Postmodernism is
officially dead, and its passing presents one of the rare times in history when
the culture is actively seeking what the church can offer.
After reading this article on the death of postmodernism, I began mulling over how the flow of
culture has shaped the church. It occurred to me that the changing culture has presented the church with an opportunity it hasn't had for at least a century. (I also realized that the traditional
conservative church is a modern entity. That may be a surprise - after all, we
pride ourselves - with great humility, of course - on being
"old-fashioned." But historically, "modern" refers to the
age following the "medieval" age - in other words, about the 1500s or
later, and the traditions held by today's conservative church are much more recent than that. But I digress.) A brief survey of the last 150ish
years will help us understand today's church and the opportunity that we have.
The modern age is,
by all understandings, an age of exploration and discovery, of understanding
and applying principles. This can
certainly be seen in the arts - though the styles changed, up till about the
mid 1800s most paintings were realistic representations of what can be seen
around us, and they generally followed consistent rules of form, contrast,
harmony, etc. A little later but similarly, American culture emphasized the
idea of an ideal American family - Dad works to support the family, Mom stays
home with the rambunctious but well-meaning kids, they live in a nice house in
the suburbs, everything is always well-kept and orderly - the "American
dream." (Think "Leave It To Beaver" or "Father Knows Best") In the mid-1800s, Charles Finney proposed "new measures" or principles for evangelism - get and hold people's attention by an
energetic and entertaining preaching style, use the "anxious seat" or
altar call to press for conversions, hold "protracted meetings," use
music to involve the congregation and to set the mood for the service. His
methods caught on and continue to be used today in many conservative church
circles.
In some circles, the idea of applying
principles was taken to extremes. For example, "modern art"
intentionally distorted the realistic element of art in order to emphasize the
underlying principles of art - form, contrast, balance, flow, feeling,
impression. The church growth movement
studied why some missions and churches grow while others don't in order to find
the underlying principles of church growth. The application of these principles
created the "mega-church" with membership in the thousands.
In the 1960s the hippie movement threw off traditional values and expectations, and by the
1970s postmodernism was in full swing. At its heart, postmodernism rejects any
single overarching worldview and instead accepts all views as equally valid. This
movement started early in the arts, and is seen in bringing together discordant
or contradictory elements, such as Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain"
(actually a urinal) or Andy Warhol's screen printings of Campbell's soup cans.
In music, Madonna emphasizes the religious connotations of her name by wearing
crucifixes while her music celebrates materialism and immorality. In the church
world, postmodernism took two forms - extreme ecumenism advocates accepting all
religions as equally valid, and the emergent church intentionally deconstructs
the traditional understandings of church and replaces them with a wide variety
of views and approaches.
But now with the
death of postmodernism, we find ourselves in the post-postmodern world. And
while it is difficult to discern a trend while it is still ongoing, the
movement seems to be in the direction of authenticism. In opposition to the
sterile principles of modernism and the gloomy confusion of postmodernism,
authenticism searches for the real, the solid, the thing of genuine value. The
movement has already impacted architecture, music and art. You can see
authenticism in stores like Whole Foods or restaurants that specialize in fresh
local produce. Even WalMart is in on the action with its "Good. Works." campaign
that emphasizes its involvement in the local community.
Authenticism has
affected the church in a number of ways, many or most of them positive. There is an increased desire for fellowship -
not just social events, but the genuine, deep, honest fellowship which is so
vital in the NT picture of the church. The proliferation of small groups,
accountability groups, discipleship groups - call them what you may - is one
outgrowth of this desire.
There is also a
growing dissatisfaction with the usual "methods" of doing church and
a renewed interest in what the Bible actually teaches and how to apply it.
Instead of simply holding to the traditional methods and understandings of
church, we are examining ourselves and our traditions in light of Scripture.
This is very different than the rebellion of the 1960s or the
"deconstruction" of the emergent church. It's an honest examination
of ourselves and our traditions in order to find and hold to those things that
truly matter and let go of those things that are useless or even detrimental to
the church. Even a few CHM churches, such as Victory Chapel in Indianapolis and
OKC Bible Methodist in Oklahoma City, are consciously re-defining themselves in
an attempt to better fulfill Christ's command to disciple all people.
Another welcome
aspect of authenticism in church is an increased willingness to acknowledge and
deal with the tough realities that people face. A growing number of pastors and
youth leaders are addressing formerly taboo subjects like pornography, substance
abuse, depression, marital problems, homosexuality and molestation. We are
realizing that genuine Christianity works in the real, ugly world.
So the conservative
church is returning to her Scriptural foundation to find authentic Christianity
in the midst of all the traditions and approaches that she has inherited, and
at the same time the world is engaged in a search for authenticity among the
rubble of extreme modernism and postmodernism. God has brought us this
incredible opportunity. Are we willing to examine ourselves and our churches in
light of Scripture? Do we have the courage to live out Scripture even in the
face of opposition? Do we dare to passionately embrace authentic Christianity
and present it to a world desperate for authenticity?
