Postmodernism

Postmodern Christianity may be described as a Christian accomodation to and assimilation of postmodernism. It emphasizes the otherness and incomprehensibility of God, and adopts postmodern epistemology which denies that absolute truth can be known. This epistemology often has serious consequences for Christian doctrine. Paying close attention to the age-old philosophical question of the relationship of faith and reason, Postmodern Christianity usually thinks of the Christian faith as in some way transcending human reason, rather than being unreasonable, illogical, or absurd--on the one hand--or merely logical, on the other hand. Many scholars have insisted, however, that postmodern theologians' rejection of foundationalism and bounded-set theology leaves postmodern Christians with no means to determine normative truth or morals.

Jean-Luc Marion, a French Catholic scholar, and Merold Westphal, an American Presbyterian, are proponents of Christian postmodernism, the former in, for example, the book God Without Being and the latter, for example, in the book Overcoming onto-theology.

The Emerging Church movement (which prefers to be called a "conversation") is a movement which seeks to revitalise the Christian church beyond what it sees as the confines of modernity so that it can effectively engage with people in a postmodern age. Critics of this movement allege that its concessions to relativism and penchant for redefining theological terms have led the movement outside of the bounds of orthodoxy. Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, and Dan Kimball are prominent leaders of this movement. D. A. Carson, Millard Erickson, and Charles Colson are among the most prominent critics of the Emerging Church movement.

Links

• "Postmodernism and the Emerging Church Movement" by David Kowalski
• "The Emerging Church Movement" by D. A. Carson
• "'A Generous Orthodoxy' -- Is it Orthodox?" by Albert Mohler
• "Emerging Confusion" by Charles Colson