Postmodernism Course, Lesson 005

Free Bible Seminary Course On Postmodernism, Lesson 005

A final point should be made. You may have noticed that postmodernism is anti-order, anti-boundaries, anti-logic, anti-reality, anti-oppression, anti-government, anti-science, and anti-religion: so it is against many things, but for very little.

This is a philosophy that fosters paranoia and schizophrenia, while darkening, rather than illuminating the mind and spirit. It is a negative, hopeless philosophy – after all, we are merely products of our environment; helpless, exploited subjects. Unaware that we are being exploited, we are doomed to a meaningless life and a meaningless death. Yow, suicide, anyone?

In summary, postmodernism is a dangerous deception. Despite its lack of a valid foundation, it is being taught in colleges and public school systems throughout the country and the world. The importance of a firm foundation is described by Jesus in Luke 6:48: “He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.” Alternatively, he describes the consequences of a lack of foundation in Luke 6:49: “But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." (WEB).

Postmodernism is particularly dangerous because most people are unfamiliar with either the term or the philosophy, which lets it quietly invade like a cancer. Its fuzzy definition and lack of substance actually contribute to its spread – what defense is there against elusiveness? For these reasons, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the two lists of postmodern buzzwords presented earlier.

Familiarity with these words accomplishes several objectives, the first being identificationpostmodern philosophy is identified when these buzzwords are being used. Once identified, a combat strategy to present truth can be developed. The second objective accomplished is preparedness – it‘s difficult to counter words that are unfamiliar or have a different than usual meaning. The third is development of skills necessary to engage in a conversation by either defining the buzzwords or stipulating that others define them. In discussion, it’s essential to keep defining and translating the buzzwords into “normal” language, especially when others are present who may not be familiar with them. When others understand that “metanarrative” is “worldview“, and “hegemony” is “dominance“, and so on, truth can then slice through the tangled tendrils of jargon. If we fail to confront postmodern fallacies, we concede that our children and youth will be taught, at best, nonsense, and at worst, despair.

To reiterate, without truth, we can’t know reality. Outside of reality, goodness, order, justice, and mercy can’t exist. The prophets of long ago knew this:

“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance;

truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.

Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey”

(Isaiah 59:14, 15, NIV).

Pauline Donnelly, May 1, 2007

REFERENCES

1. Clapp, R. (1996). A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. InterVarsity Press®.

2. CNN.com. (2004, March 2). “Young America’s News Source: Jon Stewart”. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/02/apontv.stewarts.stature.ap

3. Homepage, Joseph Campbell Foundation© . Retrieved 5/28/07 from www.jcf.org/bliss.php

4. Jameson, F. (1988). “Postmodernism and Consumer Society“. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.

5. Klages, M. (Last revised December 12, 2001). “Postmodernism“. Retrieved February, 2007 from www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html. Introduction to the concept by Mary Klages of the University of Colorado. All materials on this site are written by, and remain the property of, Dr. Mary Klages, Associate Professor of English, University of Colorado, Boulder. You are welcome to quote from this lecture, or link this to your own site, with proper attribution and citation.

6. Lyotard, J. (1984). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. (ISBN 0-8166-1173-4)

7. McDowell, J. (1999). The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

8. McLaren, B. (2004, February). Letter from Chuck Colson. Retrieved 5/5/07 from http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000160.html

9. Mohler, A. (1997, Spring). Ministry is Stranger than it Used to Be: The Challenge of Postmodernism. Quoted in Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict.

10. Sokal, A. and Bricmont, J. (1998). Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals’ Abuse of Science. (ISBN 0-312-20407-8)

11. Turner, T. (1995, December 1). City as Landscape: A Post Post-modern View of Design and Planning. Taylor and Francis, 1st Edition.

12. Veith Jr., G. (1994). Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture. (ISBN 0-89107-768-5. Quoted in Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

13. Videotaped Testimony of William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States,
Before the Grand Jury Empaneled for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. (August 17, 1998; released September 21, 1998). Jurist: The Law Professors’ Network. Retrieved May 27, 2007 from
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/transcr.htm

14. Wikipedia. “Postmodernism”. Retrieved March 2007 from www.wikipedia.org

15. Wokler, R. (2000, March). “Isaiah Berlin’s Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment”. PDF retrieved May 9, 2007 from www.ceu.hu/jewishstudies/pdf/02_wokler.pdf –

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3 Comments on "Postmodernism Course, Lesson 005"

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  1. OBULI STEPHEN ZACCHAEUS says:

    thanks for your concern about postmodernism.there are somany activities also I hate that are done by postmodernism.

    God bless you.

  2. Thank you for your presentation of dialog given .World needs to return to original roots of wisdom of Christ and that New World culture .I have learned from you this deeper outlook yet as you said on the end God already knew of this .As the following words from :–
    Ecclesiastes 1 (New International Version)

    Ecclesiastes 1
    Everything Is Meaningless
    1 The words of the Teacher, [a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:

    2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
    “Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.”

    3 What does man gain from all his labor
    at which he toils under the sun?

    4 Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.

    5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.

    6 The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
    round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.

    7 All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
    To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.

    8 All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
    The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.

    9 What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.

    10 Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
    It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.

    11 There is no remembrance of men of old,
    and even those who are yet to come
    will not be remembered
    by those who follow.
    Wisdom Is Meaningless
    12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

    15 What is twisted cannot be straightened;
    what is lacking cannot be counted.

    16 I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

    18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
    the more knowledge, the more grief.

  3. Benita Paschel says:

    The fulfillment of the Bible is on the uprise. If you are not stable in the Word of God, you will find yourself caught up in the world systems. Parents need to monitor their children like never before, who they be around, what they watch on television, what they are eating, etc. You can never take life for granted. Your best friend and next door neighbor could be postmodernistic.

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