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That Postmodernism Stuff is Dead

by Canon Neal Michell

It must be true. I‘ve read in several places. Postmodernism is dead. What do we do now? Don‘t believe it.

When Mark Twain was visiting in London, newspapers in the United States mistakenly published his obituary. In response, Mark Twain sent the following telegram: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." The same is true of postmodernism: the reports of the death of postmodernism are greatly exaggerated. Woe be unto the leader who fails to take into account the effects of postmodernism on our culture and upon those we are trying to reach.

Here is a short overview of Postmodernism. Remember, if we keep doing the things we have always done, we will always get what we always got.

Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern

Premodern – until the 1500‘s. Premodernity was marked by a belief in the supernatural world. Some call this a precritical time, when the criteria for truth was not under so much scrutiny. Humanity—"man" —had no real control over nature. We invoke the gods, or God, to influence the natural world. The truth or falsity of the gods or God was communicated through tradition and stories.
Modern – approximately 1500 until mid-1950‘s. Some say that the Modern Era began with the Enlightenment, others the printing press. The issue for the Modern Era is: How can we know truth and how can it be verified. The Scientific Revolution that brought us telescopes and microscopes would bring us real and verifiable answers. The universe was deemed to be a closed system so that if we could just figure out all the rules, we could have all the answers.
Postmodernism – mid 1900‘s until now. When Modernism failed to deliver the goods, Western Civilization began to question the premises of Modernism. That reaction is labeled "Postmodernism," or, as some have called it, the postmodern critique.

Earmarks of Postmodernism

Here are some earmarks of postmodernism.

Postmodernism isn‘t settled yet. Beware those who give an all-encompassing definition of postmodernism. After some 400 years of modernism, it‘s still a bit too early to describe what Postmodernism is; all we can safely say is what Postmodernism is not: it is not Modernism. Postmodernism is a reaction against Modernism. It is simply the reaction against Modernism. Thus, we can‘t really say that postmodernism is dead, yet, because we are all still reacting to modernity.
There is a scientific shift from established laws of nature which hold the universe together to an understanding that there is no unifying factor holding the universe together. Thus, we read about the "end of science" which describes the limits of what science and knowledge can do. One example is that our scientific ability is way ahead of what our ethical understanding comes to grips with.
There is a philosophical shift in authority form top—down to dialectic. The life and values and history of the interpreter is as important as the text being interpreted: "history is written from the perspective of the victors." Thus, there is no objective truth in history, only the perspective of the particular writer. Even as I write this, I want to give the disclaimer that this is my understanding of postmodernism—which is a very postmodern thing to do.

Ramifications of Postmodernism

One of the ramifications of the postmodernist critique of modernism is that there is no such thing as objective truth. If it works for you, it is true (for you). Whatever.
Another ramification has to do with the deconstruction of language. Language means what the speaker intended; it has no objective meaning on its own. Thus, former President Clinton could say with a straight face, "it depends on what your definition of is is."
Postmodernism rejects modernity without rejecting the past. It is truly an "ancient-future" time. This is not nostalgia; rather it is a time of the culture looking for roots in its history for meaning and self-understanding as it embraces the future. The past thus serves as an anchor as it navigates the whitewaters of the unknown and rapidly unfolding future.
It‘s not a top—down world, but a network. The World Wide Web is an excellent metaphor for this postmodern reaction to modernity. Nobody is really in charge. The old media, the corporation, and the home office are no longer in control of the flow of information.

Engaging a Postmodern Culture

Don‘t badmouth Postmodernism. Postmodernism is neither the friend nor the enemy of Christianity. It is simply another context for the gospel to adapt to. An interesting exercise is to explore the ways that the Church has been captive to Modernity.
Help people connect to the past but in accessible ways. People have a respect and a draw to mystery, but we must provide entryways to the mysterium of our forebears.
Use inductive rather than deductive reasoning. It‘s not enough just to do the things we‘ve done in the past. People want to know what motivated our fathers and mothers in their responses and use them as a guide—rather than a law—for us today. People will not give out of loyalty to the institution; they must be given a heartfelt reason for wanting to support the good things that giving to the institution will foster.
Tell stories. Don‘t just say, "smoking is bad for you." Interview someone on oxygen who smoked all of his or her life and let that person tell others in a gravelly voice how smoking ruined their lungs.

Blessings,
Neal+

Disciples Making Disciples