| What is postmodernism? Should Christians and churches that are more contemporary in their worship and ministry style be immediately labeled as “postmodern”? Is it a total godless, secularization of society and the Church? More specifically, is City Harvest becoming postmodern in its quest to be culturally relevant? |
| Postmodernism is a period of thought and ideology that comes after the Modern Era. Modernity is considered to be a period of thought in Europe that was developed out of the Renaissance (14th-17th century) and thrived in the Enlightenment (17th-19th century). It was a time of significant development in the fields of science, politics, warfare and technology. Postmodernism is a reaction to that period. By definition, postmodernism literally means “after modernity.” Today, society at large is facing a surge toward greater postmodernist thinking, whether it realizes it or not. |
| Modernism, as an ideology, represents a rationalization and categorization of the social world. In the modern worldview, everything in life can, and should, be interpreted rationally. Science and logic have attained such preeminence in all public discourses that everything must be explained through their lenses. All that is unscientific must be rejected. According to the modern worldview, science and faith can never mix since the latter deals with the realm of the unexplainable. Because knowledge and intelligence are inordinately exalted, modernists invariably become elitist in their categorization of society. An example is Adolf Hitler who believed in the absolute supremacy of the Aryan race over all other races. Six million Jews were exterminated in the Holocaust because in Hitler’s “scientific analysis,” they didn’t deserve a place in the civilized world. |
| Postmodernism, on the other hand, challenges those presuppositions and beliefs of the Modern Age. It seeks to radically reinterpret what is currently classified as generally accepted knowledge. To a postmodernist, concepts such as right and wrong, good and bad, or what is true and false are not absolutes but changeable from culture to culture, and situation to situation. As such, postmodernism represents cultural and ethical relativism regarding truth, reality, reason, value, linguistic meaning, art, architecture, and every other form of social life. The dogmatist, or anyone who believes in an ultimate truth, is considered abhorrent and dangerous. |
| As a worldview, postmodernism detests the stereotyping of social classes according to sex, race, age, etc. In reaction to what it perceives as the snooty prejudice of the modernists, it appreciates and especially empathizes with the marginalized. It rejects the chauvinism and oppression exerted by any gender, group or cause over others (white vs. black, men vs. women, rich vs. poor, educated vs. illiterate, able vs. disabled, religious vs. nonreligious, etc.). It seeks to champion the plight of the growing population of those socially marginalized or ostracized. |
| Postmodernism is most widely accepted and respected within the architectural framework. Take the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, designed by the renowned architect, Frank Gehry. Instead of designing the building in a straightforward and logical scheme, Gehry wanted to challenge the prevalent accepted principles of architecture. There is no straight line in the building because every wall is curved. Every angle you look from gives you a new perspective of the building. No two photographs of the Guggenheim ever look the same. And because it is sited by a river, the titanium façade reflects various shades of color throughout the day. The result of all these is that no one can lay claim to an absolute image of the museum. It is relative to the viewing position and the time of the day. With its absence of visual absolutes, the Guggenheim is considered an embodiment of the concept of postmodernism. |
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| The concept of postmodernism is also expressed in the realm of art. This is especially true in the case of an early 20th-century art movement known as Dada, which promoted the concepts of questioning previously established norms in art. Although it affected literature, theater and graphic design, the movement is most highly recognized for its impact in drastically challenging the fundamental precepts of fine art. A piece of art that exemplifies its concept is Fountain by a prominent Dadaist artist of that time, Marcel Duchamp. |
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| Fountain is simply a common human waste receptacle. To a modernist, the receptacle is merely a functional, scientific instrument to dispose waste. Taking an object that is generally considered filthy and worthless, Duchamp converted it into an expensive art piece. He instilled value to an object most would consider valueless. Duchamp wanted to prove a point: by fabricating art and getting society to regard it as meaningful, we can increase its worth and value. This encapsulates the significant difference between a postmodernist and modernist society. While modernists place a greater value on the intrinsic, postmodernists place a greater value on the extrinsic. With his art piece, Duchamp showed that in a postmodern world, truth is no longer dependent on its intrinsic value (a common, filthy receptacle); it depends extrinsically on how society defines it (an expensive piece of fine art). |
| As with any ideological system or ism, there are positive and negative aspects we can glean from postmodernism: |
| Positive Aspects of Postmodernism |
| 1. |
Because postmodernism has a disdain for what it sees as the arrogant absoluteness of science and logic, it makes room for the possibility of faith and the supernatural. Science and faith can coexist. |
| 2. |
Postmodernism is empathetic toward the marginalized and the oppressed, believing that value can be added to those whom may be considered worthless. It is in this context that more pastors and church leaders today are beginning to consider themselves as “postmodern Christians.”
(www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/november13/7.74.html) |
| 3. |
It allows a greater tolerance between beliefs, and potentially opens avenues for the Great Commission through a greater love and acceptance for non-Christians. |
| 4. |
It allows for freedom of opinion in one’s perspectives regarding “truths” that are relative or non-absolute. It makes one less judgmental and condemning toward behaviors, styles and personal preferences that may be less conventional. It is the antidote to self-righteous Pharisaism. |
| 5. |
It allows for greater empathy toward a society that is increasingly pluralistic, challenging us not to be out of touch with how people think and function today. |
| 6. |
The concepts of control, power and certainty are replaced with love, stewardship and faith. |
| 7. |
Postmodernism allows for more openness to spiritual and emotional truths, and epistemology (theory of knowledge) that goes beyond the constraints of science, logic and reason. |
| Negative Aspects of Postmodernism |
| 1. |
Postmodernism is skeptical regarding all claims of truth. Taken to an extreme, it is hostile toward those who claim to know absolute truths. Postmodernists can become strongly opposed to those who believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) argues that those who accept the Judeo-Christian ethical system, which he calls a “slave morality,” suffer from weak and fearful personalities. A different and stronger sort of person, he says, would reject this ethic and create his own values. |
| 2. |
Postmodernism views all claims to knowledge as equally valid, regardless of the obvious preposterousness in certain claims (for example, “I do not exist”). |
| 3. |
Postmodernism views the individual solely as a construct of society. As such, the responsibility of the individual to live a life according the Word of God is diminished. |
| 4. |
A person who questions other beliefs with regards to factuality is considered intolerant. |
| 5. |
Propositional truth, or truth that is discovered, is considered inexistent. Instead, only a society’s position, not an individual’s, is considered valid. But what if slavery, genocide, or the physical abuse of women are condoned and considered “right” by the standards of a society? Does it make them right? Without an objective standard to morality, cultural and ethical relativism can lead to horrendous consequences in a society. |
| 6. |
Postmodernists often view progress, be it scientific, educational, political, etc., as detrimental. Progress equates to the domination of the marginal. |
| 7. |
Tolerance toward every belief, except toward those who feel that their beliefs are more significant than others. The paradox here is that in their zeal to promote tolerance, postmodernists themselves can become very intolerant of those who don’t share their own postmodern views. |
| The Christian Reaction/Response to Postmodernism |
| As with most cases, Christians must take a moderate stance toward postmodernism, absorbing the positive aspects while rejecting the negative. We don’t subscribe to the ideology that individuals are merely a product of society alone, or that truths should be determined by a collective group of individuals. And while opinions are important, we do hold on to the absolutes found in the Holy Scripture, and do not waver in conviction when it comes to the moral law and the basic tenets of our faith. |
| However, having said that, Christians have the tendency to veer toward Pharisaism and legalism. Self-righteous conservatism seeks to keep the Church isolated, sanitized and out of touch with contemporary society. My own position on this is: on matters that are absolute (Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, etc.), let us be absolute. But on matters that are non-absolute (wine-drinking, tattooing, pop culture, etc.), let us allow for freedom that is in Jesus Christ (Gal. 5:1). |
| A major contribution of postmodernism is the newfound appreciation toward the marginalized, and those previously considered insignificant. This is totally in line with the love God has toward the poor, needy, broken and abused (Is. 58:10, Luke 4:18-19, James 2:14-17). |
| Postmodernism should provoke those who are afraid of embracing a “social gospel” to have a greater relationship, respect and ministry with the hurting and wounded in the world. Tolerance is not an evil word. As Christians, we must hold on to the moral conviction of God’s Word in our hearts. But at the same time, we should be more gracious and accepting of those whose beliefs are different from ours. Balance is the key. |
| Navigating Within a Pluralistic Society |
| Inherent in a postmodernist society is the concept of pluralism: there are vast arrays of faiths and beliefs that people adhere to. There are three conceptual approaches a Christian may assume toward people who believe in other faiths. |
| 1. |
Exclusivism. This is based on the idea that “I’m right, you’re wrong”, a stance of denunciation toward other people’s beliefs. The Apostle Paul understood that he did not have to disassemble others’ beliefs through criticism and condemnation in order for him to speak of his own faith. Instead, Paul sought to be as respectful and relatable to his audience in his effort to win them to Christ (Acts 17:22-34). |
| 2. |
Universalism. This can be summarized by the statement, “As long as you are sincere, then anything you believe in is true.” This is the polar opposite of exclusivism, and a popular stance of extreme postmodernists. The underlying problem that makes this position nonsensical is the fact that every religion or belief presents its own claims to absolute truths. Universalism takes tolerance to the extreme, and although it may initially seem respectable, it leads to a dead end in any ministry effort. |
| 3. |
Inclusivism. “We believe we are right, but we are open to discuss and include other ways of thinking in our discussions.” (Inclusivism is not to be confused with the heretical “gospel of inclusion.”) The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “inclusivism” as “an intention or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as the handicapped, learning-disabled, or racial and sexual minorities.” This is the approach we must take to bring the love of God to an increasingly critical and sophisticated audience of the 21st century. |
| So, back to the question: is City Harvest a postmodern church? My answer is both No and Yes. |
| No, in the sense that we do believe the Bible to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God. We do live by the Ten Commandments and the basic tenets of our Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, etc. |
| But, yes, in the sense that we do seek to be a tolerant, accepting and gracious people. We love the marginalized and the oppressed, believing that value can be added to those whom are considered worthless. We are not antagonistic to society or its popular culture, but seek to engage it in its entirety as salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16). |
| While we live in a broken-down, perverted world, I do not believe in keeping Christians naïve and ignorant of the harsh realities of society. Again, in absolutes, we must be absolute. But in non-absolutes, we should allow the freedom of personal preferences and give space to the Holy Spirit to lead every Christian individually. I don’t ever want City Harvest Church to be so isolated and sanitized that we become out of touch with the world. Rather, I want to educate and empower my generation to be as creative and colorful as possible, living a dynamic, sophisticated, anointed life in obedience to Christ and the cause of His kingdom. |
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