Understanding the postmodern transition Living in a post-Christendom, post-modern, postEnlightenment, post-evangelical, post-liberal, post-colonial, post-________ world.
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Understanding the postmodern transition Living in a post-Christendom, post-modern, postEnlightenment, post-evangelical, post-liberal, post-colonial, post-________ world. In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1 Peter 3:15-16 2500+ BC Prehistoric World 2500 BC - 500 AD 500 BC 1 AD 500 AD Ancient World Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman empires 2500 BC - 500 AD 500 BC 1 AD Ancient World 500 AD - 1500 AD 500 AD 1500 AD Medieval World Caravel/Columbus Printing/Gutenberg Copernicus/Galileo Guns/Infantry Reformation/Luther 1950 AD - ??? 1500 AD - 2000 AD 1500 AD Medieval World 1750 AD Modern World 2000 AD Postmodern World Print/Screen/Internet New Science New Weapons New Spirituality Systems Thinking Thomas Kuhn 1922-1996 Old Paradigm: defended as contrary evidence accumulates… “Save the appearances.” Eventually, enough contrary appearances accumulate … and a paradigm shift may occur. Old Paradigm/ model Late Transition Early Transition New Paradigm/ model In the early stage -- the new paradigm’s advocates may seem negative, destructive, and angry about the old paradigm. Eventually they must begin the constructive work of creating a new and better paradigm. New paradigms must be… …“sufficiently unprecedented to attract an enduring group of adherents away from competing modes of scientific activity” …“sufficiently open-ended to leave all sorts of problems for the redefined group of practitioners to resolve” Newtonian (Modern) World: Knowledge is like a building or wall. “Fundamental” Beliefs are established by research (doubt). They must be “incorrigible.” Certainty is built from the bottom up. Post-Newtonian World Knowledge is like a web. Beliefs are flexible, in dynamic tension, and corrigible. Paradigm Shifts “It was as if the ground had been pulled out from under one, with no firm foundation to be seen anywhere, upon which one could have built.” Albert Einstein On his paradigm shift Paradigm Shifts “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.” Max Planck Scientific Autobiography Why the prefix postcan be helpful... … think about puberty … you start with a child you end up with a young adult the transition period is a bit of both Why the prefix postcan be helpful... REMEMBER: Post- is not Anti-! … an important question … how do we honor the reformers? -- by faithfully repeating their formulations? -- by courageously following their example? Themes of Postmodernity 1. Conquest, Control, Progress … Conservation 2. Mechanistic/reductionist … holistic/systemic 3. Analytical … post-analytical 4. Secular/scientific … spiritual/scientific 5. Objective … Intersubjective 6. Critical … Post-critical 7. Organization … alliance, network Themes of Postmodernity 8. Individualism … 9. Protestant/polemical … 10. Consumerist … 11. Print literacy … 12. National … community, tradition, tribe Post-protestant ??? layered fluency global/migratory Themes of Postmodernity Modern Postmodern 1. Conquest and Control Post-Conquest = Conservation Themes of Postmodernity Modern 2. Mechanistic Reductionistic Postmodern Post-Mechanistic = Ecosystems Organisms Social Systems Themes of Postmodernity Modern Postmodern 3. Analytical Post-Analytical = Systems Thinking Holism Passion Themes of Postmodernity Modern Postmodern 4. Secular/ Scientific Post-Secular/ Scientific = Spiritual/ Scientific Themes of Postmodernity Modern Postmodern 5. Objective Post-Objective = Intersubjective Themes of Postmodernity Modern Postmodern 6. Critical Post- Critical = Listening Collaborative Themes of Postmodernity Modern 7. Organization Postmodern PostOrganizational = Network Alliance Movement Themes of Postmodernity Modern 8. Individualism Postmodern PostIndividualistic = Community Tribalism Tradition Themes of Postmodernity Modern 9. Protestant and Polemical Religion Postmodern Post-Protestant Post-Polemical = Spirituality Themes of Postmodernity Modern 10.Consumerism Postmodern PostConsumerism ??? = Stewardship Themes of Postmodernity Modern 11. Print literacy Postmodern Layered Multi-lane Linked Dialogical Fluency Themes of Postmodernity Modern 12. National Postmodern Post-national Global Local “Glocal” Migratory High Confidence 1 4 Low 2 3 Confidence Low Humility High Humility A Poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay Upon this age that never speaks its mind This furtive age, this age endowed with power to wake the moon with footsteps, To fit an oar into the rowlocks of the wind and find what swims before his prow And what swirls behind, A Poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay Upon this gifted age in this dark hour Rains from the sky a meteoric shower of facts. They lie unquestioned, uncombined. Wisdom enough to leach us of our ill is daily spun But there exists no loom to weave it into fabric. Edna St. Vincent Millay (from “Hunstman, What Quarry?”) A Preliminary Assessment All of our systematic theologies are modern constructs. A Preliminary Assessment Our understanding of the gospel, the Bible, the church, and the church’s mission are entwined with modernity. A Preliminary Assessment Postmodernity may appear to us a threat and a danger to be opposed (much as modernity, in its earliest expression via the Reformation, appeared to be a threat to the Roman Catholic Church). A Preliminary Assessment To the degree that we succeed in preserving the modern perspective in our churches, we will tend to make them ineffective in ministry in the emerging postmodern culture. A Preliminary Assessment Many churches will choose to “circle the wagons” and defend our modern institutions against postmodernity. But this will be a losing battle and an ill-advised gospel strategy. Some Preliminary Questions • Should postmodern people be given the chance to practice Christian faith as postmoderns, or must they be converted into modern Christians? • What if the gospel needs to be incarnated into the emerging postmodern culture, just as it was within ancient, medieval, and modern cultures? • Wouldn’t a sound missiology predispose us to treat the emerging postmodern culture as we would any other culture – as part of God’s creation which needs to be encounter, be addressed by, engage with, and be redeemed by the gospel? A Preliminary Proposal For at least some of our churches and agencies to commit themselves to loving, understanding, and embracing the emerging postmodern culture in order to transform it. For at least some of us to become pioneers in incarnating the gospel in this new world. For people like you to lead the way.