This site is about "the other side of the story." A bunch of professing Christian people are going around talking about "the story," "postmodernism," and the "emerging church." I commend them for being passionate about what they believe to be a major shift in Christianity. I commend them for embracing the notion of mystery, advocating for the poor and marginalized in society, and, generally, resisting the stubborn “I’m right” mindset of so many of the evangelical right in America. I’m also moved by people like Todd Hunter of Alpha, USA who are trying to find ways to lead people to Christ through conversational evangelism. I’m all for new ways of leading people into the family of God, and authentic Christian community.
But so much of what I've been reading and hearing lately is, in my view, disgraceful.
It's presumptuous for any serious Christian to think that what's happening today is so unique, in light of 2,000 years of church history. It's speculative, by definition. There are many shifts happening in society today—and there have always has been. My contention will be to argue that there are some dangers in the whole (using a term they like) "conversation." I see most of the material I've read to be a bit bizarre. Many of the conversations I’m having with self proclaimed postmodern Christians is…how do I say this nicely, silly. Why? There are so many reasons.
I will make this site about exposing some of these reasons.
Ultimately I will conclude that the vast majority of (self-proclaimed) "thinkers" are untrained to work in the field for which they aspire. Think of a heart surgeon right now. Training is required to go and perform the surgery. Consider the pediatrician, or the dentist. Training is required. But so many of the Christian “philosophers” today, as a matter of plain fact, have no formal training whatsoever. (Many such as J.P. Moreland, Richard Swinburne or Alvin Plantinga do. Of course they are not consumed with the massive shift.) The emerging/postmodernists might have degrees in various subjects, or even graduate degrees. Their degree might be in literature, sociology, theology, or computers. But they are untrained philosophically. They don't understand modus ponens, affirming the consequent, or accidental properties. Many seem to be interested in the philosophy of logic, but couldn't tell a thing about Terence Parsons. The only term they seem to know, not surprisingly, is deconstruct.
Many of the people that I have come across have become interested in reading secondary sources on a just a tiny sliver of the cannon of western philosophy. Derida and Foucault go largely unnoticed at MIT, NYU, Stanford and UCLA. While the continental philosophers represent a part of the whole of the history of philosophy, it is indeed a small fraction. The general philosophical community doesn't see a major shift in thinking; but a few untrained Christians do. And they have a mission to tell others so.
Don’t get me wrong. Sociology is indeed a formal discipline. So is theology, literature and psychology. But let us all be aware of the difference between claiming “there is a shift in society” (sociological), “what does this mean to you?,” (literary), and “what is truth?” (philosophical).
So what I see and read (and I will be specific as this site develops) is little more than strong philosophical opinions from weak philosophical minds. An opinion is a much easier feat than an argument. Regurgitating a few points from book that regurgitated what someone said about what Wittgenstein said is fun. Understanding Wittgenstein and arguing in his favor will take a lifetime. This sounds strong. It needs to. What is at stake is the very notion of truth, and how the most powerful organization and force on this earth today (the church) addresses it.
I hope to be a part of a modern-day movement that will hold to the rigorous thinking of real Christian thinkers such as Saint Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Saint Anselm or Saint Augustine. Or even secular thinkers such as Aristotle, Spinoza, Frege or Russell.
The Christian tradition is known for its academic excellence. Today that excellence is being hijacked by lazy minds—people that like the sounds of their rambling, but know little of what they’re talking about.
There is no emergent church. There is no postmodernism in Christianity. But there is a sizzle in claiming that, alas, there's something new under the sun.
Christians, as C.S Lewis famously told us, are averse to "Mere Christianity." They want (if you read Screwtape) "Christianity And..." Today the "and" is the silly notion of an emerging church.
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