Customer Reviews

Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture (Turning Point Christian Worldview Series)

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An important history of thought is provided in the first part of this book, which briefly outlines the transistion from Modernism to Postmodernism. Essentially the modern era began with the Enlightenment, and claimed human reason and science could determine all truth. Postmodernism does not have such a clearcut starting point in history, although Veith gives examples of when various stages of postmodernism began. Postmodernism essentially abandons the modernist ideology of rationalism, and the existence of objective truths. He then makes an important distinction between the postmodern era and postmodernISM. He identifies postmodernism primarily as relativism, which is the philosophy that truth is relative to the individual, and therefore there are no objective truths.

Although few people are conscious of this belief system in today's society, it is subtly pervasive. Veith's four part analysis of Postmodern Thought, Art, Society, and Religion ranges from interesting to startling to mildly cynical. While I found his discussion of postmodernism to be very revealing and largely accurate, I question whether modernism is as "dead" as he suspects. Perhaps the best example I see of an extant modernist philosophy is that of methodological naturalism: a necessity for evolution. (Philip Johnson does a great job of explaining methodological naturalism in his book "The Wedge of Truth).

However, for the most part, Veith hits the nail on the head in his diagnosis of postmodernism, especially with recognizing the trend in Christianity (but perhaps in religion in general) toward consumerism and empty spirituality (lack of truth). At times the book is repetitive and somewhat pessimistic, yet Veith also has hope for the postmodern age. Christians can build their thinking and live their lives on the foundation of Christ, and share this with society, as the postmodernism's self-contradictory relativism will inevitably collapse.

Like other reviewers, I experienced quite a bit of frustration the first time I read this book; I was looking for a much more specific methodology to apply in communicating my faith relevantly to my generation. Instead, Veith gives us a synopsis of the major features of the postmodern worldview (or system of thought and belief) within the context of the premodern and modern worldviews, shows how it influences the general populace's perspective of historic Christianity, and challenges us to find the cultural opportunities it presents.

Vieth is cautiously hopeful. He recognizes postmodernism's potential weakness for despair; when a person believes that all truth is relative and indiscoverable, they will quickly loose hope. He also correctly identifies the dogma of absolute tolerance as intolerant.

Nevertheless, his hope springs in part from the fact that Christ was no stranger to the use of image and story to communicate the Gospel; living (as Vieth contends that we do) in an increasingly post-Christian culture, we are able once again to communicate the fundamental tenets of Christianity through allegories, parables, and pictures. Postmodern thought's ability to embrace paradox without tension leads postmodernists to instinctively understand certain aspects of our faith which the material, clinical mindset of the modern era has failed to adequately illuminate.

This book is no condemnation of postmodern thought, nor is it a postmodernist's apology; Vieth makes the distinction, for instance, between postmodernism and postmodern thought patterns, and posits that the latter lends itself to authentic, historic Christianity. He begins with the premise that the Christian faith is a timelessly relevant embodiment of truth (not the exclusive domain of modern Western thought), meaning that it will speak relevantly to any system of thought, and concludes that postmodern thought is no more alien to Christ's message than is the receding modern worldview. I have read and re-read this book, referenced it countless times, and it has aged well on my shelf. While the first third of the book has proven to be the most helpful section (as of yet), five years of re-reading and a brief encounter with the author leads me to conclude that "Postmodern Times" is offered without agenda as a well-informed perspective on the challenges and opportunities postmodern thought poses for Christ's followers today.

In daily conversation I notice the tenets of postmodernism cropping up all the time. People who have no idea what "postmodernism" is are nonetheless deeply influenced by it, mouthing its words, speaking its assumptions, believing its claims because they have been so deeply inculcated with it without even realizing it. I don't think people realize just how distinctively different a philosophy of epistemology it really is, compared to historical norms.

That said, Veith's book is a good introduction to the subject, and worthy reading for every person who is seeking a well-rounded education. From a Christian perspective (more specifically a Lutheran, not protestant, one) Veith traces the rise of Modernism from a biblical worldview, and the inevitable transformation from Modernism's empty claims to certainty to Postmodernism's notorious uncertainty and relativism. Between the two Veith charts a path that seeks to avoid the errors both of pompous Modernist dogmatism and Postmodernist denial that truth can be reasonably ascertained.

Veith's book conveys understanding and insight, if not a straightforward guide to helping others out of the morass of Postmodernism. Ultimately Postmodernism fails because it is so internally inconsistent (how can one argue rationally for it if rationality itself is suspect?) Rather than point to the internal inconsistencies, I suspect a better route will be to present a positive epistemology that is more consistent than the Modernist ideology that Postmodernists abandoned; in short, the biblical worldview.

Veith is perhaps the most poignant and well spoken writer I've ever read. Couple that with his mastery of this subject matter and its relevance, and you have one outstanding book. Five years ago, after growing unease at the disjointed, illogical, and - to me - inexplicable moral/ethical state of America, I consciously set out on a quest to understand the causes behind it. This was not the first book I read, but it was (and is) the best. Veith delves deep. He deftly paints a relevant history, and in it reveals the psychological/philosophical roots of our modern 'crisis of meaning' (or in fact the lack of meaning). The story he tells so fits the world I've seen while working the streets of NYC for 15 years, and so jives with previous reading that reading it was pure excitement. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the 'why' behind the apparently happenstance moral morass in which we as Americans, and Westerners find ourselves today.

Dr. Veith's own spiritual travels from non-Christian through Evangelicalism to his current Lutheran orthodoxy, as well as his academic background, make him a great source for beginning to understand the end of the so-called Modern Era and the Postmodern Era which appears to be replacing it.

Veith gives a broad view of the origins of Postmodernism, an often chilling view of the new (non-) thinking. He possesses a light touch in dealing with often heavy philosophy and he challenges Christians and society in general to find effective means of communicating with postmodernists and of dealing with the excesses and perceived liabilities of Postmodernism.

The careful reader will be given new eyes with which to view the surrounding world and will have opportunity to take advantage of Veith's wisdom in dealing with the challenges of Postmodernism. Area pastors think so much of the book that it is going to be the topic of discussion at our next year or so's monthly meetings. From this beginning, we hope to sharpen our own perception and better focus on a Christian response to the current spirit of the times.

Well written introduction into the current world of thought. Vieth's excellence is in his approach from a Christian viewpoint as well as surveys such broad fields as literature, theology, art. architecture, and politics.

Veith confirms that he is apt to be a critic of postmodernism by his research and reading in each of these areas. I found his analysis of postmoderism's inroads into literature, art and architecture as extremely informative and revealing to me.

This would serve as basic reading on the subject. Libraries everywhere would be well-served to have this volume on the shelf.

This book clearly explains postmodernism by looking at from the viewpoints of art, society, culture, and theology. Veith is an excellent writer who is easy to read and comprehend. He exposes the reader to the effects of postmodernism and talks about how Christians can respond. I would encourage you to read it and see how much of society has been influenced by postmodernism ideas. You may be surprised!

In this book, Gene Edward Veith offers a readable and insightful look at the worldview and effects of postmodernism, which dominates much of American culture.

After first explaining the origins and characteristics of modernism, Mr. Veith then shows its decline and demise, leading to the fresh position of postmodernism. He highlights the heavy influence literary criticism had in the development of postmodernism, with deconstructionist theories reformulating how people thought about truth. This section I found particularly interesting, since I hadn't had much exposure to deconstructionism before.

Having outlined the fundamental principles of postmodernism, Mr. Veith spends the rest of the book explaining how postmodernism is revealed in our culture and what to look out for. He explains the difference between modernist and postmodernist art and architecture. He observes the explosion of postmodernism in books, music, and television. He describes postmodernism's influence on politics, spirituality, and Christianity. Pretty much every sphere of life has fallen under some segment of postmodernism's shadow, and Gene Edward Veith exposes this fact in no uncertain terms.

Mr. Veith closes his book with some practical suggestions on how Christians should interact with postmodernism. He notes that there is a degree of truth in what deconstructionists say, and it should be embraced as such. Christians should seize the true benefits postmodernism has brought in overturning modernism, and not throw them away with the system. But we must also watch for the negative effects of postmodernism, and the ways it subverts the gospel. This system of thinking is indeed quite dangerous, and Christians must be watchful, and cognizant of the peril.

Do you want to understand contemporary American culture? its overriding philosophy? its danger? If so, this is the book for you.

This is the best and most incisive introduction to criticism on postmodernism I have come across. I won't go into his arguments as other reviewers already have, but I will point out a few detractors.

Veith is too kind to Humanism. He doesn't find postmodernism's "Anti-Humanism" itself a very perverted from of Humanism, which it very much is, for it is still man's arrogating autonomy for himself (to declare _anything_ about his own existence) without a real standard of behavior. By what standard is he the judge of his own existence and can this view himself in _any_ way other than the right way, that is the one instituted by the creator of reality itself? None. And Veith consistently fails to elucidate matters like these. If you don't understand what I mean, read the next detractor.

Another is Veith's belief in democracy, which follows his belief (or implicit condoning) of humanism. Democracy is also a physical manifestation of autonomy, one that denies the creator's sovereign control over all creation _as creator_, which He is. Veith allows man to construct law for himself as long as he follows God's transcendental absolutes, but Veith fails to see that these transcendental absolutes operate in every function of human life, especially in law & government!

For a better analysis of these and other issues, consult C. Van Til in _Defense of the Faith_ (among others) or R. J. Rushdoony in _By What Standard?_ (available from chalcedonstore.com).

But, enough of that. This is an _excellent_ book on postmodernism. Every graduating high school student should read this before even thinking about applying to a university. I sure wish I had!

I read this book due to its being one of the textbooks for the course "Introduction to Pastoral and Theological Studies" at Reformed Theological Seminary, which I am studying on my own via the freely available lectures at RTS @ iTunesU.

I will caveat this review by saying that if you are an unreserved postmodernist, then you will not like Veith's book. The target audience is orthodox Christians, most likely conservative Protestants, although I think a faithful Catholic would find it equally useful.

With that said, my overall impression of "Postmodern Times" is that it is a good summary of postmodernity, postmodernism, and the relationship to, and influence of, each of these concepts on contemporary Christianity.

The book is broken up into 4 major parts: postmodern paradigms, the arts, postmodern society, and religion.

Postmodern Paradigms

In this section, Veith discusses the postmodernist concepts of deconstruction, post-Marxism, and relativism. Deconstruction refers to the process of getting to the "meta-narrative" behind language. Post-Marxism is essentially the application of Marxist thought to realms outside of classical Marxism. Whereas Marxism dealt primarily with economic and class issues, post-Marxism applies Marxist categories to other areas, such as race and gender. Relativism, of course, is the denial of transcendent absolutes.

The Arts

Here Veith discusses how art in the postmodern age differs from modern art. He also differentiates between postmodernity and postmodernism. Postmodernity, he says, is the successor to modernity, and concludes that scientific modernism does not provide all the answers that it claimed to make available in the modern age. In that sense, postmodernity is a good thing, as it may open people up to answers that science and modernism cannot provide. Postmodernism, on the other hand, is a philosophy that grew out of postmodernity and takes it to the extreme, insisting on the complete relativity of language, and asserting that all language is merely a mask for the will to power over others.

Postmodern Society

Society in the postmodern age, according to Veith, is increasingly fragmented. Post-Marxist thought effectively encourages this outcome by emphasizing the power struggle between groups. Essentially, it's all about "the group" (not the individual, but also not the society at large), and "the group" basically must manipulate language to achieve to achieve power for itself.

Religion

Postmodernity can have a positive effect for Christianity, according to Veith, because it opens people's eyes to answers from non-scientific sources. However, postmodernism is generally negative in its impact on the church and Christianity. The most obvious effect is probably in the denial of absolutes, which shows up even in the views of otherwise orthodox Christians. Post-Marxist thought also shows up in the theological thought of some Christian groups, most notably the liberation theologies.

Overall, the book is a good read. I haven't read much on postmodernism in general, so I can't offer any comparative insights. However, it served its purpose well, especially as it related to the course I'm studying. It serves to introduce the generally orthodox Christian layman to competing schools of thought with which he or she will have to contend in our present day and age.

I outlined the first chapter of the book in Google Notebooks. You can access that outline here: http://www.google.com/notebook/public/09984046541245005761/BDR-WDAoQvcG05t8j

In addition, at some point I will hopefully get around to writing my chapter summaries, and will provide that link here.