The Need for Navigators in Post-Modern Times–1
Hundreds of years ago mankind started a journey into the new world. This journey was the physical exploration across the Atlantic Ocean to the new continent. The times were filled with new opportunities as well as wrought with uncertainty. The trip across the sea was scary because of the unpredictability of the weather, the waves, and the wind. During these adventurous times, there was an increased need for navigators of the sea. This was not a time for map readers because there were no maps of the new world. There were no concrete symbols to read or established paths to follow. There were only the markers of ocean currents and the stars to guide these explorers into the new reality of a larger world. The search of the new world was guided by navigators because map readers were unprepared for the new age of man.
As mankind enters into the present reality of exploring the world of post-modern times, there is an ever increasing need for religious navigators to lead the church into the new social landscape. In the past, the map readers have been guiding the church because during the previous century the signs of the times were more certain so there was more established information to follow. But the increasing change in society has destroyed the age old maps. Culture is changing and few people know what the future will look little in a religious context. People are fragmenting over the need to address the flux of culture. Some desire to travel back to the understandings of a previous time. Instead of embracing that the world might be round, people are fighting for a flat earth. People want to deny the existence of postmodernity. These people are afraid of falling off the side of the horizon. Others are willing to embrace the new reality of society and navigate through the dangerous seas of change to discover effectiveness in the new land. There is a brewing battle between map readers and navigators in the church.
Related posts:
- The Need for Navigators in Post-Modern Times–3
- The Need for Navigators in Post-Modern Times-4
- Characteristics of Navigators
- Map Readers and Navigators
- Read “The Post-American World”
About The Author
In this series of posts, I will deal with the difference between map readers and navigators in the church, and how to navigator in a Biblical manner.
I agree that the church needs navigators for a postmodern (as well as a post-Christian) world. That is one role I hope to fulfill in the congregration where I serve as well as any other place God calls me to serve. However, one question that needs to be addressed is “who” should do the navigating on a larger scale? Or, “who” should we seek to help us navigate the new world?
I raise this because I have become increasingly skeptical of some in the Churches of Christ who are critics of postmodernsim and the emerging church/theology that is seeking to address this issue for churches. I am not an expert in postmodernism nor emerging church/theology but I have read enough to know several things. 1)There are problems with postmodernism and emerging church/theology just as there are problems with modernism and protestant, evangelical, restoration church/theology. Howerver, 2)There are some good things that postmodernism and emerging church/theology brings as a correction to modernism and the protestant, evangelical, restoration church/theology that developed within and was shaped within a modernism paradigm. 3) Some of the strongest cristics of postmodernism and emerging church/theology within our fellowship seem oblivious to the shades of modernism that color their own glasses and oblivious to the problems of their own understanding of church/theology.
So, in my estimation, we need navigators who can see both the good and bad of postmodernism and emerging church/theology. For this to be, the navigators must be able to see the inherent problems within modernism and protestant, evangelical, restoration church/theology. We don’t need critics who are unappreciative of the past (for we are in debt to all Christians and their leaders of the past protestant, evangelical, restoration movements). However, we do not need navigators who cannot see the value and good that is found within postmodernism and emerging church/theology.
Grace and peace,
Rex
P.S., I lumped the emerging church/theology into the discussion since it seems to be that which is trying to help the larger Christian world navigate the postmodern, post-Chrstian world.
All great questions Rex. In the posts, I plan on looking at those who should lead. Thank you for the interaction.
In yesterday’s “USA Today”, an article revealed how Americans are changing in the religious realm. Many have abandoned faith altogether. There are many reasons for it. Some have become disillusioned. Some have been hurt. Some see the idea of “God” as a joke. Some are simply being more honest. (In the past, they would have declared some kind of religious affiliation even though they had stopped participating years before. Now they simply say that they have no religious affiliation.).
Also, postmodernism may be more common in some social classes than in others. For example, it may be found more often in upper middle class churches in which people are educated to think in postmodern ways. In poor urban churches, it may be less common because the poor and working classes look at life in more black-and-white ways. (It’s not even questioned whether it is right or wrong to cheat or lie or intimidate. They have been victims, and know absolutely that it is wrong, while postmodern thinkers may be more reluctanct to judge.) We tend to think that all social classes thing alike, but they don’t.
There are certainly aspects of postmodernism that have nothing in common with the Christian faith. However, the same is true for modernism. From that respect, there are certain elements of each “ism” that are shared with Christianity. For example, (and with broad generalism) modernism believed in such a thing as discernable truth discovered through rationalistic propositions rather than relativism but modernism lacked the epistemological humility which has resulted in relativism. Though postmodernism has reletivised truth, it has also taught us that what we do know is discovered not just through rationalistic propositions but also through experience, tradition, and community (and more in a web than linear fashion). As Christians, we want to continue the pursuit of truth because we believe in the One who is the truth – but – we need to continue that pursuit with humility (recognize our human limitations) and realize that truth is not just revealed in logical propositions but also in vehicles such as experience, community, and tradition. And one place where experience, community, and tradition are bound up in one web is the scriptures (the tradition passed on to us) by the church (the community we belong to) as we learn together (the experience of community and tradition).
Does that make sense?
Rex
Terry, I believe you are right, there is a system 3 mindset within the inner city world. Thank you for the input. And Rex, you are talking like a navigator.
Thanks Matt. I find these sort of conversations interesting for several reasons. One of course is that there seems to be too much fear driven hype over postmodernism (often while remaining oblivious to the dangers of modernism). Neither modernism, postmodernism, or any other “ism” need to be a threat to the Christian faith. Any ways, I look forward to more of your posts on this subject.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Have you read “The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible” by Scot McKnight?
On p. 108-109 he uses a water slide and pool as a wonderful “navigator” illustration regarding the pursuit of God. He speak of how the water slide control the direction we head in (the sides keep us from going off the edge and hurting ourselves) and where we land. He then likens the water slide to the scripture, Christian community, and Christian tradition. In our pursuit of God, these are what keep us from going off the edge and hurting ourselves. The water on the slide is compared to the Holy Spirit (referencing 2. Tim 3.14-17) who provides the momentum for our journey. However, the goal of going down the water slide is to land in the pool, just like the goal of pursuing God and truth is to land in the pool of transformed living in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I though it was a good illustration worth sharing.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Rex I appreciated much of what you said. Here comes the “but.” Not meaning to be critical “but” it is the ism’s that has not jut threatened but destroyed much of the Christian faith. The splintering of believers has come from ism’s. I see fear that has driven some to search the scriptures more honestly and fear has lead some to say, “ok, I guess I just have to go along with whatever.
I appreciate the post and look forward to other post.
Sonny,
You are right about how destructive “isms” have been to the Christian faith, whether causing division in the church, denial of the faith, etc… My point is that a solid faith does not need to fear any ism because a solid faith not only has been taught God’s revealed truth (the core gospel) but also has been taught how to think (discern) for him/herself as the journey continues — something Paul encouraged both among the Corinthian and Thessalonian churches.
There was a time when I was afraid to read anything from the fields of atheism and theological liberalism (those “isms”) because I thought they would destroy my convictions about the gospel. Eventually, at the graduate school level, I was forced to and found out that I was actually able to think (discern) for myself and see through the fallicies of theologians like John Dominic Crossan (who is a deconstructive critic of the historic Jesus). I was also forced into this because my father-n-law was also reading Crossan and was starting to have doubts in his own faith and so I needed to help him navigate (thanks be to God that he is still a Christian today).
So I think we who are called to preach and teach the gospel need to not just preach and teach but also equip others for learning and discernment so that these isms will not be such a threat to faith. Then perhaps, we would not have Christians dividing over whether one reads from the KJV or NIV and perhaps we would not have someone abandoning their faith because of a conversation they had with a pagan co-worker.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Agreed