What Are the Implications of Postmodernism?

As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). For many, this question illustrates the core question of postmodernism—how we know the truth. Postmodernism was originally an architectural term that grew into an idea elaborated on by French philosophers such as Lyotard, Derrida, and Foucault. They put forth three main issues: skepticism towards metanarratives, “no world outside the text,” and knowledge is power.

These terms imply three things: that we should doubt big stories, that we should understand that everything is an interpretation of reality, and that certain forces are at work to make us into certain kinds of people. This means postmodernism is suspicious of anyone making grand claims about reality, doesn’t believe people have objective truth, and suggests that we need to break free from all institutions that try to tell us what to do.

While postmodernism presents challenges to Christianity, it also corrects a few imbalances. Many Christian institutions have used coercion, forcing others to believe their big story. Postmodernism points out how science has done the same thing, mocking anyone whose beliefs don’t fit within a rational framework. We need to listen to all voices, not shout them down. Second, Paul tells us that, this side of heaven, our perception is limited (1 Cor. 13:12). Objective truth and reality exist, but none of us has perfect perception—we use our senses and language to interpret everything, including the Bible. Finally, the Bible tells us that various powers are trying to mold us into their image (Eph. 6:12) and we need knowledge of those things, so we don’t conform to the wrong image. So how should we respond to postmodernism?

Like any human idea, postmodernism has strong points and weak points. While we must acknowledge that all we do is an interpretation, we can also trust that the Spirit can lead us into truth (John 8:31-32; 16:13). We believe in the big story of God’s plan of salvation, but we must avoid telling it in a way that suppresses and minimizes others, or we are no different than the medieval church which persecuted those who disagreed with it. Finally, as much as our pride likes to think we can break free of all external influences, that is not the case. However, we can choose what we want to be shaped by. For the Christian it is the Spirit of God, speaking through the Word of God, as we participate in the community of God—known as the church.