if a Christian, for
instance, is not living the lordship of Christ in their life (whatever that
objectively means) then the statement is not valid. Surely, the truth of such a
statement (the reality of the Lordship of Christ) is mutually exclusive to the
behaviours in which one chooses to live out in relation to that truth. Let me
say, that if the statement is: “Libraries have an extensive array of knowledge
within the books on its shelves” and I choose to not read any of the books and
choose not to avail myself of that knowledge, it no less changes the truth of
the original statement. Kenneson’s postmodernist view on Christian truth is
classic postmodern monologue; after finishing reading his explanation on
relativism and objective truth you are left without clear reasoning on why
objective truth apparently is not important. You are left wondering on what
foundation an evangelical can even build their theology (See Phillips, 1995:
155-170).
Some concern must be raised to a mere embracing of everything
postmodern, and neglecting the truths espoused through various epochs (medieval
era, the reformation, modernism, etc) throughout the history of the Christian
Church. Take for instance, the credibility of the historical evidence for the
resurrection of Jesus, which includes documented evidence of over 500 eye
witnesses to a risen Christ. A destructive postmodernist would call all
historical documents fabrications and label them as distorted realities based
on human’s infallible attempts to describe their circumstances. By chasing a
rabbit down this hole of relativity, we lose any grasp of truth we think we
had, and we stifle the exploration of Christian truth, as we find ourselves
questioning every little theological thought we communicate.
Importantly though, on the other hand, we need not lift up
modernism as the perfect worldview with a patent on truth that no one can
question. We must forge ahead with understanding the gospel and the biblical
writings in this new worldview of postmodernism. We must also refine our
thinking on missiology, ecclesiology and Christian apologetics within this new
era of thought and practice. The postmodern worldview challenges our overly
rationalistic, analytic way of theologizing. Grenz writes about postmodern
evangelical theology when he comments, ‘It must embody the biblical
understanding that the cognitive dimension does not exhaust either the human
person, reality as a whole, or the truth of God’ (Dockery, 1995: 85). He
continues to say that it opens up the place of ‘mystery’ within the context of
theology and rational truth. It sounds like the words of Colossians 2:2 where
the Apostle Paul encourages his readers to ‘know the mystery of God’.
When
considering Christianity and the rational proofs it communicates, our mind
might ponder the statement, ‘Jesus died on a cross’. There is enough historical
evidence to clearly define this statement to be objectively true. The doctrine
of the atonement that says, ‘Jesus died for the sins of humanity’, goes a step
further. This conclusion is saying that Jesus did not just die at a literal
time in history, like many others under Roman persecution in the first century,
but that through his death he offered atonement to the world. Is this
objectively true or subjectively true? The postmodernist would say that it is
subjectively true, and that is because, to the postmodernist, truth is
relative.
Let’s consider a little closer this idea of Christian truth, or
rather the rational proofs of Christianity. Two perspectives come quickly to
mind; firstly, the role of rational proofs for unbelievers and secondly the
role of rational proofs for believers within a postmodern worldview.
Rational Proofs and Unbelievers
If we are speaking evangelically, that is, reaching an unbeliever
with the transforming message of Christ, then objective truths may not be the
avenue in which that person comes to faith in Christ. A postmodernist will not
be wooed by intellectual rational proofs deriving themselves from a seemingly
modernist Western World construct called Christianity. I agree with Kenneson
(Phillips, 1995: 155-170) in the challenge for Christians to live out and
embody the theological truths they communicate and that unbelievers will then
and only then be captured by the reality of the gospel message. While his
inability to concede in any objective
truth is concerning, it is clearly true that unbelievers are no longer swayed
by fancy, analytical apologetics, that highlight rational proofs of
Christianity. This is not to say, that rational proofs are not important, it is
merely conceding that rational proofs in reaching people with the message of
Jesus is not the primary way people begin to have faith in Jesus. We only have
to observe the faith journey of friends and family who have become followers of
Christ, and we see Christians forming and establishing strong, close
relationships with unbelievers, and through the embodiment of the gospel in
their own life, the friend is drawn closer to Christ.
Rational Proofs and Believers
For a Christian there seems to be
a greater passion to seek out ‘truth’ than someone who is not a Christian. This
is because partly within the Christian church there is a focus on doctrine and
the understanding of facets of the faith you ascribe to. It also relates to
biblical verses impressed upon the Christian, like Psalm 25:5, ‘Guide me in
your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior…’ Within the book of Matthew
alone, as translated by the NIV, Jesus says 30 times, ‘I tell you the truth’
followed or preceded by a descriptive theological point. The Christian disciple
quickly learns that Jesus is concerned with truth and therefore he/she should
be concerned also. The word ‘truth’ or as other versions render it, ‘truly’ is
actually the Greek word αμην which is
pronounced ‘amen’. Unarguably the translation for ‘amen’ is ‘so be it’ when
used by itself. So, Jesus proclaims aspects of the Kingdom of God, his nature,
and faith, and he says, let these things be so. They are truth. A statement too
definitive for the postmodernist, no doubt, but a clear, biblical example of
the focus and significance Jesus holds towards people engaging with rational
proofs of Christianity. Some may acknowledge the vagueness of some of Jesus’
statements when communicating with the disciples or the crowds, which is
rightly noted. Clearly though, Jesus did not intend his words to be mere
relative discourse that held no objective meaning to his listeners. For
instance he says on a number of occasions that he will be killed and on the
third day he will rise again. Plenty of historical evidence exists recording the literal rising of Christ from the grave on the third day. This was not a
relative statement. What he said became true, and was fulfilled as objective
truth when he actually rose from the
dead.
Conclusion
When we engage in theological
thinking, we are attempting to understand the nature of God better. This
pursuit of theological truth will always exist amongst the people of God, as
Christians attempt to grasp the reality of their faith, and how it affects
their life and the people around them. The fact is though, that people pursue
theological understanding differently, and the emergence of a postmodernist
worldview from a modernist worldview has widened the chasm of different
theological understanding.
Henry (cited in Dockery, 1995:
44) writes that, ‘Theology is a lost cause if it is disengaged from the pursuit
of universal truth.’ What Henry is saying, is that, without striving after
‘universal truth’ then theology is useless. Regardless of someone’s worldview
(postmodern, modern, etc), if we are not seeking after real answers to
questions about God, then what is the point of theology? If understanding the
Christian faith merely informs us on a particular moral code to live out
(according to our own interpretation of the Scriptures), and provides the
occasional nice psychological message for secularists, then truth is
compromised.
As we have seen that while
missiologically the postmodernist may not participate warmly to the theological
discussion of truth, the postmodern evangelical is more likely to wrestle with
grasping the rational proofs of their faith. So as we descend from our
seemingly impossible mountain climb of rationalism and postmodernism, we find
ourselves continuing the journey; the journey that takes us down roads of
discovery and mystery as we embody the gospel in our everyday lives.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bosch, David
J. (1991). Transforming Mission: Paradigm
Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll,
New York: Orbis Books.
Craig,
William Lane (1984). Reasonable Faith:
Christian Truth and Apologetics.
Wheaton,
Illinois: Crossway.
Dockery,
David S. (1995). The Challenge of Postmodernism:
An Evangelical Engagement.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic.
Evans, C.
Stephen (2002). Pocket Dictionary of
Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion.
Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Gundry,
Stanley N. & Cowan, Steven B. (2000). Five
Views on Apologetics. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Zondervan.
Lyotard,
Jean-Francois (1979). The Postmodern
Condition: A Report on Knowledge.
Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis.
McLaren,
Brian & Campolo, Tony. (2003). Adventures
in Missing the Point. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Zondervan.
Phillips,
Timothy R. & Okholm, Dennis L. (1995). Christian
Apologetics in the Postmodern
World. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity
Press.
Rorty,
Richard (1991). Objectivity, Relativism
and Truth. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Also: A comedian’s view on postmodernism:
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