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Alpharic Research Institute

Centre for Research in Philosophy, Theology and
Ethics
Email: alpharicinstitute@gmail.com 09066927954

POST-MODERNITY AND ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ON THEOLOGY

AND CHRISTIAN WITNESS
BY
GODSWILL OME UFERE
Email: uferegodswillmatthias@gmail.com, godswillmatthias99@gmail.com; __GSM: +2347045155575
MAY, 2021

INTRODUCTION THE CONCEPT OF POST MODERNITY

Several factors have an influence on how the The concept of postmodernism is too broad
Christian message is received by non- and shapeless to describe easily. But since the
Christian hearers and how the Christian very term “postmodern” defines itself in
theology is being received by people relation to what is modern, it seems
generally. One such ideology that developed reasonable to begin by understanding
in the mid to late twentieth-century, which has modernism or modernity. Modernity rose at
become prominent in the modernized the time of the Enlightenment in the
societies, is “Postmodernism.” This broad eighteenth-century. It was also referred to the
movement expresses itself in a variety of Age of Reason. Of significance to the Age of
subjects including art, architecture, history, Reason was the attempt of philosophers to
literature, medicine, and religion. As the provide a sure foundation for knowledge
movement gained ground, postmodern (Brown 377). This period has also been
approaches were adopted in a variety of described as the Age of Scientific Reason, and
academic and theoretical disciplines. Today, modernity is characterized by remarkable
the term “postmodern” is not so much heard scientific and technological advancement over
but its influence is still felt. To this, many that of the preceding ages (Porteous 4). At this
people live and have lived all of their lives in time, people began to reason and have
a climate of postmodernism. confidence in the power of human reason. The
exponents (like Immanuel Kant and Rene
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Descarts) assumed it possible to make rational
decisions about religious and philosophical
beliefs in an objective and detached manner.
According to Kant, man, in his immaturity,
has been bound by the external authorities of
Bible, the church, and the state, but man must
no longer be shackled to worn-out creeds and
customs; these barriers must come down for
the sake of progress (Veith, n.pg). At this
time, science and reasoning flourished but
slowly, people began to see the scientific view
of the world as a poor religion, neglecting the
spiritual and religious dimensions of human
beings.
These and other difficulties with modernism
led to the philosophical movement of
postmodernism, which arose in the mid to late
twentieth-century. Originating primarily in
France, postmodernism is identified with such
philosophers as Jacques Derrida, Michel
Foucault, Jean François Lyotard, and
American academic, Richard Rorty (Dance
43). Dance posits that, as difficult as it may be
to define such a broad movement, some
consensus can definitely be found.
Post-modernity accuses its predecessor,
modernity, of having sacralized human
rationality. In the quest of the Enlightenment
to uncover the basic and essential structures of
human life, thought, and discourse, modernity
leveled and homogenized reality. It is, of
course, true that postmodernism is a
repudiation of many of the tenets of the
Enlightenment and modernity, yet it is not a
wholesale rejection of them all. Some ideas of
modernity it rejects, some it holds on to, and
some it reinterprets (43-44). The greatest
difference between postmodernism and
modernity is the denial of an objective natural
reality. Truth, says postmodernism, instead of
being something that is discovered, is
something that is constructed. Postmodernism
maintains that communities construct truth
according to their use of language and the
experiences which shaped their linguistic
community (Dance 67). Different linguistic
communities will therefore have different
“truths.” This position may be seen as a
reaction against the scientific rationalism of
modernity which had failed to deliver the
objective truth it promised. Postmodernism
responds to the Enlightenment’s faith in
science with similar scepticism. Scientific
advancements, rather than being the
mechanisms of human progress, they argue,
have led to the development of technologies
for killing on a massive scale. Since scientific
advancement does not always proceed linearly
through scientific method, but often moves
forward by means of paradigm shifts,
credence is given to the notion that scientific
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theories are merely social constructs. Other view of self lacks the optimism of modernity’s
forms of knowledge production, liberal humanists. Rather than seeing
postmodernists maintain, might serve one’s themselves as autonomous and rational, the
personal and spiritual needs better (Benson postmodern view of self is one which is
939). dominated and controlled by language
systems. Those critical of postmodernism
Central also to postmodernism is its suspicion
suggest that this encourages people to see
of meta-narratives. In fact, leading
themselves as victims.
postmodern figure, Jean François Lyotard
defined postmodernism simply as “incredulity A postmodernism deal on relativism and its
towards meta-narratives” (Butler 13). By the relativism is especially seen in its ethics and
term “meta-narrative” Lyotard has in mind morality. Yet, the same could be said for
some kind of unified, complete, universal, and modernism. And while there is the thought
epistemically certain story that is seemingly amongst postmodernists that, at a deeper level,
able to explain or interpret everything. all religions are the same, this too was a
Postmodernists further challenge traditional feature of the old modernism. However, the
thought with their view of human nature and “tolerance” of postmodernism has the
identity. It is usually agreed that human beings potential to make people more open to
possess certain aptitudes and dispositions at Christian friendship and hospitality.
birth (Butler 13). However, postmodernists Generally, postmoderns will likely value
reject the idea that people have an essential personal relationships over truth. Since they
nature. Instead, they insist that nearly all perceive meta-narratives and knowledge to be
aspects of human psychology are self or about the pursuit of power, presentations of
societally constructed. Furthermore, to “fit the gospel to postmoderns should be
in,” the self is forced to adopt various roles in persuasive, but not coercive. Because
different circumstances. The postmodern postmoderns like narratives, perhaps preachers
argument is that rather than this being merely could draw more on narrative passages rather
role play, our very identity or notion of our than discourses in their teaching. At some
self is affected by these circumstances (Veith, stage postmoderns should be challenged on
n.pg). Hence, instead of talking about our self, meta-narratives. Yet it must be borne in mind
we should really talk about ourselves. It has that many believers understand little of the
also been observed that the postmodernist comprehensiveness of God’s eternal plan of
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salvation, yet have a credible profession of “And it is appointed unto men once to die, but
faith and are doubtlessly Christians (Porteous after this the judgment.”
24).
Postmodernity affects the hermeneutics of
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF POST Christians since it rejects objective truth.
MODERNITY ON THEOLOGY AND However, Guarino says, “If postmodernity
CHRISTIAN WITNESS affects one's understanding of truth, then it
also affects, necessarily and forcefully, one's
Postmodernists believe that there is no
understanding of textual interpretation. For
objective reality and no objective truth. If
any hermeneutical theory is a logical corollary
reality, as they believe, is constructed by
of one's (non) foundationalist option. The crux
language, language can be interpreted in
of the matter involves determining
different ways and give rise to different
interpretative appropriateness in light of our
realities. Of course, this view is at odds with
contemporary situation” (40) Postmodernity
the Christian worldview. Indeed, the Christian
rather suggest a “reconstructive
view in this matter is significantly different
understanding.” Reconstructive understanding
from that of both modernity and
is the basis of the form/content or
postmodernity, because neither movement has
context/content distinction so popular in
accepted revelation as a means of knowledge
theology and in other disciplines. This
(Dance 70). This means that, objective reality
approach holds that one may distinguish the
in the Christian worldview is derived from the
meaning or content of a text from its particular
Scriptures, which is God’s Word, and as such
context or form. It is to recognize that authors
is God-breathed, inerrant, and infallible. The
may say the same things (with nuances, of
view that there is no objective truth,
course) within a variety of expressions,
suggesting that truth is relative, is often
systems, and schémas. The form/content
reflected by the general public in statements
distinction rests on the ability of the
such as, “That may be true for you, but it’s not
interpreter to understand an "alien" text, to
for me” (Porteous 50). Christianity accepts
reproduce its meaning (with the help of proper
that there are universal truths. For Christianity
tools), and then to recast the meaning in
universal truths are found in propositions such
another form or context. A determinate
as “There is none righteous, no not one,” and
meaning will be preserved, even if this
meaning is re-expressed in another notional
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system. In the words of William, Postmodern that removed the Church from the centre of
hermeneutics, of course, finds fault with all of society to just another player on the periphery
the foregoing. Reconstructive interpretation, of society. It was a shock to the church, and
like the realist and referential notion of truth, something theologians were not prepared for.
is inexorably linked to a discredited and Some therefore reacted on this rejection, by
truncated ontology (246). rejecting the bastions of modern rationality. In
the words of Harvey Cox, ‘It [theology]
Postmodernity claims that logic and reason are
projected its own cramped situation into a
not universally valid but are merely
statement about God and the world. Not only
conceptual constructs. This fights against
was theology incompetent and uninterested in
theology and Christian witness because the
politics, science, technology, and the rest, so
biblical Christian worldview holds that logic
was God’ (200). This kind of theology found a
and reason are universally valid is wrong.
safe haven in the relative security of the
According to Christian worldview, the laws of
private sphere. The relevance oftheology was
reason are universal principles that underlie
thus restricted to the domain of personal
our reality and thought. Without them it is
relations - with little or no meaning for the
impossible to communicate coherently. To
centre stage of the modem world.
deny the law of contradiction, for instance, is
to maintain that the statements, “the trinity is RECOMMENDATIONS
one,” and “the trinity is not one,” are both
1. We should begin to see human beings
true. Without these laws no argument is
as image-bearers of God, being created
possible either for or against postmodernism,
with rational minds endowed with
modernity, Christianity, or anything else. The
knowledge, righteousness and holiness,
use of reason is very important for Christianity
bearing the creature-creator distinction,
in understanding what the Scriptures say. Yet
but with likeness to God, they are able
this is not unaided human reason, but reason
to know the same truth that God
under the governing authority of the
knows, not exhaustively but
Scriptures and with the illumination of the
qualitatively.
Holy Spirit.
2. We should reject the idea that there is
Postmodernity also affected theology by no objective truth (truth is relative) but
creating a platform for critical self-reflection hold on to the Scriptures to have
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universal truth about human beings and may well agree with the postmodernist, that
the world modernism has not served man’s spiritual and
3. We should not discard reason aided by personal needs well. However, postmodernism
the Scriptures and guidance of the Holy has its own set of problems and these are not
Ghost in our theology and Christian minor. Take away language, morality, logic,
witness because it is necessary for knowledge, and reason, and man is left only
understanding the Word of God. with solipsism, entire self-absorption, and
4. We should ignore and reject crushing loneliness. He is left to his own mind
reconstructive understanding in our only.
hermeneutics as it distorts and forges
the intent of biblical interpretation,.
5. The church and theology should not be Works Cited
made personal or removed from the
Benson, Bruce E. “Postmodernism,”
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in it.
Ed. Walter J. Elwell. Grand Rapids,
6. We should not discard, but accept the
Michigan: Baker Book House Company,
Biblical revelation as a means of
2001. Print.
knowledge from God.
Brown, C. “The Enlightenment,” in
CONCLUSION
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed.,
This research work creates the understanding
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culture brings a new understanding of self and
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theology, therefore, theology has to reflect on Butler, Christopher. Postmodernism: A Very
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understanding of the self and the world for a Press, 2002. Print.
Christian understanding of reality as revealed
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in the Bible and other relevant texts.
Toward a postmodern theology. New York:
Postmodern culture does not abolish modem
Simon and Schuster, 1984. Print.
culture totally. It is the critical companion or
interlocutor of modem culture. The Christian
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Dance, David L. “Preaching and Veith, Gene Edward. “Postmodern Times:

Postmodernism: An Evangelical Comes to the Facing a World of New Challenges and
Dance,” Southern Baptist Journal of Opportunities.” Modern Reformation4.5
Theology 5.2 (Summer 2001):62‒63. Print. (October 1995): 16‒19. Electronic Database.

Porteous, David.A Christian View of William, Hill. The Three-Personed

Postmodernism and Its Root.Nashville: Portlin God.Washington: Catholic University of
Press, 2001. Print. America, 1982. Print.