BEYOND MODERNISM AND POSTMODERNISM
“Where the human knowledge ends, God’s wisdom and power begins to manifest in abundance.”
–Gift Gugu Mona-
Humans generally like certain things. That’s why most people always try to find certainty in their lives because certainty will bring peace to their hearts. A phrase in Latin reads, “certum est quod certum reddi potest,” which is translated “if something is capable of being made certain, it should be treated as certain.”[1] This phrase is well known in the legal field to show that in the legal realm, the principle of certainty is important, especially in adjudicating and deciding a case.
Humans also need certainty in many things. In relationships, in business, in cooperation between countries, and many other things. When certainty becomes an important emphasis, human reason and reason are needed to be able to perceive everything. Philosophers during the Enlightenment era brought this up, and then the era of prioritizing human reason and reason as the main thing marked the start of the era called the modern era. Modern thinkers emphasize that perception and reason are humans’ way of knowing nature—in contrast to premodern reliance on tradition, belief, and mysticism. Modern thinkers emphasize human autonomy and the capacity of humans to shape their character—in contrast to the pre-modern emphasis on dependency and original sin.[2]
Modern thinkers view themselves as radical.[3] Thinkers in the modern era put the individual as the sovereign unit of reality.[4] The positioning of humans as sovereign individuals makes the emphasis on human reasoning abilities very important so the consequence is that individualism becomes a key theme in ethics.[5] Hicks explains, “Individualism and science are thus consequences of the epistemology of reason. Both are implemented systematically and have huge consequences.”[6] Individualism applied in politics produces liberal democracy.[7] Individualism applied to the economy results in free markets and capitalism.[8] Modernism has indeed had an impact in the form of great progress as a consequence of the emphasis on human reason and reason. Science applied systematically to production, materials produced engineering and technology and also produced the industrial revolution.[9]
This thinking also has an impact on religion. Hicks explains, “Enlightenment reason, the critics charged, undermined traditional religion. The leading Enlightenment thinkers were deists, having abandoned the traditional theistic conception of God. God was no longer a personal, caring creator—he was now the supreme mathematician who had aeons ago designed the universe in terms of the beautiful equations that Johannes Kepler and Newton had discovered. The deists’ God operated according to logic and mathematics—not will and whim.”[10] Maybe this is what then caused many religions, including Christianity, to begin to be abandoned and experience a lot of decline.
Postmodernism emerged and refuted modernist thinking. In his explanation, Hicks stated, “Postmodernism replaces social-linguistic and constructionist explanations of reality. Epistemologically, having rejected the idea of an independently existing reality, postmodernism denies that reason or any other method is a means of gaining objective knowledge of that reality.”[11] Postmodernism emerged as the antithesis of modernism. Hicks added, “Postmodernism challenges the Enlightenment’s core philosophical concepts. Postmodernism criticizes the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason and individuality. The article criticizes several aspects of Enlightenment ideology, including capitalism, liberal governance, science, and technology.”[12]
Postmodern thinkers reject the truth claims often used by modern groups. Postmodern theorists deny the notion of a single “story” that encompasses “Western” history. The postmodernist criticizes institutional religions that claim to have absolute truth. Instead, they perceive religion as a mystical experience, waiting for the arrival of the Really Real, the Other, or the Wholly Other.[13] One of the main keywords of postmodernism is deconstruction. All such claims to objectivity and truth can be deconstructed.[14] The main reason for the emergence of postmodernism is, “Many postmodernists, though, are less often in the mood for aesthetic play than for political activism. Many deconstruct reason, truth, and reality because they believe that in the name of reason, truth, and reality Western civilization has wrought dominance, oppression, and destruction.”[15]
How does Christianity reply to these two philosophy streams if someone asks me? Does Christianity endorse contemporary or postmodern tendencies? I may respond that Bible-based Christianity transcends these two philosophical traditions. This does not indicate a rejection of either. The essential Christian term for responding to both is wisdom (khokma). Divine wisdom aids Christianity in skillfully using reason and reasoning in theological constructs made by numerous theologians to establish thoughts and build hypotheses. Developing ideas and theories is beneficial in applying them to real-world situations. In this situation, wisdom enables Christianity to capitalize on the compelling parts of modernity without falling into the trap of justifying everything, including the reality of deity, in light of human limitations. Divine knowledge also leads Christianity to rethink and destroy the foundations of its faith and theological structure. Postmodernism’s method of thinking also allows Christianity to maintain hope in meeting the Supreme Being, who is beyond the reach of human reason, without becoming caught up in pessimistic attitudes and currents of doubt. This attitude brings Christianity to sincere humility before the Divine. For these reasons, the following verse has become part of my ministry and leadership in the church, Show me your way, Lord, teach me your way. Guide me in your truth and teach me, because you are God my Savior, and my hopes for you all day long.[16]
[1] Oxford Reference. Retrieved from
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780192897497.001.0001/acref-9780192897497-e-536?rskey=dkNXzf&result=1. Accessed March 5, 2024.
[2] Stephen R. C. Hicks, Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault, Expanded edition (Ockham’s Razor, 2014), 7.
[3] Ibid, 8.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid, 9.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid, 10.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid, 11.
[10] Ibid, 25.
[11] Ibid, 6.
[12] Ibid, 14.
[13] Patrick, A. J. “Deconstruction and Religion: Exploring Derrida’s View on Religion: Dekonstruksi dan Agama: Menelisik Pandangan Derrida tentang Agama.” Diskursus – Jurnal Filsafat dan Teologi STF Driyarkara 19, no. 2 (2023): 183. https://doi.org/10.36383/diskursus.v19i2.397.
[14] Hicks, Explaining Postmodernism, 15.
[15] Ibid, 3.
[16] Psalm 25.4-5. NIV
About the Author
Dinka Utomo
Dinka Nehemia Utomo is an ordained pastor of the Protestant Church in the Western part of Indonesia (Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat or GPIB). He has served for more than 15 years. The first five years of his ministry were in the remote area of East Kalimantan, including people from the indigenous Dayak tribe in the small villages in the middle of the forest, frequently reached using small boats down the river. For more than 15 years, Dinka has served several GPIB congregations in several cities in Indonesia. He has always had a passion for equipping Christian families, teaching and guiding them to build equal relations between husband and wife, maintaining commitment, love, and loyalty, creating a healthy and constructive Christian family atmosphere, and rejecting all forms of violence and sexual violence. Dinka's beloved wife, Verra, is also a GPIB pastor. They have two blessed children. Dinka and his wife and children love to spend quality family time, such as lunch or dinner, and vacation to exotic places.3 responses to “BEYOND MODERNISM AND POSTMODERNISM”
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Hey Dinka! I really didn’t have to read the book. I should have just read your post. Thanks for helping me to understand postmodernism a little more. I have an easy question for you.
Has postmodernism impacted your church and/or culture?
Dinka,
Love your opening quote:
“Where the human knowledge ends, God’s wisdom and power begins to manifest in abundance.”
Without God’s wisdom, our own knowledge is left with much uncertainty. Thank you for reminding us of that.
I like the balance you brought into this subject with wisdom. You mentioned wisdom allowing us to pull the valuable bits from each period while keeping us away from the extremes of each philosophical movement as well. Good call!