Post Modernism and Culture
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Dallas Theological Seminary *
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5101
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
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Pages
8
Uploaded by DEREKBETHAKERS1
POSTMODERNISM AND CULTURE
___________________
A Paper Presented to
Dr. Glenn Kreider
Dallas Theological Seminary
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In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
ST5101 Theological Method and Bibliology
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by
Derek Akers
October/2023
POSTMODERNISM AND CULTURE
Maybe its just me, but the term Postmodernism seems like a slippery term to define clearly. It is generally agreed upon that the period of Postmodernism follows the period of Modernism and was a reaction to the Enlightenment period of history. There are many definitions of Postmodernism, and many opinions of its effects on culture. In this paper I will try
to define Postmodernism more clearly, and discuss the effects of Postmodernism on today’s culture outside and inside the church, and that Postmodernism for the Christian may be a helpful tool to reach others with the Gospel message, and not something to be feared.
Perhaps we should start from a simple description of Modernism to understand how we arrived at Postmodernism. Modernism traces its roots back to around the 17
th
century and stemmed from a period known as the period of Enlightenment, which lasted from approximately from 1650 to 1750. During the period of enlightenment, and continuing on until the 20
th
century,
many great events shaped modernism such as: “the Scientific Revolution, including the ideas of Galileo and Newton; the declining influence of the Catholic Church in politics; the rise of nation-
states out of feudal kingdoms; the slow changeover from monarchy to democracy; capitalism; the Industrial Revolution.”
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Postmodernism then, is logically the movement following modernism, and can be defined as, “a style or movement in art, architecture, literature, etc. in the late 20
th
century that reacted against modern styles, for example by mixing features from traditional and modern 1
Heath White. POSTMODERNISM 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian.
Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2006.
1
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styles.”
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According to Wikipedia, there are identifiable characteristics that help us frame Postmodernism including:
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1.
Self-referentiality
2.
Epistemological relativism
3.
Moral relativism
4.
Pluralism
5.
Irony
6.
Irreverence
7.
Eclecticism We could say that Post Modernism is both a natural progression and a reaction to the previous period of Modernism stemming from the age of enlightenment. Just as my parent’s generations tastes in music and media was considered progressive and even extreme to my grandparents, my taste in music and media seemed progressive and extreme to my parents. The process repeats itself, generation after generation we develop interests, ideas, and artistic expressions that are both influenced by society and influence society. These ideas are frequently embraced by some who have a passion for new ideas, and resisted by others who rather appreciate the status quo. The truth is many of us at different times in our life will embrace change or resist change depending on how it will affect us, and whether it pushes the boundaries beyond our comfort zone.
The reason why understanding Postmodernism matters is because it has shaped and affected our own identity, our culture, and even the culture of the church. One of our core human
drives is to learn and live out our lives expressing our beliefs, and our beliefs are shaped and influenced in modern society. One significant way our core beliefs and our methods of 2 Wikipedia. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#. (accessed October 17, 2023).
3 Wikipedia. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#.
(accessed October 17, 2023).
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expressing those beliefs is shaped through modern media. The YouTube site The Media Insider describes some of the influences that shape Postmodernism: “Postmodernism refers to the state of culture where media is produced in such
staggering quantities that it has crossed the boundaries into reality itself and hyper
reality prevails…Culture is the arts, the ideas, the intellectual expression of a
society. Traditional poetry would include arts, poetry, architecture, but in
contemporary culture we’re also talking about tv, advertising, music videos,
YouTube, social media…So what’s the purpose of culture? Well, it’s how we
interpret and give meaning to the world around us, what we call reality. It helps
us answer those big questions in life. What does it mean to be human? How
should we live? What is love?”
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One example of how the Postmodernism movement has become part of the church culture is the use of media and graphic arts in church. Many churches now use media to influence and draw more watchers, to convey information and, and to make church more familiar and compatible with the lifestyles of the unchurched in modern culture. “Seeker churches” and other churches now use clips of movies and videos, and PowerPoint in church as an introduction to a sermon, to convey a principle or truth, or simply to advertise or promote activities in the church. The old expression used to say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In that spirit, videos are thousands of pictures in sequence used to convey multiple thousands of words. In addition to movie clips and videos, we also see media presentations such as PowerPoint and other media presentations being used in church services. The use of powerful media presentations such as movies, tv shows, power point, social media can all be used to further the Kingdom of God or be used to tear others down. By themselves they are neutral tools, it is how we use them and the message we present that makes a positive or negative difference in the lives of others. Other examples of the positive use of movie media to influence culture both inside and outside the 4 Simon Hunter. The Media Insider.
South West, October 17, 2023.
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church include The Passion, The Chosen, Schindler’s list, and an endless list of hundreds if not thousands of other movies that not only entertain us but emotionally inspire people inside and outside the church to change and become better people.
Unfortunately, the reality is that there are negative areas of influence of Postmodernism both in the church and in society as well. Andrew Moody lists some of these issues:
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1.
Postmodernism is too parochial – values everything western and dismisses
other cultures as barbaric, focusing on hindrances to the gospel rather than
sharing it.
2.
Postmodernism subordinates’ truth to identity – individual identity is valued
as more important than absolute and universal truth.
3.
Post modernism is factious – places emphasis on individual identity and
experience rather than bringing harmony and reconciliation with others.
4.
Postmodernism isn’t sufficiently critical – criticizes others failings yet does
not focus on individual and universal sin by all.
5.
Postmodernism needs a foundation – attacks the idea of universal absolute
truth yet declares we might individually find a foundation for truth.
Jean Baudrillard Simulacra presented the idea that a major characteristic of Postmodernism influenced by media is that it is frequently a simulation of a simulation, a copy of a copy. In other words, people are no longer creating new ideas but repeating ideas they have learned from media or culture. Society is simply mirroring things they absorb from others they interact with. Maybe this is not such a foreign concept to Christianity. We are called to be “imitators of Christ.” Maybe the strength of imitation we see in Postmodernism can teach us a lesson in how important it is that we imitate Christ. If modern society is desperately seeking their own identity by imitation of other sources, how much more beneficial it would be for them to imitate us and take the apostle Paul’s suggestion to “follow me as I follow Christ”.
5
Moody, Andrew. "5 Problems with Postmodernism." Ministry, Leadership & Training.
July 25, 2018. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-problems-postmodernism/ (accessed October 17, 2023).
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There are benefits to Post Modernistic thinking. Christianity has survived and will continue to survive by interacting with and adapting to new ideas in culture, and Postmodernism is no exception. According to the Media Insider, “one of the beauties of postmodernism is that it encourages people to challenge established ways of thinking and to think themselves, to be individualist with their micro narratives and to question how Christianity or how capitalism works.”
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I would suggest that perhaps that some aspects of Postmodernism are not to be feared but to be embraced. Indeed, as Paul said, perhaps Postmodernism and the questioning of the status quo will encourage us to “Work out your own faith with fear and trembling.”
A big concern among Christians is that the reason Postmodernism exists is because Modernism failed. This is not necessarily the case. Contrary to this idea, “The advent of postmodernism is an opportunity to rethink both the presentation and the content of the good news about Christ, to draw more deeply on the truth of the gospel by coming at it in new ways.
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We all adopt new viewpoints as we learn and adapt in contemporary society. We learn, we grow, and we adapt to new circumstances, and new opportunities, also applies to our mission to reach society and the world with the Good News. In conclusion, someone once said that the Christian Church is only one generation from extinction. Therefore, it behooves the church to pay attention to trends in society such as Postmodernism. Rather than fear Postmodernism, we should seek to understand it and incorporate positive aspects of Postmodernism thinking to reach others for Christ. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (NIV) so that it can use it as a productive tool to evangelism. 6 Simon Hunter. The Media Insider.
South West, October 17, 2023.
7 Andrew Moody, "5 Problems with Postmodernism." Ministry, Leadership & Training.
July 25, 2018. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-problems-postmodernism/ (accessed October 17, 2023).
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Applying this principle also means to accept the idea that all truth comes from God. Author Andrew Moody concisely states the issue this way:
“Both modernism and postmodernism have their strengths; both have true things
to say that can help us think about truth and our place in God’s world. But they
aren’t enough. Nor is any human institution or cultural phenomenon - and some of
these are likely to do more harm than good. Our problems are far too serious.
They need the work of the Spirit and the transforming power of Jesus new life.”
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All truth comes from God, and there are truths and principles within the Postmodernism movement that will help us reach others. We should fearlessly identify these principles in postmodernism that will be useful, and utilize them as we present the Gospel message to others and draw them to a saving relationship worth our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 Andrew Moody, "5 Problems with Postmodernism." Ministry, Leadership & Training.
July 25, 2018. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-problems-postmodernism/ (accessed October 17, 2023).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hunter, Simon. The Media Insider.
South West, October 17, 2023.
Moody, Andrew. "5 Problems with Postmodernism." Ministry, Leadership & Training.
July 25, 2018. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-problems-postmodernism/ (accessed October 17, 2023).
Oxford University Press. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary.
n.d. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/postmodernism?
q=Postmodernism (accessed October 17, 2023).
White, Heath. POSTMODERNISM 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian.
Brand Rapids:
Brazos Press, 2006.
Wikipedia. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#:~:text=The%20postmodern%20outlook
%20is%20characterized,identity%2C%20hierarchy%2C%20and%20categorization. (accessed October 17, 2023).
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