In this guest article by David Redden, he discusses what an integrated paradigm of worship and discipleship might look like for today’s Pentecostal/charismatic.

There is much talk about today as to what is Postmodern. You can read books and articles from Leonard Sweet to Peter Wagner and get as many variations on that theme as you read. To suffice for this article, a “post-modern” approach to ministry is one that is anything but what you have been accustomed to. Unfortunately, many of our traditions keep us from even being able to conceive of a variation to our own repetitious themes. The church has strived for so long to become “modern” that our identity has become lost in two areas. First, our identity becomes lost in the things which we have brought into our beliefs merely for the sake of seeking acceptance from the world. Secondly, our identity becomes lost in things which we hold on to that do not help us progress forwards with our mission. What we need today is a “Post” modern approach that will enable us to let go of poor traditions, cling to what is vital to keeping us on course, and adaptable enough to allow new methodologies into our practices that will enable us to reach a more diverse culture.

Editor Introduction: Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future

From Pneuma Review Summer 2008

Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future
A Pneuma Review discussion about how the church should respond to postmodernism

The modern era has past us by. Modernism stood in stark contradiction to the Christian faith. It asserted that man’s scientific and objective knowledge could save the problems of the world. God wasn’t necessary.

In fact, according to the tenants of modernism, God didn’t even exist. Why? Because modernism arrogantly taught that only that which can be verified by the physical senses could be trusted. Since God stands outside the realm of the physical senses, His existence could not be proven, thus there was no rational reason to believe in Him.

Modernism is all but gone, and it failed to deliver its promises. It did not solve the problems of the world. In fact, with the creation of nuclear and biological weapons, it made it far easier to destroy the world it claimed to save.

Enter the postmodern world.

In many ways, postmodernism is much more friendly to the Christian faith than its predecessor which denied the spiritual world.

Postmodernism is difficult to define. Pundits, professors, and philosophers disagree on its precise meaning. Nevertheless, here are some of the basic characteristics of the postmodern mind.

1. Experience, personal testimony, and spiritual encounter are more persuasive than objective, logical argumentation.

2. Authentic relationships, connectedness, and community are more appealing than Western individualism and rugged independence.

3. A humble attitude that respects and gives an open ear to the views of others is more attractive than the conceited claims of those who say they are completely right and everyone else is wrong.

Intolerance, racism, sexism, bigotry are all rejected in favor of love, respect, and concern for others regardless of the outward barriers that separate us humans.

The Church in the Postmodern World

What is needed is a new kind of church for a new kind of world.

Interestingly, the new kind of church I’m speaking of is really not new at all. It’s the church that we find in the New Testament. Unfortunately, through centuries of religious tradition, the modern church has departed from its Biblical roots.

Editor Introduction: Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future

Professor Carter unpacks what relativism is to give us a better understanding of what postmodernism really is.

Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future
A Pneuma Review discussion about how the church should respond to postmodernism

We are told frequently today that the great problem of the postmodern world is relativism. This problem is said to take two related forms: moral relativism and epistemological relativism. The first says that there are no moral absolutes, no fixed and eternal right and wrong. Something may be right at one point in history but wrong at another point in history. Something may be right for me and wrong for you or vice versa. We have to look at each situation, try to predict the likely outcomes and then make some sort of rational cost-benefit analysis before deciding what course of action is best to take in a given situation. The second, epistemological relativism, is closely related as the actual foundation of moral relativism. Epistemological relativism says that we as human beings simply cannot know ultimate or absolute truth. We are limited by our finite human reason and our inability to comprehend all the relevant facts simultaneously with the result that our knowledge of any given aspect of reality is always partial and limited. Therefore, we cannot have any absolute knowledge. Our very perception of the world inevitably shapes what we perceive and is never simply and totally equivalent to the way the world actually is.

We are furthermore often told that these two forms of relativism are the essence of postmodernism. Postmodernists, we are told, are those people who reject absolute truth and who deny absolute moral values. Once upon a time, Western society as a whole embraced absolute truth and absolute values, but now postmodernism has taken hold and begun to exercise a perverse influence. This is said to be the reason for so much of the moral decline that any observant person can see all around us. Western culture is in decline because of postmodernism, the essence of which is moral and epistemological relativism.

Christians, we are told on the other hand, are people who believe in absolute truth and absolute values. Christians join with other people of good will from all faiths and no faith who affirm that there are certain absolutes to which we all can hold, including a generalized belief in some sort of deity (Theism) and a natural law implanted in nature and conscience by the deity that we can all discover and obey by the light of reason and by the strength of our will as we seek to bow before the Deity and the Natural Law.

Editor Introduction: Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future

Postmodernism, The Church, and The Future
A Pneuma Review discussion about how the church should respond to postmodernism

Almost one hundred years ago, Pentecostalism emerged as a rejection of the current social structure. Sin, corruption and lack of holiness were pervasive, spreading not only throughout society, but also establishing strongholds within the mainstream denominations. With its Wesleyan holiness roots, Pentecostalism took an open stand against the sin that ruled both the church and the community. Also, Pentecostalism prophetically condemned the approaching modernity of the 20th century as being morally declined. As a rebel against modernity in the culture of the 20th century, Pentecostalism became postmodern by rejecting modernism through its Wesleyan-holiness identity and the Biblical truth for church and community. Indeed, the principal model of rebelling against sin and unrighteousness in the context of social injustice was provided for the church by Jesus Christ Himself.

In the beginning of the 21^st century, much is said about the church becoming a postmodern system serving the needs of postmodern people in an almost super-market manner. Yet, again, it seems reasonable to suggest that the Pentecostal paradigm from the beginning of modernity will work once again in postmodernity. While again moral values are rejected by the present social system, Pentecostalism must take a stand for its ground of holiness and reclaim its identity as a rebel—this time an antagonist to postmodern marginality and nominal Christianity. A stand against sin must be taken at all cost, regardless if it evokes alienation or even persecution from society. Postmodern individuals are on a quest, searching for an answer how to deal with sin. Pentecostal identity holds the answer to this question. If an open stand against sin means rebellion against postmodernism, then Pentecostals proudly deserve the name Postmodern Rebels.

PR