Modernity and Modernity and PostmodernityPostmodernity

© John Stevenson, 2008

2 Corinthians 10:3-52 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh,

we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Class ObjectivesClass Objectives• To understand the impact of modernity

and post modernity upon Christianity

• To consider the roots of contemporary evangelicalism

• To analyze the workings and pulse of popular culture in order to reflect Christianly about it

Pre-modernity

Truth derived from higher

authority (God)

Modernity Postmodernity

Truth derived from science and

rationale

Truth seen as relative; becomes

whatever I choose

God is the authority

Science is the authority

There is no authority

Man seeks to conform himself to the way things

are

Man seeks to conform the way things are to his

own will

Man seeks to bring himself into harmony with the

way things are

There is no absolute truthThere is no absolute truth

• Seen when people speak of something “being true to you.”

• The statement is made in an absolute manner.

There is no absolute truthThere is no absolute truth

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me”

John 14:6

Knowledge is not necessarily goodKnowledge is not necessarily good

• Modernism thought that knowledge is an end it itself.

• Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1).

There is no Meta-narrativeThere is no Meta-narrative

• A meta-narrative is a story that explains the way things are

• This is a denial, not merely of Christianity, but of all meta-narratives

For God so loved the world, that He

gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John

3:16)

Identification with the environmentIdentification with the environment

• “Mother earth”

• Humanity is seen by some as a blight on the world

• “When people do not believe in the God, they don’t believe in no God, they will believe in anything” - Chesterton.

What is man’s biblical relationship to the earth?

Relativism in communityRelativism in community

• Absolute values considered acceptable as long as they are in community.

• Acceptable to evangelize individuals, but not people groups

Truth is relativeTruth is relative

• There are a great variety of truths; the fact that they contradict each other is irrelevant.

Truth is relativeTruth is relative

Importance of ImageImportance of Image

• Image and story more important than fact or word.

• Cyberspace versus “real space.”

Anti-authoritarianAnti-authoritarian

• Suspicion of authority.

The “Anti-Hero”

Anti-authoritarianAnti-authoritarian

• Suspicion of authority.

• Man’s “authority problem” goes back to the Garden of Eden.

Anti-authoritarianAnti-authoritarian

• Suspicion of authority.

• Man’s “authority problem” goes back to the Garden of Eden.

• Man sees himself as passing judgment on God.

The Cross was The Cross was when God passed when God passed judgment on Godjudgment on God

2 Corinthians 10:3-52 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh,

we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…