PostmodernismNo Change

In his book In the Ruins of the Church, R.R. Reno posits that change is anathema to postmodern sensibilities. Recently I posted that the emerging/emergent folks who have adopted those sensibilities want church to be about affirmation and acceptance not change and conversion. Reno helps us to see why.

According to Reno, the humanism of modernity and Christianity shared an interest in transformative change. The freedom of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the empiricism of John Locke both attempt to change minds. It is true that Christianity changes hearts and minds through the power of the cross, but change is still in play for both modern humanism and Christianity. Not so with the humanism of postmodernism. While individual freedom is still embraced, it is has been placed by multiculturalism in the [Reno’s words] “the quicksand of race, class and gender.” In other words, individuality must be mediated by the holy trinity of postmodernism for it to be permitted.

Reno goes on to say that while the humanism of modernity saw a confident hope for the highest good, not so with postmodern humanism. Humanity is still first in postmodernism, but it is without confidence. It is humanity clouded with fear. Postmodern humanism has two evident features according to Reno:

…fear of authority and flight from truth. Both are integral to the strange way in which postmodern culture seeks to serve humanity by saving it from any and all power, by protecting us from the ambitions and demands that lead to change.
Change is a casualty of postmodernism.

This explanation gives us a window on seeing why the postmodern culture cannot be embraced to produce authentic Christianity. And, why authentic Christianity…its dogma, tradition and transformative power…must be avoided. It is the authority most to be feared. Real Christianity is an oppressor because it claims exclusive truth and authority over life. The two bogeymen features Reno says postmodern humanism most fears.

This separates postmodernism from modern humanism as well as reasoned Christianity. As Reno says:

These efforts to shield ourselves from authoritative demands make us fear any proposition, some insight to a conclusion or a syllogism that may lead to control over our intellect or soul. Sharing now smothers debate. God for bid that anyone should formulate a reasoned argument; it might contradict or “marginalize” the experience of others… Everyone must be affirmed; the views must all be validated.

Here we have it. No argument is possible. All ideas are equally valid. Everyone must be affirmed. This is the postmodern agenda! Why would anyone who is a Christian swallow that?

Only one proposition is permitted…that all truth is relative. Thereby, no one can be authoritative over another by espousing their view as superior to any other. Reno claims that this is the dogma of the young people he teaches at Creighton University. Not, mind you, a theory but an issue of faith. Reno puts it this way:

Relativism is not a philosophical theory. It is a spiritual truth, a protective dogma designed to fend off any power that might claim our loyalty. It is a habit of mind that insulates postmodern life from the sober potency of arguments and the force of evidence, for the rightful claims of reason and the wisdom of the past…Here our contemporary horror of obedience joins hands with solipsism in order to protect the soul form all the demands, rational or otherwise. Here we are face to face with the spirit of the age.

Relativism is deadly. It is the enemy of reason and faith. Those who embrace it are safe from any claim to a loyalty or authority other than the self. It is the ground of a postmodernism that allows for no change. That is antithetical to Christianity which is all about change and any church that substitutes affirmation/acceptance for change and conversion through Christ is propounding “another gospel”.