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Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to the Challenge of Postmodernism

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"Postmodernism". Contemporary Christians, particularly those of us who move about in academic circles, are hearing this perplexing term ringing in our ears with increasing regularity. Yet, for many of us, a great deal of confusion still exists regarding the precise meaning of this word. Many of us are uncertain as to how we should respond to the intellectual challenges Postmodernism presents. In "Postmodernizing the Faith", Erickson endeavors to provide some clarity amidst this confusion. Following an introductory chapter in which Erickson briefly outlines the development and foundational tenets of Postmodernism, he proceeds by devoting the next six chapters to the purpose of surveying various "evangelical" responses to the epistemological challenges of postmodernism (i.e., the views of D. Wells, T. Oden, F. Schaeffer, S. Grenz, J. R. Middleton & B. J. Walsh, and B. K. Putt). In characteristic fashion, Erickson provides a fair and accurate summary of each theologian's views. At the conclusion of each chapter, he adds a critical evaluation of the arguments it introduces. Erickson must be commended for the constructive manner in which he goes about this; he seeks to illuminate not only the "negatives" that he finds in the thoughts of other scholars, but also the "positives" (though, clearly, he find this much easier to accomplish in some cases than others!). Erickson concludes his text with a brief section in which he provides some summarizing ruminations concerning all that has been stated previously. My only disappointment with this section of the book lies in the fact that Erickson does not at any length attempt to construct and articulate his own response to Postmodernism. Yet, this is not his intent in writing to begin with. I would highly recomment this book to anyone looking to become introduced to the issues and personalities involved in the evangelical community's discussion about the Postmodernism challenge. This is a fine summary, and a great place to start. Without a doubt, it will serve as an effective springboard for further study.

What is so outstanding about this volume is how the author points out what is the most glaring failure of this movement, namely its unawareness or unacknowledgement of its own Control Beliefs, Premises, Presuppositions, Historical Context, Philosophical/Metaphysical Bent which so heavily shape its content and conclusions. What is needed for any theological/doctrinal system that challenges evangelical/historical positions is a declaration,discussion and defense of such presuppositions, how they compare to the competition and why theirs are more plausible/tenable. Until postmodernism and other movements such as neotheism can engage at this fundamental level, any meaningful dialog with reality and Biblical truth is futile. Recommended highly to stimulate further research in this challenging arena.

Oh come on, this book cannot be serious. "Postmodernizing the Faith," if this is not poking the latest bogeyman in the eye, I am not sure what is. All the talk about "positing presuppositions," when it is THE hallmark of fundamentalism that it never examines its own presuppositions! The big joke on this book (and supporters of it) is that it is with the advent of post-structuralism and hermeneutics that the importance of context and presuppositions really began to come to the fore! These are questions that would never have even been raised had "postmodernity" never been born, and yet this book (and its supporters) have the audacity to say, "pomo is blind to its foundations." That is irresponsible and would be laughable, if it didn't happen to be the crux of this (admittedly popular) book. If you assume the litany of beliefs that conservative evangelicals do, you naturally will get books like this, as well as other bloodless and dissecated works by evangelicals and "reformed epistemologists" alike. Can we strain any more at a gnat than this?

The adversarial stance this book takes at its outset is also in poor form. Working off of the assumption that "postmodernism" is antithetical to (what Erickson believes is) Christianity, Erickson tries to show through a savaging of several other author's works why pomo is from the devil. But I find no real discussion of why Erickson assumes pomo to be so awful. I find great Christianity in the work of Grenz, for example, the kind of faith I would like to have myself. Erickson's reasons for being so adversarial is clear (his prejudices and presuppositions), but I still wonder how he could come to most of his conclusions.

The arrogance and blindness of the positions taken by this author in this book is breathtaking. Erickson has never once, it seems, considered that all his assumptions about pomo, biblical interpretation, historical context, and such are not only challenged, but fringe-oriented and unsuportable! I am quite suprised that Erickson's subjects in this book haven't sued him for libel!

Tha main problem with this book, though, apart from the shallow scholarship it evidences and the blinders it asks the reader to put on, is the fact that it is un-Christian, in the most profound sense of that word. Why would Ericson have written this book, as opposed to another? And why his other book of character assassinations, "The Evanglical Left"? Why did he feel it necessary to attack these men in this way? I learn nothing about these men's works that I did not already know, but I learn quite a bit about the kind of faith Erickson would like to see. I am not at all sure it is mine.