4 an Introduction to Postmodernity

An Introduction to Postmodernity: Where Are We, How Did We Get Here, and Can We Get Home? Ted Cabal Ted Cabal is professor of philosophy Introduction ology, now sitting in judgement over at The Southern Baptist Theological As a student in seminary I had a friend Scripture rather than under it, became the Seminary. Dr. Cabal has served as the with severe amnesia as the result of a standard fare for seminarians preparing Dean of Boyce College, and has also serious bicycle accident. In spite of previ- to feed God’s flock.4 But at least we knew taught at Southwestern Baptist Theo- ous diligent work, he had forgotten large our enemies well, and with the intellec- logical Seminary and Dallas Baptist amounts of his seminary studies. And not tual reinvigoration of evangelicalism in University. He has written articles on recognizing his wife, he had to get to the twentieth century, it appeared that the philosophy and apologetics, and is cur- know her all over again. His disorienta- Lord had raised up a David to meet mod- rently working on a book on apologetics. tion could have been even worse, but ernity’s Goliath.5 his happy testimony was that he was anchored in still knowing Jesus! Where Are We? Many of us were also disoriented upon But after waking surprised that morn- waking one day to find that we no longer ing, we now discover the arrival of recognized the intellectual world around postmodernity. How different everything us. Someone informed us that we were looks! Instead of clashing only with a now living in postmodern times and had worldview giant (Naturalism) wielding been for some time, but it all seemed so the sword of a strong competing truth new and unfamiliar. Gratefully, we still claim, much of the world is now charac- knew Jesus, that He is the same forever; terized by “liquidity.”6 Permanence and but, living as a Christian in the strange solidity in social structures are now new world of postmodernity1 would bygone commodities, not to mention abid- demand adjustments in our thinking. ing values and the concept of truth. The Two decades ago we thought we knew new colossus is characterized by opposi- what it meant to live as thoughtful Chris- tion to epistemology, realism, essen- tians in modernity. It entailed active tialism, all forms of foundationalism, resistance to the manifestations of unbe- transcendental arguments and stand- lief that had arisen since the Enlighten- points, truth as correspondence, canoni- ment. Modern philosophy, no longer the cal descriptions, final vocabularies, and handmaid of theology, reveled in its newly meta-narratives.7 The new cognitive found autonomy to reason apart from atmosphere is charged with pessimism God’s revelation.2 Modern science, no regarding the possibility of modernity’s longer seeking to think God’s thoughts Holy Grail, scientia and veritas. Is this new after him, boasted that God was unneces- arrival on the intellectual scene a friend sary to understand either the universe or or foe? Is postmodernism providentially life’s deepest questions.3 Most insidious given to the Church as an ally against of all, modern biblical criticism and the- naturalism, or is it just one more philo- 4 sophical cycle of unbelief? the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative It is true that postmodernists and mod- Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity” to a ernists have no love lost between them postmodern journal, Social Text.9 The edi- because they disagree on so much. The tors, including postmodern luminaries modernist strives for certainty in knowl- such as Frederic Jameson and Andrew edge that the postmodernist does not Ross, published the article, thinking that believe possible. The postmodernist a physicist was presenting corroboration understands any experience of reality to from science for postmodernism. In the be thoroughly interpretative, whereas the article Sokal wrote: modernist cherishes objectivity. The mod- It has thus become increasingly ernist takes his standpoint as a knowing apparent that physical “reality,” no individual, but socially constructed reali- less than social “reality,” is at bot- ties are all the postmodernist will concede. tom a social and linguistic construct; that scientific “knowledge,” far from Western intellectual power centers, being objective, reflects and encodes long dominated by modernists, now the dominant ideologies and power acknowledge the growing influence of relations of the culture that produced it; that the truth claims of sci- postmodernists. For example, Public ence are inherently theory-laden and Broadcasting Service television aired a self-referential; and consequently, brief series several years ago entitled “The that the discourse of the scientific community, for all its undeniable Nobel Legacy.” Nobel laureates in phys- value, cannot assert a privileged ics, chemistry, and medicine were featured epistemological status with respect to counter-hegemonic narratives describing the fascinating details of the emanating from dissident or mar- advances in knowledge of their disciplines ginalized communities.10 and the resultant benefits for humanity. This kind of programming is nothing new After the article was published, Sokal for PBS. But what is of special interest was published an exposé of the whole affair. the equal time provided a postmodernist As a self-confessed leftist and feminist, he (obviously not from the sciences, but from noted that he shared postmodernists’ lib- the humanities) to attack the sciences. She eral values. Nevertheless, Sokal felt their sought to emasculate modernist concepts emphasis on relativism surrendered the like “fact” and “progress,” and she did so intellectual high ground to the right wing. creatively (e.g., by walking through a He said he was angry desert while she spoke). The laureate in chemistry, on the other hand, prefaced his because most (though not all) of this silliness is emanating from the self- remarks with: “We didn’t invent chemis- proclaimed Left. We’re witnessing try, nature did.”8 Just a few years earlier, here a profound historical volte-face. it would have been unthinkable for PBS For most of the past two centuries, the Left has been identified with sci- to allow the citadel of modernity to be ence and against obscurantism; we taunted so rudely. believed that rational thought and Perhaps the classic skirmish between the fearless analysis of objective reality (both natural and social) are modernity and postmodernity is what is incisive tools for combating the mys- now referred to as the Sokal affair. Alan tifications promoted by the power- ful—not to mention being desirable Sokal, a physicist at New York University, human ends in their own right. The submitted a piece entitled “Transgressing recent turn of many “progressive” 5 or “leftist” academic humanists from well-established ways. To tra- and social scientists toward one or ditional eyes, a/theology doubtless another form of epistemic relativism appears to be irregular, eccentric, betrays this worthy heritage and and vagrant. At best it seems aim- undermines the already fragile less, at worst devious. Within this prospects for progressive social framework, a/theology is, in fact, critique. 11 heretical. For the a/theologian, however, herresy [sic] and aimlessness are unavoidable. Ideas are never Even closer to home, postmodernism fixed but are always in transition; has made a significant impact upon phi- thus they are irrepressibly transi- 15 losophy and theology. Twentieth century tory. philosophical approaches have commonly Analytic philosophy has flourished in been classified either as continental or the Anglophone world. Unlike nineteenth analytic. Until recent decades, some century continental philosophy, it has degree of disdain was the norm between been characterized by rejection of (inten- these broad schools and their correlative tional) system building. Viewing itself as relationships to theology.12 But now, an extension of science, it has historically postmodernism has not only made focused on logic and careful reasoning, inroads but also caused divisions within and the way language is used. The post- each school. modernism that has grown in this soil has In earlier decades, continental philoso- generally been less radical than postmod- phy was closely associated with the likes ernism in continental philosophy, and of phenomenology, existentialism, struc- thus has had a less dramatic influence on turalism, and post-structuralism. The con- Anglo-American theology.16 Philosopher tinental tradition has produced what is Nancey Murphy is sympathetic to W. V. perhaps the most radical of all post- O. Quine’s view of the structure of knowl- modern philosophies, deconstruction. Its edge as a web where individual beliefs are father, Jacques Derrida, is now well held in relation to other beliefs and not in known for his skepticism about ground- relation to the world. She contends that ing the meaning of written texts because this rejection of modernity’s foundation- they are always marked by mediation, alism avoids the Scylla of continental rela- endless word play, the absence of signi- tivism and the Charybdis of modernist fier, or in short, différance.13 Derrida’s epistemological arrogance. She argues influence on theology is exemplified in the that this approach may enable the rap- work of Mark Taylor. Taylor’s work will prochement needed between liberal and seem strange to ordinary Christians both conservative Christianity.17 The most in liberal as well as conservative circles. prominent evangelical theologian to He elides the concept of truth altogether adopt a somewhat similar appropriation in favor of language sport.14 For example, of Anglo-postmodernity is Stan Grenz.18 after cavorting for almost a page through Nowhere are the effects of the Zeitgeist, a (dubious) etymology of “err,” Taylor however, more in evidence than in the says that as an “erring a/theologian” he popular religion of postmodernity, the asks errant questions and suggests New Age Movement (NAM). Postmodern responses that often seem erratic or relativism in general and the New Age even erroneous.

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