What is Modernism?

Modernism came about by a society who wanted to separate faith from the exploration of truth. THese philosophers argued in a varaiety of ways that Christianity could not be defended as historically true. Other facets of modernism include scientific evolution, Marxist socialism, psychologism, pragmatism, and existentialism. (Dockery, 2001 - He is the president of Union University). Most Baptists would be "premodern" - that is, they do not abide in the guidelines of modernism.

Now, here is my definition of postmodernism. I've constructed it based upon my readings and my classes in the doctoral program at UF, which touts itself as offering a true "postmodern" method of teaching. Postmodernism at its core says that there is no real Truth. It takes modernism a leap forward. Each individual has his or her own world that defines his or her own reality. Since there is no absolute Truth, Christianity can be true for me but not true for you. There are many, many "proofs" that postmoderns offer for this theory, just as there were many proofs offered by scientists and philosophers in the modern tradition.

People from the age of about 25 and younger fall under this postmodern age. They have been taught this in their universities, and increasingly in their public and private schools. They read about it on the internet and in many of their modern books and magazines. They see it on their television as relative morality. What is okay for me may not be okay for you and vice versa.

This generation is also characterized by a strong need to build relationships. That drives much of what they do. They also tend to be able to multi-task exponentially more than the previous generation. ANyone who watches a teenager or young adult will be amazed by how many conversations a person using Instant Messenger can have at the same time, all the while while doing homework, eating a PopTart, and watching television at the same time.

These are the people that we as Christians must reach. They believe strongly in the spiritual, but it is about as abstract as possible. As Christians, we must connect with these people. We must reach out to them and build bridges to them. We must meet them where they are, just as Christ did with the unseedy people of His day.

That is why I like the article so much - it offers a clear position on what the role of the church should be in reaching out to the lost world, without diluting the Gospel message one iota.

DOes that help?

SEC

 

Off hand, the website - http://www.next-wave.org/ - is devoted to church and the modern culture. THere are several different viewpoints, some of which I disagree with, but overall, it gives a good idea of what the "emerging church" will look like.

SEC

 

Well, the Primitive Baptists rejected the modernism of the missionary baptists in the 1830's, so guess what we think now.

Our very name shows that we are not into the modern arena. Anything and everything to keep the church as original as possible. It's only been this century when padded pews were brought into the churches.

My church is one of those 50's style run down buildings and the Spirit is as much, if not more, alive there as He is in big fancy churches. The church is not supposed to look pleasing to the eye, or to the ear. It's supposed to be pleasing to the soul. The church is not in "business" to attract people...that is God's job.

 

In 1925, Dr. T.T. Shields, pastor of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, and President of the Seminary, held up a document, outlining the liberal theology of the most liberalistic church in Canada. He said, "I have an old Ford car outdoors. It takes me somehere and it brings me back. This doctrine takes you nowhere, and leaves you there."

With all the liberal theology put together, this is exactly what it does. It takes you nowhere, and leaves you there. All departure from the basics of theology, including the word of God, renders one a liberal, an heretic and a plague in Christendom.

Cheers,

Jim