Postmodernism vs. Modernism

So, I decided to do a controversial post. I don't get offended easily and hopefully I won't offend anyone in the class but I am going to talk a little about postmodernism and bring religion into the picture. Everyone has an opinion about what they believe so that should make things fun.

First, most people about 25 and older probably fit into the modern way of thought. So, what exactly does that mean. In general, it is a way of thought. In a nutshell, when we talk about modernism it was the birth of modern science, the industrial era, promised progress, freedom, moral responsibility, democracy, and logical/ rational thinking. It emphasized realism and divine conceptualism. Specifically, when you look at text, you are looking at what the author is trying to tell you.

Postmodernity was a reaction to modernity. It is an attempt to re-think reality. It is a relativistic system of observation and thought that denies absolutes and objectivity. It has influence theology, art, culture, architecture, society, film, technology, and economics. An example would be previously taboo practices and beliefs are given equal validity to traditional values and norms often to the point of displacing the latter. This equalization and displacement are not restricted to religious realms, but affect all circles of human interaction. When a postmodern looks at text they ask themselves what does this mean to me?

So some other examples of how a postmodern would think:

1. Language is the filter through which we experience reality.
2. Language, religion, or texts are all methods of control.
3. There is no ethical standard by which we should live other than our own experience with un-repressed reality.
4. There are no absolutes, but not absolutely
5. Its not about finding the purpose, but experiencing the find reductionism is yet another way of control.

There is a ton of more information about modernism and postmodernity but a lot of the books are written by "modern" thinkers. If you are a "modern" thinker it is hard to think from a postmodern mindset so unfortunately these books end up being very negative and don't help you understand where the postmodern is coming from, (especially religious commentators).

The postmodernity is a scary way of thinking for most people that have some religious belief at first glance. It seems as though it is taking away everything you believe in including the values. This is not the case. It just takes investigating and learning how they think in order to reach out to them. Standard apologetics and trying to win a postmodern over by logic to your religion is not going to work. They are more intune to the relationships and the experiences.

A good book that is written by a postmoderns is Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon. It helps you understand how a postmodern thinks and it also explains how you can still be a Christian and a postmodern thinker.