How do we know that what we call the truth

is true?

Postmodern Musings

“Postmodernism

is incredulity towards metanarratives.”

- Jean-François Lyotard

The past weeks at our church I've been teaching and talking about reading the Bible. Is is still worth it? How do we read it? How do we understand what the message or messages is/are that it declares? Is it true? Can we claim that it is?

This past Sunday I talked about truth....using the above quote from Jean-François Lyotard who many might consider to be the father-figure of the notion of 'postmodernism' since he was one of the first to have the courage to attempt a definition of it. For him, postmodernism is the suspicion of and disbelief in “big stories” (metanarratives). The central tension for him is between science and narratives. The question of the relation between modernity and postmodernity revolves around the issue of LEGITIMATION. Modernity, then, appeals to science to legitimate its claim – and by “science” we simply mean the notion of a universal, autonomous reason. Science, then, is opposed to narrative, which attempts not to prove its claims but rather to proclaim them within a story. Narrative knowledge is grounded in the custom of a culture and, as such, does not require legitimation. Lyotard says that scientific knowledge, which considered itself to be a triumph over narrative knowledge, covertly grounds itself in a narrative (or orginary myth). Science says its legitimate because of REASON – a supposedly universal criterion. The appeal to reason as the criterion for what constitutes knowledge is but one more language game among many, shaped by founding beliefs or commitments that determine what constitutes knowledge within the game; reason is grounded in myth. What characterizes the postmodern condition, then, is not a rejection of grand stories in terms of scope or in the sense of epic claims, but rather an unveiling of the fact that all knowledge is rooted in some narrative or myth.

In other words there can be no such thing as objective knowledge.

What then are the implications for faith

- in particular the Christian faith I (and maybe you too) subscribe to?

What’s at stake is the relationship between faith and reason.
Faith is shared by faithful storytelling. It cannot be proved or demonstrated with reason.
Crucial for our discipleship and formation is being able to write ourselves into the story of God’s redeeming action in the world – being able to find our role in the play, our character in the story. To do that, we need to know the story, and that story should be communicated when we gather as the people of God, that is, in worship. This is why the most postmodern faith communities, and Christian congregations will be those that lean to be ancient, reenacting the biblical narrative.

Because the church values narrative, it values story and the way in which stories are told through signs and symbols (such as water, bread, wine, oil, sand, fire, wind, and the cross). The arts will need to be more valued as an incarnational medium that embodies the story of God’s faithfulness. The church need to be characterized by hospitality, inviting the world to hear the story as we live the story for the world.

As I think about this here are some

questions to ponder, reflect upon & discuss (online if you like!)

→We have to ask ourselves what is the metanarrative that we as people of faith, or as church communities, lift up as our identity, purpose, and unity?

→Does our story living support our story telling?

→How does it change our understanding of the Jesus as the truth, the way, and the life (John 14:6) if we also subscribe to the implications of Lyotard's (and others') opinion that no truth, or explanation of origin, is objectively true, or demonstratable in an undeniably proof-able way?

→Does the implications of this thought mean that people of faith are simply more ignorant than others?; or that faith is as equally as valid as a meta-narrative to base one's life upon as the theory of evolution, atheism, or maybe the idea that the world of Harry Potter is the true universe we're supposed to live in?

A lot of the synthesis of my thoughts are results of my reading of a great little book called Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? by James K. A. Smith