Stanley Grenz on Postmodernism

A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996

In rejecting the modern assumption of the objectivity of knowledge, postmoderns also reject the Enlightenment ideal of the dispassionate, autonomous knower. They contend that the work of scientists, like that of any other human beings, is historically and culturally conditioned and that our knowledge is always incomplete.

The postmodern worldview operates with a community-based understanding of truth. It affirms that whatever we accept as truth and even the way we envision truth are dependent on the community in which we participate. Further, and far more radically, the postmodern worldview affirms that this relativity extends beyond our perception of truth to its essence: there is no absolute truth; rather, truth is relative to the community in which we participate. (p. 8) Bold has been added.

Some comments:

To whatever degree that one cannot be a “dispassionate and autonomous knower”, then one is, to that degree, a slave of an eisegetical mind-set. That one can be strongly exegetical in the “knowing” of a text is made possible by an exercised discipline and can be totally efficient in the discerning of a “truth” proclaimed by any text. This proclamation, of course, depends on the degree that one defines the appropriate text as being authentic. The inerrancy of the biblical text would be appropriate for this study. Thus, “truth” is proclaimed as an absolute in the biblical text. Further, to whatever degree that one has trained himself in an exegetical and disciplined mind-set, to that degree that person has the ability to be "dispassionate and autonomous" as a knower and a discerner of that text.

I wrote the above last night as a Word document for the purpose of research and personal comment, but thought that I might as well post it. It also appeared to me (this morning) as a big dose of pedantic gobbledygook (“wordy and generally unintelligible jargon”) and as such I was prepared to put it to sleep and archive it for future personal reference only. But - I couldn’t leave well-enough alone. I’m sorry folks; it’s that emergent thing again. This movement is becoming more than serious in its import. Dr. Tackett alluded to the fact that Jesus is “bifurcating the world” (see post on 5/19). May I suggest that He is also bifurcating the man-made church? To whatever degree that the postmodern (emergent) mind-set is leading some in the church toward a disbelief in “absolute truth”, to that degree it may be leading those who are so involved toward a state of apostasy, or as previously alluded to, they are at least removing some barriers to that apostasy.

Why is it mandated upon a seeker (potential “knower”) that he be blunted in his quest for understanding of a particular text by the culture that dominates his surroundings? An author records and a seeker-for-understanding reads. When I read the Scriptures, I exegete the text contained within. This process is a result of a conscious decision upon my part. To the best of my ability I resist the temptation to eisegetically skew the text to best comfort my psyche; one that is white, Protestant, and Western-European in nature. Such eeeeeeevil within me does not prevent me from allowing the biblical text from saying what it wants to say. Whenever a passage implies against my personal belief-system, I question seriously that part of my belief. I will not be denied truth by my cultural conditioning. Life and death are too important. Further, I will not allow a worldly community-based-culture to proclaim a collective-like “truth” upon me, especially when it contradicts the absolute claims of Scripture.

Consider this: If Scripture has been penned by the Spirit Himself then it has been dictated with the intent of being understood by the one who seeks for truth. Truth has been proclaimed from above. That Truth will not be altered by evil men who distort and use that Truth for the purposes of plunder, murder, empire building and other atrocities that have been committed throughout history. Too many (emergent?) “Christians” have surfaced such distortions throughout history to deny the reality of Truth. Again, a distortion of the Truth does not deny that Truth.

I am not “culturally conditioned” in such a way that I read my “truth” into any text that I may be reading. I am a “dispassionate knower”. I have many limitations, but please understand that they are not culturally induced. Truth has been proclaimed. That the Truth has been proclaimed and recorded is an absolutist-like claim. Further it is a Plumb Line that has been designed to be dealt with by any reader and seeker for knowledge. The contents contained within are knowable. Deal with it! Your life may be at stake.