Bill Easum’s definition of Postmodern: Someone one who has grown up outside of the Christendom and who was mentored more by their peers than their parents. Although this is not an exhaustive definition, it does explain why many young adults who grow up in the church are really products of Modernity more than Postmodernity. Postmodernism is not just a form of “hyper-Modernity as some wish to believe . It is a time of radical discontinuity in which a totally new age is being born
I prefer the term “Pre-Christian” to Postmodern because we feel that it is better to say what the world is than what it isn’t. We feel it the 21st century will be more like the first century than the 20th century, thus the term “pre-Christian.” Postmodernism, by nature, is hard to define. But we can say that it is a time of relativism, cynicism, polytheism, and the breakdown of both Modernity and Christendom. It is the end of Rationalism and Scientific dominance. The church *has* to somehow see itself as a patron of the arts, financing, enabling, empowering not just Christian advertising (read Jesus pictures – one layer message art – which is actual Christian commercial art) but art which also is abstract and sometimes dangerous and painful in it’s expression. We need to finance a space for people to experiment and not just “use” artists in services. We chased art out for hundreds of years and now we want it instantly back in and fitting our themes.
Globally it is manifesting itself primarily as Pentecostal and supernatural and indigenous. what is indigenous here is not indigenous overseas. For example. in Australia, Hillsong reaches lots of young people whereas in the U.S. that kind of worship isn’t. The same could be said about New Hope in Hawaii. Also it is manifesting itself in church planting, house churches, small groups, and city reaching. It is not a generational issue.
Often people confuse churches like Willow Creek, Ginghamsburg, and Saddleback as postmodern churches. They aren’t. They are great End of Modernity Churches. Sort of Bridge Churches to the new world
Postmodern Definition
Bill Easum’s definition of Postmodern: Someone one who has grown up outside of the Christendom and who was mentored more by their peers than their parents. Although this is not an exhaustive definition, it does explain why many young adults who grow up in the church are really products of Modernity more than Postmodernity. Postmodernism is not just a form of “hyper-Modernity as some wish to believe . It is a time of radical discontinuity in which a totally new age is being born
I prefer the term “Pre-Christian” to Postmodern because we feel that it is better to say what the world is than what it isn’t. We feel it the 21st century will be more like the first century than the 20th century, thus the term “pre-Christian.” Postmodernism, by nature, is hard to define. But we can say that it is a time of relativism, cynicism, polytheism, and the breakdown of both Modernity and Christendom. It is the end of Rationalism and Scientific dominance. The church *has* to somehow see itself as a patron of the arts, financing, enabling, empowering not just Christian advertising (read Jesus pictures – one layer message art – which is actual Christian commercial art) but art which also is abstract and sometimes dangerous and painful in it’s expression. We need to finance a space for people to experiment and not just “use” artists in services. We chased art out for hundreds of years and now we want it instantly back in and fitting our themes.
Globally it is manifesting itself primarily as Pentecostal and supernatural and indigenous. what is indigenous here is not indigenous overseas. For example. in Australia, Hillsong reaches lots of young people whereas in the U.S. that kind of worship isn’t. The same could be said about New Hope in Hawaii. Also it is manifesting itself in church planting, house churches, small groups, and city reaching. It is not a generational issue.
Often people confuse churches like Willow Creek, Ginghamsburg, and Saddleback as postmodern churches. They aren’t. They are great End of Modernity Churches. Sort of Bridge Churches to the new world
Recent Posts
Failure is Certain … 100%
November 23, 2024Common Member Retention Challenges + How to Solve Them
November 20, 20245 Biblical Lessons Your Children’s Ministry Should Focus On
November 14, 2024Categories