21.3.06

I'm so postmodern....

In the words of the Bedroom Philospher

"I'm so post-modern I've got a tattoo of my pin number in hieroglyphics on my neighbour's guide dog"


I have been reading "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church" by that stalwart of reformed thinking, Don Carson.

So far has been an interesting read, for although it tends to pan most of the emerging church conversation, he does make a few good points about the often over used and cliché term "Postmodernism"

He is quick to point out firstly that most of the emergent writings are usually “Modern BADDD, post-modern GOOOOD”, this is a good point as we seem to want to draw the good out of many traditions except late 20th Century Modernism so there is a call for balance.

The other thing is that he highlights the use of post-modernity has now become a Christian "Buzz Word" which is able to sell more books and get more people to conferences... this i do see from the distance over here in Australia. He also talks about how we use the term post-modern for the rapid rate of change in society (even if it isn’t really "post-modern" change) so what the hell is post-modernity anyway!!

All this reminds me of a few conversations i have had in a group of friends some who would make Calvin seem a little catholic and others who have tended to the trendy starbucks PoMo lifestyle. One thing has been common and that is that we don’t really want to be modern or post-modern... we want to be followers of Jesus....

I think when it boils down to it our world is now so diverse in they ways people think from country to country and generation to generation that we must seek to continually contextualise the gospel to those we seek to reach.

so am i post-modern? it would be way too UnPoMo to admit either way ;)

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7 Comments:

At 9:04 am, Blogger Dave said...

Hehe. My dad has been reading that book. We had a bit of a chat about it on the weekend.

 
At 6:23 pm, Blogger David said...

Yea, well put... and great to see that there are some other bloggers around!

 
At 7:45 pm, Blogger andy said...

yeh joing the conversation Dave.... and bring ya Djimbe (sp?)

 
At 7:45 pm, Blogger andy said...

joing???

 
At 10:59 pm, Blogger David said...

Djimbe - perfect! well done... can't say the same for joing??? tho

 
At 1:27 pm, Blogger Sarah said...

postmodernist thought from a theological perspective, arguing that a blanket condemnation of absolutes carries implications for morality, ethics and spirituality. Few would agree that basic moral standards are random individual or social constructions. Further, absolute anti-rational perspectives comprise a profound worldview but are so general and limited as to offer little to satisfy man's search for, truth, meaning and purpose. From this perspective postmodernism is itself a false theology offering nothing more than repackaged cynicism and nihilism.




So How is Grandmaster Flash doing ???

 
At 12:51 pm, Blogger Barry said...

I just don't get what all the hoopla is about with picking stuff like 'post modernism', calvinism, and the like.

I guess you kinda said that though.

When you really get into all of them there is so much focus on the 'side issues, and not focus on what Jesus said and did. What ever happened to living the sermon on the mount anyways?

Just wondering

 

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