nothing is yet in its true form

I am currently in the research phase of developing a class about postmodernism for my church.  I had to do some major soul searching before I taking on the task largely due to my own doubts about the necessity of such a course.  Is postmodernism a term that is on the lips of the average parishioner?  Will we be talking about postmodernism in 10 years?  In 50 years? (I feel very sure we will still be talking about subjects such as Hermeneutics or Christian Disciplines in 100 years.)  How can a class on postmodernism be formative and not simply informative?  These are questions I’ve been wrestling with as I have mulled over whether to teach this class.  After considering it for over a month, I’ve decided that yes I will develop and teach the class, but that does not mean I have answers to the questions I just asked.

As I’ve been developing a reading list (currently 33 books strong) for myself in preparation for the class, I’ve been thinking about the true significance of the postmodern movement (or any human movement for that matter).  I’ve been learning that when it comes to Christianity and Postmodernism, there are many types of people.  But most interesting to me are the Christian alarmists, Postmodern Christian alarmists, Postmodern alarmists and Unaware (or apathetic) Modern Christian.

The Christian Alarmist views postmodernism as utterly anti-Christian, and thus is stacking the sandbags for the oncoming postmodern flood.  Most of these people are reacting against a movement they are unfamiliar with.  They usually are unable to name the postmodern authors, works, or basic concepts.

The Postmodern Christian Alarmist considers him or herself to be postmodern, in the sense that he is uncomfortable with what modernity has done to Christianity.  This individual embraces what he or she agrees with from every era of thought and rejects what he or she disagrees with.  This individual is an alarmist in the sense that he sees the postmodern shift to be a pivotal moment in the life of the church.  To borrow a John Shelby Spong title, this individual believes that Christianity Must Change or Die.

The Postmodern Alarmist is an individual whose cynical, anti-authority worldview makes them seem like much more of a threat than they really are.  These people usually have an anarchist or atheistic worldview when it comes to religion.  Much of the time they are predicting the imminent apocalypse of deism.

The Unaware (or Apathetic) Modern Christian can be either a liberal or conservative Christian who is content with his or her church as it is.  Largely these Christians are members of stagnant congregations.  What is interesting about these individuals is that their theological background is largely unimportant because their view fo Christianity involves Christians and has little to do with the secular world.

You might be asking yourself, “What is the significance of these types of people?”  Well frankly, I’m not sure.  It is unclear to me at this point whether any of these people will make a huge difference on history as we shift from modernism to postmodernism to post-postmodernism.  What I am sure of, is that postmodernism presents no more of a threat to the Church than the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Crusades, the Enlightenment or the Theory of Evolution.  Is it crucial that we understand it?  Yes, just as key to any good missiology is an understanding of the context in which the gospel is preached.  Is it a sign of the apocalypse?  No, and those who disagree are probably embracing the kingdoms of this world more than the Kingdom of God.

I should point out that none of these thoughts are particularly organized or even coherrent.  Expect more of this as I am wrapping my mind around Postmodernism 101.