mMy students came away needing a little more clarification on a session they went to on a postmodern worldview, so I thought this would be the best place to rehash the topic a little more. If you want to ease drop on this conversation between my students and I…feel free.

Alrighty students, so postmodernism…its basically just an alternative worldview which is a major way of thinking and perceiving all things within society. We see postmodernism everywhere. A postmodern worldview is seen in the movies, in music, in politics, in religion, in churches, in classrooms, in friends, etc. If you’ve ever heard someone say, “That may be true for you, but that doesn’t make it true for me”, then you’ve been around someone who has a postmodern worldview and mindset. If you’ve heard someone say that there are no absolute truths, that all religions can be right, and that there is no real basis for right and wrong…then you’d definitely been in the presence of a postmodern. Postmodernism isn’t just some philosophical study, its very popular!

Basically, postmodern hates what is called “meta-narratives.” Simply, meta-narratives are any major stories that seek to make sense of all of history, present life, and the future. For example, the Bible and the gospel is THE real, true meta-narrative. God has revealed to us through Scripture that Jesus is the reason, purpose, and story behind all of history, present life, and the future. But a postmodern mindset would say that believing one meta-narrative over any others (Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Atheism, Secular Humanism, Evolution) is arrogant because who knows if one is right over the others. So instead of saying they are all wrong, postmodernism says they all can be right.

Postmodernism is one of the biggest proponents of moral relativism. Moral relativism says that whatever you think is right and wrong is right and wrong for you…but no one can tell you what right and wrong really is. Hmm, I wonder who is really behind that? Sounds a lot like the Satanic Serpent in the Garden of Eden! Moving along… Postmodernism is also one of the biggest proponents of tolerance. They would say that different religious worldviews ought to be tolerant of each other, not try to change each others thoughts, and not try to convert each other because whatever they might think is true…really is true for them. Postmoderns HATE people who say that their way is the only way. We as Jesus-believing Christians have no problem with saying that our way is the only way because that’s exactly what Jesus said (John 14:6), and nothing else makes logical sense! God really did create this world for His Son, this world really did fall into sin by Satan, God really did send Jesus to die for the sins of the world, and God really has raised Jesus from the dead and made Jesus over the world. God’s point really is Jesus! He really is the only true truth to believe. But postmoderns hate that because they would say that we are arrogant and intolerant to only believe one way. But isn’t it interesting that postmoderns are intolerant of us because they believe that we are intolerant of other religions? Isn’t it interesting that we don’t hate people we disagree with, but we love them enough to try to bring them to Jesus? Aren’t postmoderns way more intolerant than we are because their intolerance is full of hate while ours of love?

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Oh my gosh, I know people who are postmodern thinkers! How do I witness to them?” Postmoderns are really just sinners like ourselves and everyone else. Their thinking is in bondage to Satan, and God can make a difference in their lives as we show them love, show them patience, and ultimately show them Christ. We need to listen to their objections, and answer their questions with Scripture and Jesus! We need to show them how relevant Jesus really is to them and this world!