“Postmodernism” is on the lips of many people. For some, it evokes all that is good and exciting about intellectual advance during the past three decades or so; for others, it signals the abandonment of truth, the adoption of nihilism, multiplied confusion, and God-defying arrogance. For many others, its meaning is unclear. They know it […]
Postmodernist epistemology is a pretty abstract topic. So what are the practical lessons that we can glean from thinking about it? First, it helps us to avoid two errors. We should cherish and cultivate some elements of postmodernism and abominate others. So any response to it that is either completely negative or uncritically positive is […]
An advertisement has appeared in a number of evangelical magazines for yet another Bible translation. Looking smart and sophisticated, a woman stares intently at the reader. The caption reads, "If you want to attract me, you'd better watch your language." The ad goes on to relate how busy this young professional is these days, so […]
The key to evangelizing our postmodern generation is forming relationships and faithfully proclaiming the gospel. We can not wait for people to come to us; we must take the gospel out to them. The course called Christianity Explored began when Chris Hobbs, former curate at All Souls Church in London, England, brought Michael Bennett's Christianity […]
Scripture never blames preachers when individuals or even entire cities reject the gospel. Evangelicals, on the other hand, question the man or his methods when ministry stalls. They spend millions studying and then trying to replicate "successful" churches. That irony may puzzle some, but it terrifies church planters who are often under tremendous pressure to […]
In one of his aphorisms, Nietzsche, father of all things postmodern, asks, "What if truth were a woman?" The question sounds sexist, but my Christ-conditioned ears hear more. What if truth was not detached, objective, free-standing, unconditional, and everything else that modern, Western folk have been taught to think of it? What if truth were […]
Pluralism has emerged as a hot topic among Christians today. This can suggest that it is a new phenomenon, representing a thoroughly unique situation with new tensions and benefits. But as Ecclesiastes states, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Although the extent of modern pluralism is new, God’s people have encountered the competitive interaction […]
Today, "worship" means something different to each person. Yet there may be a common denominator among many people, a description of worship that many would recognize. It goes like this: "When I worship, I thank and praise God." Sound familiar? Is there a different way to describe worship? Is there any really different way of […]
One of my greatest privileges in working for reformation in the world of the historic Reformed faith has been to serve as a church janitor. I am a four-congregation veteran. In some way or other over the years, the janitorial supplies closet has served as my "pastor's study." Janitorial duties in the church building contribute, […]
It was educational, if distressing, to read some college newspapers right after September 11, 2001. Students were often shocked by the unspeakable cruelty of the terrorist acts and had no problem calling them “evil.” Some professors, however, had a different take. “You haven’t listened to us!” was their rhetoric. In the vigorous exchanges that flooded […]
Professor Richard Rorty is a leading postmodern philosopher. He recently responded to a few of our queries about the central tenets of the Christian faith and postmodern philosophy. MR: How would you define truth in contrast to the ways we have usually thought about it?RR: I think that it is a mistake to try to […]
Amid the growing number of popular works on worship (many of uneven quality), New Testament scholar D. A. Carson has edited a volume that is both theological and practical. The book contains engaging essays on worship from representatives of three distinct Protestant traditions (Anglican, Free Church, and Presbyterian/Reformed) prefaced by a theological introduction that examines […]
