{"id":41265,"date":"2025-03-20T01:29:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T08:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=41265"},"modified":"2025-03-20T01:29:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T08:29:37","slug":"postmodernism-truth-the-church-a-biblical-response-to-stephen-hicks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/postmodernism-truth-the-church-a-biblical-response-to-stephen-hicks\/","title":{"rendered":"Postmodernism, Truth, & the Church: A Biblical Response to Stephen Hicks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephen Hicks\u2019 book, Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault <\/em>[1]<\/a> takes the reader on a deep dive into the origins of postmodernism, tracking its philosophical development and highlighting its connections to Marxist ideology. As someone who values Judeo-Christian principles and upholds the Bible as the Word of God, I find his analysis relevant. His writing connects with two key concerns I share: the risks associated with abandoning objective truth and the ideological ties between postmodernism and Marxism. However, while I appreciate his critique, I take a different view of his emphasis on Enlightenment rationalism as the primary solution. Instead, I believe that true meaning and truth are ultimately grounded in biblical faith and divine revelation.<\/p>\n

Affirmation: The Danger of Rejecting Objective Truth <\/strong><\/p>\n

One of Hicks\u2019 strongest arguments is his critique of postmodernism\u2019s denial of objective truth. Postmodern philosophers such as Michel Foucault, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Lyotard, and Jacques Derrida reject absolute truth in favour of radical subjectivity, asserting that truth is constructed through language and power structures.[2]<\/a> Hicks argues that this epistemological shift undermines reason, morality, and societal cohesion.[3]<\/a> As Christians, we believe such a rejection of truth is not merely a philosophical error but a direct challenge to God\u2019s revelation in Scripture.<\/p>\n

The Bible affirms that truth is not relative but absolute and grounded in God\u2019s character. Jesus said, \u201cSanctify them in the truth; your word is truth\u201d<\/em> (John 17:17, ESV), and Paul warns against those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). When postmodernism erodes confidence in objective truth, it opens the door to moral relativism, where sin is redefined as a personal preference rather than an offence against a holy God. The great Francis Schaeffer warned about this danger, arguing that relativism leads to moral chaos.[4]<\/a> If truth is merely a social construct, then biblical doctrines regarding sin, salvation, and righteousness become negotiable rather than necessary. Postmodernism\u2019s rejection of metanarratives directly contradicts the grand biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.[5]<\/a> Without believing in absolute truth, the church loses its prophetic voice in a culture increasingly shaped by feelings rather than divine revelation.<\/p>\n

Affirmation: The Link Between Postmodernism and Marxism<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another helpful insight in Hicks\u2019 book is his identification of postmodernism\u2019s ideological ties to Marxism. While classical Marxism focused on economic class struggle, cultural Marxism, embraced by postmodernists, shifts the battle to cultural power dynamics. Hicks explains that after Marxism\u2019s economic failures, its adherents turned to social and linguistic critiques, deconstructing Western values and institutions.[6]<\/a> This shift is evident in the rise of critical theory, which frames all societal structures through the lens of Intersectionality.<\/p>\n

As a pastor and leader, I have witnessed how this ideological shift infiltrates Christian thought and speech. The result is a worldview in which traditional Christian teachings on marriage, sexuality, and the family are dismissed as oppressive constructs rather than divine edicts. The Bible warns against ideologies that elevate human wisdom above God\u2019s truth. Paul says, \u201cSee to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ\u201d<\/em> (Colossians 2:8, ESV). Hicks\u2019 analysis serves as a wake-up call for the church to recognise the dangers of adopting postmodern critical theory uncritically. While we must advocate for justice and compassion, we must do so through the lens of Scripture, not secular ideologies rooted in class struggle and power dynamics.<\/p>\n

Challenge: The Role of Faith and Reason<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Hicks\u2019 critique of postmodernism is helpful, I take issue with his solution, an exclusive reliance on Enlightenment rationalism. He argues that returning to reason, science, and individualism is the antidote to postmodern scepticism.[7]<\/a> While reason is certainly a God-given faculty, it is flawed as the ultimate foundation for truth.<\/p>\n

The Enlightenment elevated human reason as the primary means of discovering truth, often at the expense of divine revelation. Paul writes, \u201cFor the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, \u2018I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart\u2019\u201d<\/em> (1 Corinthians 1:18-19, ESV). Faith and reason are not mutually exclusive, but faith must precede and inform reason. Without faith in God\u2019s revelation, human reason is susceptible to deception and self-justification. If we rely solely on human reason to counter postmodernism, we risk replacing one flawed system (postmodern relativism) with another (secular rationalism). A biblical response recognises that \u201cThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge\u201d<\/em> (Proverbs 1:7, ESV). Surely, Biblically, reason is a tool, but divine revelation is the foundation.<\/p>\n

Stephen Hicks offers an important critique of the philosophical and ideological currents shaping contemporary thought. His insight into postmodernism\u2019s rejection of truth and its Marxist roots is an appropriate warning for the church. However, his reliance on Enlightenment rationalism as the primary solution falls short of the biblical standard. As Christians, we must resist postmodern relativism not by exalting human reason alone but by anchoring ourselves in God\u2019s unchanging truth. We must be discerning, recognising that not every cultural movement aligns with biblical principles. Our call is not to adapt Scripture to cultural trends but to transform culture through the truth of God\u2019s Word. \u201cDo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind\u201d<\/em> (Romans 12:2, ESV).<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Hicks, Stephen R. C. 2019. Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault:<\/em> Expanded Edition.<\/em> Redland Bay, Qld. Connor Court Publishing.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Foucault, Michel. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison<\/em>. New York, Pantheon.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Hicks, 17.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Schaeffer, Francis.1968. The God Who Is There<\/em>. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 30.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Lyotard, Jean-Fran\u00e7ois. 1979. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge<\/em>. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Hicks, Ch 6.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Hicks, 160-163.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stephen Hicks\u2019 book, Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault [1] takes the reader on a deep dive into the origins of postmodernism, tracking its philosophical development and highlighting its connections to Marxist ideology. As someone who values Judeo-Christian principles and upholds the Bible as the Word of God, I find his analysis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[2967,1764,395],"class_list":["post-41265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp03","tag-hicks","tag-postmodernism","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41265","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\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41266,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41265\/revisions\/41266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}