Modernism" and "postmodernism" are notoriously difficult to define, so here's a long standing "parable" that helps to express some of what they embody:
The late spring morning breaks pristine at the door of a lone cottage set in a fertile valley. Out of the ancient front door comes an energetic young man of traditional Greek heritage. To his right he observes a magnificent red rose, in perfect bloom. Its petals sparkle with cool droplets of crystalline dew. It is magnificent. The young man takes the rose, and pulls it toward him, hardly noticing as the droplets fly. He thinks, "I wonder what makes it that shade of red, and what causes roses to be shaped the way they are." He smells it and remarks out loud, "Lovely, but what is it exactly that causes the distinctive odor of such a rose?" To find answers to his questions he begins pulling at the petals, fascinated by their texture and by what is revealed behind them. Soon all that's left is the denuded stem on which the rose once was, and red petals strewn on the cottage steps... and more questions than ever in the young man's mind.
Somewhere in time, from the same door and into the same kind of morning steps a bearded patriarch of traditional Hebrew culture. As the sun swaddles him in its warmth, he worships. He looks down into the upturned face of the rose. In the presence of such flawless loveliness, his breath catches in his throat as his soul rises. He smiles and then weeps in awe as he bends to smell the delicate scent. His nose hardly dares to disturb the dew or to brush against a thing of such majesty. When he leaves, the rose seems more ravishing than ever.
The parable illustrates some of the elements present in the modernist world view (the stereotypical "Greek" orientation) versus the postmodernist outlook (stereotypically, the more "Hebrew" orientation). Each orientation has highly legitimate elements to bring to the table of life.
Modernism may be described as a way of viewing reality with analytical precision. During the past 150 years or so, it has developed into the primary way of deciphering the world. It is basic to our methods of research and the progress of technology. It encourages dispassion and exactness.
Perhaps modernism's most serious flaw is its inclination to lead one human being to view another in terms of matter. It is seen as an effective tool for understanding physical phenomena, and therefore by default many believe it to be just as effective in plumbing the secrets of emotional and spiritual reality. Used indiscriminately in these realms, it can impair human relationships while fanning into flame the age-old fires of loneliness and meaninglessness.
Modernism champions verifiable knowledge and eschews anything inconclusive. It is prone to embrace only the measurable and containable. It likes to confine its interpretations of the world to fully explainable terms. It fits snugly in the world of business and finance and therefore becomes a natural sponsor, subtle or not, of what we call "materialism."
But while modernism has these flaws, it has done great good. Where would we be, for example, without the application of the modernist mind-set to medical science? Many technological innovations are, of course, useful to humanity. To reject or disparage precision, experimentation, and the exactness so crucial to any kind of research, would be foolish.
When applied to matters of faith, modernism has also been helpful. For example, where would Christianity be without the painstakingly developed heritage of biblical exegesis, that keenly honed tool of interpretation and textual illumination?
Yet the modernist outlook can be destructive to faith. It can largely disable the legitimate thrust of the transcendent phenomena of the Christian faith by engendering merely rational and analytical patterns of thought, all in a desire to crack the code of what is, by its nature, mysterious and infinite; such as the nature of God Himself or the exact function of inspiration.
Ironically, whether with a liberal or conservative bent, modernist presuppositions, without the balance of other means of perception, can wreak havoc in a faith community because they are so naturally subject to prolonging interminable arguments over exactly what "the truth" is at its most inconsequential, unknowable levels.
An unbalanced reliance on an extreme modernist orientation (whether we're conscious of doing this or not) can lead Christians to become exacting and magisterial. An unbalanced modernistic orientation can also encourage a militant allegiance to organized religious structures, be they theological, ecclesiastical, or behavioral, which is notorious for repelling postmodern people.
Right here it is important that we assert the crucial verity that Jesus Himself was, of course, neither modern nor postmodern in His outlook. He viewed His world in His own third dimensional way, and this is the view we must seek to know, and will know as we encounter Him deeply and honestly. While Jesus was truth (John 14:6), He was wise in His choice of where, when, how, and before whom He made truth assertions though make them He did.
In this issue of Ministry, we are presenting a bouquet of articles that address the theme of reaching post modern people with the gospel. We have chosen to feature the work of key people in the Trans-European Division of Seventh-day Adventists, and some others, where the Church struggles to engage a potent form of postmodern culture.
The European approach is named and finds further expression on the Web site, <LIFEdevelopment.info>. . . so, log on!
