Postmodernism
It will perhaps be maddening to the reader that I will provide no concrete definition of postmodernism. The reason for this is simply as follows: Postmodernism, in its present state, defies precise definition.[1] The following is a brief explanation.
Brian McLaren has gained popularity at almost record pace in the Christian world. He was named one of Time magazine’s “Top 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America,” a cover story.[2] The “Emergent conversation,” a Christian response to postmodernism inspired by his work, made the cover of Christianity Today.[3] His work with Haselmayer, Sweet, and other Emergents is producing interesting and helpful analyses of postmodernism.[4]
Postmodernism is explained by Emergents to be “broad, diverse, and often paradoxical,” and
that its key trait is dissatisfaction with “reductionistic, mechanistic, analytical philosophies” of modernity or “Enlightenment rationalism.”[5] To make things somewhat confusing, Sweet, McLaren, and Haselmayer believe that postmodernism “does not yet exist.”[6] In other words, it seems that a viable alternative to the stated problems of modernism is not yet set into place. The culture is presently in a dynamic state of flux characterized by cynicism towards modernity, but it is uncertain of where to go from there.
This cynicism is fueled by a definition of postmodernism first laid out by Jean-Francois Lyotard, who wrote, “Simplifying in the extreme, I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives.”[7] A metanarrative is “any founding or overarching story that gives rationale and legitimation for a particular worldview, perspective, or value system.”[8] These overarching stories have been employed to justify oppression against all those who do not believe that particular metanarrative. As Wright notes, it has been discovered that metanarratives “are all power games.”[9] The overarching position of postmodernism is that “claims to truth are largely, if not exclusively, culturally constituted frameworks.”[10] When a certain set of cultural beliefs is sets up as the way the world actually is or should be for everyone, it becomes a metanarrative. While there is much confusion about postmodernism on the whole, its criticism of metanarratives has some justification, for we have all lived through the difficulty of the competing world ideologies of the 20th century.
Note: See “Moving Forward, Looking Backward” category in the right column for previous entries.
[1] A thorough Christian analysis of postmodernism is simply beyond the scope of the
present work. This work seeks to build upon that which was already done by Christian scholars, many of whom will be quoted and referenced here.
[3] Crouch, “The Emergent Mystique.”
[4] Leonard Sweet, Brian D. McLaren, and Jerry Haselmayer A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 239.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7]Jean-Francois Lyotard, quoted in J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh, Truth is Stranger than it Used to Be (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 70.
[8] Sweet, et al, 193
[9] Wright, Challenge, 152.
[10] Thomas Guarino, “Postmodernity and Five Fundamental Theological Issues” Theological Studies Vol. 57 (1996) 662.
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Sarah O 07.02.05 at 6:56 pm
That’s a very concise and workable definition of postmodernism- not all encompassing, but then, how could it be.
I am sure you are already up to your ears in research, but a semi- deistic, though not necessarily Christian, take on what happens after postmodernism can be found in the book “A Brief History of Everything” by Ken Wilbur. I highly highly recommend this to you. Of all his works, this is by far the easiest to read, but it is not at all dumbed down. I would be intersted in your perspective on this book as coming from a Christian place. Also, he has ideas of how to deal with postmodern critiques of metanarrative and mechanistic rationality (things which, as you have noted, are in many ways deserving of critique) which you might find useful.
sro
(also, I doubt either of us intend to be contentious- it is simply sometimes the result of being human and holding passionate beliefs. But I am also looking to learn, not to debunk or disprove you, so I am grateful for any grace you extend my way in understanding that i have a temper and can be snippy)