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Circles, Triangles, and Squaresa look at postmodernism and NAUMS
The Postmodern person desires:1) To transcend the machine2) To find a life of significance3) To be part of a community
How do our methods/approaches appeal toor distance us from Postmoderns?
(Cox, MMin621 Lectures)
Postmodern “worldview” andMainstream Christianity
God outside
inside
“Open Universe”
Christians appear so “sure” about something postmoderns believe cannot be proven (remember, knowledge is flawed...)
Christianity, as a theistic religion, is at odds with postmodernism
But the Postmoderns have benefits to offer...
Nature
Man
God ?(Cox, MMin621 Lectures)
7 Benefits of Postmoderns(Van Gelder, Missiology 2000)
Basically accept a “greater power” is out there
Are asking questions about existence and “reality”
Respect and attend to “stories” more than “lectures”
Value being approached in terms of relationship
Will join causes they see as “significant”
Desire to belong in a community
Know how to relate with other Postmoderns
1) Show who the higher-power is (Acts 17:18-31)
2) Reveals a deeper existence and “reality” (eternity)
3) Shares desirable values in the form of stories
4) Demands relationship (1 John)**
5) Presents mankind with a significant role (Eph 3:9-12)
6) Ideally is a involved family (Acts 2:42ff, 4:34f, etc)
7) Provides training to equip for evangelism (Matt 28:19-20)
Can Christianity Meet the Needs?
Basically accept a “greater power” is out there
Are asking questions about existence and “reality”
Respect and attend to “stories” more than “lectures”
Value being approached in terms of relationship
Will join causes they see as “significant”
Desire to belong in a community
Know how to relate with other Postmoderns
A little bit of History repeating
Before we continue...
Moderns and Postmoderns are in conflict:1) Simply a problem in “style”?2) Weaker/stronger brother issue?3) Doctrinal misunderstandings?
If we truly desire relationship we must ask:
How did we become generationally divided?
Which takes us to Medieval Europe
Medieval Authority Structure
What “-ism” works best here?
God
Church(Pope)
King
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
Reformation
From Medieval to Reformation
God
Church(Pope)
King
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
God
X
King
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Divine Right of Kings”
“Some emerge from Pope's control”
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
Thought Provokers
What good came from a transition in “worldview”?
Removal of “papal” power a good thing?
“Divine right of Kings” a good thing?
Impact on the arts and sciences a good thing?
Expansionist exploration a good thing?
Advances in information technology?
Discussion
Consider the transition betweenMedieval and Reformation...
Do we see similar trends today withthe emerging Postmodern “worldview”?
Emotionally, how does the M-R transition compare to the issues of emerging Postmodern
challenges (how must it have felt to be a Medieval dad/mom with a Reformation child)?
Reformation to Revolution
What “-ism” now?
What issues?
What next?
God
X
King
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Divine Right of Kings”
God
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Not all people defined alike”
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
Reformation to Revolution
God
X
King
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Divine Right of Kings”
God
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Not all people defined alike”
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
Revolution to Science
What “-ism” now?
What issues?
What next?
Revolution to Science
God
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Not all people defined alike”
X
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
If the West Made These Moves... What comes Next??
God
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
“Not all people defined alike”
X
X
X
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
The Challenge of Transition
Transition can be a good thing!
Medieval accepted the rule of a tyrannical PopeReformation rejected, but accepted tyrannical KingsRevolution rejected, but accepted abuse of “lesser” humansScience simply rejected God, but discovered methodology
The methodology has given us Modern “advantages”A sense of controlAnalytical thinkingOrder
Transition can also be very unsettling...
(Cox, MMin621 Lectures)
Urbanization
X
X
X
XX
IndividualsAnimals/Things
“Anonymity”
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
“A terrible and tragic inconsistency and incongruity exists in
America. Merely taking possession of an egg containing the pre-
born American bald eagle – let along if one were to destroy that
little pre-birth environment and thus destroy the baby eagle that is
developing within – results in a stiff fine and even prison time.
Yet one can take a human child in its pre-born environment and
not only murder that child, but also receive government blessing
(and funding – jdk) to do so!. Eagle eggs, i.e., pre-born eagles,
are of greater value to American civilization than pre-born humans!”
Dave Miller “The Silencing of God”Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press, 2008
The Challenge for The Church
How do we reach the Urbanized?
Build a bridgeto the Eden
and Christianideal reality
X
X
X
X
IndividualsAnimals/Things
“Anonymity”
God
NT Church
Government
People(Community/Family)
Animals/Things
(Cox on “Nida”, MMin621 Lectures)
Urbanization and the Bible
“There is nothing new under the sun...”
God's great purpose in Christ more than implies that He has equipped the Church, by His Word, for reaching any of His creation stuck in an “-ism”.
Perhaps the most relevant passage on Urbanization is the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Luke 15:11-32
Being the open arms of Jesus toward our wayward brothers and sisters is our great challenge...
Thought Provokers
If “Existentialism” is essentially “Urbanism”,what does Postmodernism look like?
Remember Joshua 17:6 & 21:25
“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which
was right in his own eyes.”
Thought Provokers
“A Primer on Postmodernism” (Grenz, 1996) clarifies Modernity and Postmodernity by comparing 2 “Star Trek” characters:
Spock
the ideal Modern, but not quite Modern enough
(although nearly completely logical and
scientific, he still struggles with emotion)
Data
completely Modern, but deeply desiring
something else (not to be a machine, to live a life of significance, to enjoy “community”)
