Friday, March 10, 2006
Compromise
"instead of frantically trying to justify our reliance on Scripture using an outdated epistemological scheme, let's stop using the foundationalism of the modern period and get on to looking at Scripture and the world through postmodern eyes-the kind of eyes our students have been born with" (Postmodern Youth Ministry, Tony Jones) Are today's youth really being "born" with "postmodern" eyes? See, interestingly enough, scientists have yet to find a "postmodern" gene. I know this is mind-boggling but humor me for a bit. Maybe postmodernism is not some uncontrollable wave of philosophical change inherent in every child being born today. Maybe it is a trend that our culture has created and incubated to the extent that youth today know no other mode of thinking. Tony Jones' statement that students are born postmodern couldn't be further from the truth. It is this world and the believers in it willing to compromise truth that has led to the explosion of postmodernism among today's youth. So, should we pastors then adapt our ministries to this sweeping relativism? Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Paul seems to believe that it is not that we should adapt the Word of God to the shifting cultures of the world, but that we should combat the cultural influences with the static, unchanging Word of God. Psalm 119:160 "The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." The Psalmist does not say the word is truth only until some new philosophical hermeneutic arises. He says the word is true and everlasting. While it may be true that some good ideas can be taken from those in the postmodern camp, the compromise suggested by statements like the one above need to confronted and called for what they are. They are an affront on the Word of God as everlasting, inerrant, infallible and TRUE!
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5 comments:
You should check out Tony Jones' blog at http://theoblogy.blogspot.com/. He's using your theme... what a jig.
I appreciate your thoughts here Peej, keep it up.
SEZ
Dude! Luv your blog. The name is great. The song by Shane and Shane "Jesus Make Believe" touches on the same thought. "Mountains groan and seas roar, 'cause all they know is You for who You are." I, too, want to believe and proclaim Him for who He is with the same absolutely uncontrollable passion as the rocks, mountains and seas. Keep writing.
Julie
Pete,
Tell me what you think of Spencer Burke's THE OOZE which is probably the best example of postmodern, emergent Christian thought on the Web . . .
OOPS! Forgot to put in the link:
www.theooze.com
David
Laurie... I agree with what you said. There are some good thoughts/ideas/conversations coming from people who would like to be known as "emerging." But I would disagree with you in that I think (based on reading his books, blogs, etc.) that Mclaren is some of the worst that the emerging church has to offer. I'm not trying to be a nitpick, but I just wouldn't equate him with Miller. Mclaren has some *SOME* good thoughts, but he's also coming to some really bizarre conclusions from those thoughts.
Again, I totally agree with you that we should be willing to think about the concerns of other Christian brothers and sisters (be they emergent, Anglican, Presbyterian, etc.)... I would just like to submit though that Mclaren is NOT the best of what the emerging church has to offer. For good biblical missional thinking read Tim Keller or Mark Driscoll... for a case study in post-modern theology read Mclaren.
SEZ
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