{"id":33737,"date":"2023-10-29T11:47:22","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T18:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=33737"},"modified":"2023-10-29T11:47:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T18:47:22","slug":"whats-real-how-do-you-know-and-so-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/whats-real-how-do-you-know-and-so-what\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s real? How do you know, and so what?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction <\/strong><\/p>\n

In his book “Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault,” author Stephen R. C. Hicks explores the philosophy of postmodernism and its effects on politics, cultural practices, and individual lives.\u00a0Hicks argues that\u00a0postmodernism, with its emphasis on skepticism and rejection of objective Truth, has its roots in the philosophical and political ideas of thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Michel Foucault.<\/p>\n

Changing of Guards <\/strong><\/p>\n

“Even postmodernism’s opponents, surveying the intellectual scene and not liking what they see, acknowledge a new cutting edge. In the academic world, there has been a changing of guard. “[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

The book begins by tracing the historical development of\u00a0postmodernism, starting with the Enlightenment era and the rise of modernity. Hicks explores how the Enlightenment’s focus on reason, individualism, and progress eventually gave way to a more skeptical and relativistic worldview. He argues that\u00a0postmodernism\u00a0emerged as a response to the perceived failures and contradictions of modernity, particularly in relation to issues of power, identity, and knowledge.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Was this brainwashing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was around 1985 or so when I got introduced to a different kind of religion in my village in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The melodious songs, beautiful drums, and music captured our attention as we walked back from elementary school in this dusty village of Gakirage. It wasn’t long before I gave myself to Jesus in how they taught me and started to follow the new way of Jesus. This message of the Pentecostal and Charismatic teaching had been imported from the West and was now spreading all over Africa. Rwanda followed suit after Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/p>\n

Whose ancestors and at what shrines should we worship?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some offended by Western Christianity argued that Africans were blindly and forcefully instructed not to worship their true gods. Still, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and worship was to be in no other shrines but those bearing the cross of Jesus (churches).[3]<\/a> \u00a0To some Africans, calling ancestral worship evil in Africa was nothing but another way of spreading colonial masters’ manipulation to strengthen their grip on power. Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. In four countries, for instance, half or more people believe that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the people in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines, and other sacred objects. Belief in the power of such things is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%).[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Throughout the book, Hicks provides a critical analysis of\u00a0postmodernist\u00a0ideas, questioning their validity and implications for society. He argues that while\u00a0postmodernism\u00a0may have initially offered valuable insights and critiques, it has ultimately led to a relativistic and nihilistic worldview that undermines the foundations of knowledge, morality, and social cohesion. [5]<\/a><\/p>\n

What’s real? How do you know, and so what?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Events happening in Israel and Gaza have brought some renewed conviction to some that, indeed, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is at hand.\u00a0With so much information and confusing contradictions, there is a place to find a still true voice.<\/p>\n

Back to the foundation of all Truth <\/strong><\/p>\n

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8.\u00a0I am convinced that God has a way of speaking to his people, and his people will hear and follow his lead as he has promised.\u00a0His voice alone can lead us to the Truth, to himself, for he is the Truth.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks, Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault<\/em>, First edition (Tempe, Arizona: Scholarly Publishing, 2004).<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Hicks.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> http:\/\/www.scielo.org.za\/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0259-94222013000100079<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Pew Research Center, \u201cTolerance and Tension: Isram and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa,\u201d April 2010, https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/religion\/2010\/04\/15\/traditional-african-religious-beliefs-and-practices-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa\/.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Hicks, Explaining Postmodernism<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction In his book “Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault,” author Stephen R. C. Hicks explores the philosophy of postmodernism and its effects on politics, cultural practices, and individual lives.\u00a0Hicks argues that\u00a0postmodernism, with its emphasis on skepticism and rejection of objective Truth, has its roots in the philosophical and political ideas of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2889],"class_list":["post-33737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hicks-dlgp01","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33737"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33738,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33737\/revisions\/33738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}