CR> Gene E. Veith (Prof., Concordia University, WI):
CR>
CR> Today, modernism, though existing in certain isolated pockets, is all but
CR> over. The promises of reason, the notion that the human mind can engineer
CR> the perfect society, that science and technological progress can solve 
ll
CR> problems, have faded in bitter disillusionment. The reasons for the 
passing
CR> of modernism are complex, ranging from the findings of technical
CR> scholarship to the practically universal disenchantment with the 
bloodshed,
CR> tyranny, and corruption of the 20th Century, that "modern age" looked to
CR> with such optimism by believers in progress. Around the time of the 
1960's,
CR> academics were dismantling the claims of reason, and the general public
CR> turned away from the apparent meaninglessness of the objective world and
CR> began an inward quest for subjective fulfillment.
I certainly would challenge the idea that modernism exists today only in
isolated pockets. Whilst I would acknowledge the widespread existance of
postmodernism in today's society I feel that many people overlook the
possibility that we all waver between premodern, modern and postmodern
thinking. Postmodern thinking has always been around, it is just that it is
more prevelant these days that people have noticed it.
CR> Today we hear casual epistemological statements that would stagger both
CR> classical and modernist philosophers. "That may be true for you," someone
CR> says in a discussion of religion, "but it isn't true for me." Every 
asual
CR> discussion seems to end with the mantra, "everyone is entitled to their 
own
CR> beliefs." The assumption is that everyone is locked into their own 
rivate
CR> virtual realities. Since there are no objective criteria for truth
CR> applicable to everyone, attempts to persuade someone to change his or her
CR> beliefs are interpreted as oppressive acts of power: "You have no right 
o
CR> impose your beliefs on someone else."
As Christians we should not make the mistake of condemning postmodernism as
inheriently evil and hold modernism as inheriently good. We must recognise 
that
they are different ways of thinking that both have a level of validity about
them. We must recognise that the increase in postmodern thinking can provide 
an
opportunity for evangelism that may not have been as readily available to us 
in
the past. (ie. People are more interested in listening to what others 
elieve)
If we acknowledge at the same time that modernism is not dead as some would
suggest, there is certainly room to convey the truth to those seen as
postmodern thinkers.
CR> The language of rational assent is replaced by the language of 
esthetics.
CR> Instead of saying "I agree with what that church teaches," people say, "I
CR> like that church." Instead of saying, "I believe in Jesus," people say, 
I
CR> like Jesus." Of course, they usually do not "like" the Bible's teachings 
on
CR> sin, Hell, and judgment. What they do not like, they do not believe. 
ruth
CR> gives way to pleasure; the intellect is replaced by the will. When people
CR> exclude truth, basing their faith on what they enjoy and what they 
esire,
CR> they can believe in literally anything.
This certainly is the trap that the church can fall into when trying to 
embrace
postmodern thinking.
CR> While relativism may be postmodern, it is not particularly new. The 
otion
CR> that truth is unknowable, that morality varies from culture to culture, 
and
CR> that there are no absolutes was first articulated in ancient Greece by 
he
CR> Sophists. In reaction, Socrates rose up to show that there are indeed
CR> absolutes, thereby, with Plato and Aristotle, founding classical
CR> philosophy.
CR>
CR> When classical civilization was exhausted, relativism returned with the
CR> Stoics, Epicureans, and the cultural diversity of the Roman Empire. This
CR> may well be reflected in Pilate's comment, "What is truth?" (John 18:38),
CR> when the Truth was standing right in front of him. The era which
CR> entertained itself with sex and violence and tolerated all religions 
except
CR> Christianity turned out to be the greatest age of the Church, which not
CR> only remained faithful, but converted the whole Empire to Christ.
CR>
CR> The early church was not market-driven. It did not make Christianity
CR> particularly user-friendly. Converts had to go through extensive, lengthy
CR> catechesis and examination before they were accepted for Baptism. In the
CR> ultimate barrier to new member assimilation, those who did become
CR> Christians faced the death penalty. Nevertheless, by the power of the 
oly
CR> Spirit, the Church grew like wildfire.
This only highlights the need to hold to the truth. To do so is not precluded
by postmodern thought.
CR> The temptation to preach what people want to hear is always great, but
CR> today it has become in some circles almost a homiletical principle. My 
wn
CR> pastor tells of attending a Church Growth conference in which he was 
old,
CR> "Don't preach sin anymore. People don't want to hear that. You need to 
give
CR> them a positive message." Of course, people have never wanted to hear 
about
CR> sin. Repentance hurts. And yet, people need to hear God's demands,
CR> particularly now in this age of moral relativism; we need to be convicted
CR> of sin, so that we can turn in faith to God's forgiveness in Jesus 
rist.
Only the Holy Spirit can convict us of our sin. There are many ways in which
the Holy Spirit may use people. At this point there is definately a need
recognise the role of modern thinking. The turning to Christ as the answer to
the solution however, I would argue is very much a decision arrived at 
hrough
postmodern thinking as it is a step of faith.
CR> Those who do not want to be told they are sinners have a special need to
CR> hear God's Law. Those who want to hear about how they can be happy need 
o
CR> hear about bearing the Cross. To be most relevant, a sermon should preach
CR> against the culture. The tendency today is to pick and choose teachings
CR> from the Bible that correspond to our likes and interests. But the test 
f
CR> following the Bible is accepting what goes against one's personal
CR> preferences. The Bible is thermostatic, humbling the exalted and exalting
CR> the humble (Luke 14:11), and so should our sermons be.
CR>
CR> Ultimately, though, a sermon will contain only two messages: the Law and
CR> the Gospel. Each must convey the truths of God's Word. The truth of the 
Law
CR> must be preached in all its severity. The preaching of the Law is not 
ere
CR> moralism, however. The temptation is to water down God's transcendent,
CR> all-consuming demands so that they are more easily fulfilled. This only
CR> creates self-righteousness, which is the greatest barrier to faith in the
CR> Gospel. Moralistic preaching can easily become self-congratulatory, 
iving
CR> the congregation smug reassurance about how good they are. Such preaching
CR> creates not Christians but hypocrites. The preaching of God's objective,
CR> transcendent law, and its condemnation of the specific sins of relativism
CR> and self-righteousness is only a prelude to proclaiming the real solution
CR> to the postmodernist condition, the truth of the Gospel.
CR>
CR> On the Cross, Truth was crucified, objectively, outside ourselves. With
CR> Him, our relativism, subjective experiences, and attempts to evade truth
CR> are put to death, nailed to that objective tree. In the same way, our
CR> sins-both our sinful actions and our sinful condition-are objectively
CR> removed from us. Ours is an objective Atonement, which means that we do 
not
CR> have to rely on our changeable moods and experiences, our illusions and
CR> petty choices. Because Jesus is the truth, we are liberated from our
CR> unstable, reinvented selves. When Jesus objectively rose from the dead, 
our
CR> salvation was won, not as a subjective interpretation, but as a fact.
CR>
CR> Preach the truth of the Law and the truth of this Gospel, against all
CR> pressure, and the barriers against Christianity, no matter how formidable
CR> they seem, will, like the walls of Jericho, come tumbling down.
Totally agreed with that last paragraph. I believe that the rise of 
ostmodern
thinking will allow many more to hear the Gospel that would otherwise have 
been
blocked by their thinking from hearing it. We must bear in mind that no 
atter
how good or how bad our preaching is, it is the Holy Spirit that will make 
he
difference.
Regards
Brett
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