I was studying for my Church History 2 final this morning, when I came across some very interesting commentary on interactions between the Church and the postmodern culture in which we currently live. One particularly poignant section of the lecture discussed the Challenges of a Postmodern World. They were as follows:
1. Relativism - "almost every student entering the university says he believes that the truth is relative"
2. Individualism - "We share public space with people in church but do not really know many people or share in true community with them."
3. Fragmentation - Our proliferation of denominations, sub-groups, and branches within Christianity confronts our "need to learn to work together for the cause of the gospel."
4. Division between the head-centered and the heart-centered - people are typically either restless experientialists (feeling-oriented; grasping after novelties and entertainment; eschew solid study and disciplined meditation), or entrenched intellectualists (orthodoxy is everything; rigid; argumentative; critical; experiences don't mean much for them). We need both the heart and the mind.
5. Self-centeredness - overly concerned about "ourselves, our rights, our desires and interests," instead of being God-centered
6. Growing hostility toward people of the faith - increase in institutionalized persecution and martyrdom around the world
My question is this:
How has our discussion of worldview thus far encountered these issues? In our discussions are we actually becoming more able to interact with this sort of culture or are we merely building up our own egos/agendas? How can we encourage dialogue amongst ourselves that will counteract the negative effects of our culture?
Your comments are appreciated and expected.
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1 comment:
1. This is less important than most think. It's merely the bulwark behind which those who refuse to engage hide behind, and feel good about their "position".
2. In comparison with other cultures which are dependant on their communities, sure, we're individualistic. But only as far as it is comfortable. When people are lonely, they usually adress that need.
3. I don't think we're that much more fragmented than the church in most other time periods. Theologically, ideologically, the church has been more unified. However, it's not like the church of Vienna was hanging out with the church at Rome during church picnics. I would argue that all churches are working for the cause of the gospel.
4. Experience oriented seekers are post-modern in that they reject the intellectual aspects which have developed within Christianity during the modern era. The problem is that the intellectual aspects hold precidence over the emotional. For example, we must acknowledge that we hold "worldviews" which interpret the world around us. Adjusting and readjusting those things are intellectual pursuits which affect the emotional people, from the top down. Orthodoxy is everything, along with Orthopraxy.
5. Not really a post-modern concern. That one has been around since Adam.
6. Also, not post-modern. People have always been hostile to the faith. Just ask a Muslim.
Your question is actually four. But I think the problem is this. We don't interact with cultures. We interact with people who partially hold to some things that are described as being postmodern. I don't feel like this is helping me personally to dialogue with "postmoderns". I think I more generally add to helping others to think about the topics we're discussing. People have to be taken as individuals and respected as such, not simply viewed as a member of the "postmodern" culture.
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