Churches in Tension and Transition
In the Christian Communities, Colleges, and Churches, there is a war between modernism and post-modernism. Modernism includes a dependence on science and scientific methods and research. Science makes room for paradigm shifts when the evidence takes conclusions in a new direction. Modernism encourages inductive Bible study, permanent principles and studies of original languages. Modernism encourages the use of technology, and the awareness of corporate and national cultural challenges. An example of modernism lies in the Statements of Faith and Family policies that define with scriptural evidence principles of conversion and the reliability of scripture.
In contrast to modernism, post-modernism had been surging since 1970 in Christian contexts. Post-modernism does not believe in absolute truth. Rather if there are two opposing views, binary terms are evaluated for inequality and injustice, then they are erased and rewritten. Readers do not worry about sentences. The intentions of the author are irrelevant. Readers are free to rewrite sentences and books. Postmodernism encourages the “death of God” and the “death of books”. In Christian circles, authors such as Brian McLaren and Rob Bell have been rewriting doctrines of conversion and homosexuality, and in my opinion, have done a lot of damage. An example of post-modernism is where several leaders erase passages in the Old and New Testament to create an acceptance for this life style in our congregations and leadership.
Since 2000, a new approach to philosophy has emerged, and may bring an integration of the conflicting approaches of modernism and postmodernism. Metamodernism needs to be integrated with Christianity. However, metamodernism believes in truth, believes in Grand narratives, believes in hierarchy and science, and believes in transcendence. Transcendence needs to be modified to make room for the transcendence found in world religions. Then the risen Christ can be compared to nirvana, and the preference of resurrection can be considered. Where there is tension between two terms or concepts, the search oscillates back and forth and finally comes to rest in the middle or in one side or the other. There may be paradoxes but the erasing of hierarchies or terms and rewriting is not a part of the approach.
Other authors discuss the possibility of “going meta”. This seems to mean to go to the extremes of postmodernism, even though postmodernism has ushered in radical relativity and rewriting of terms and texts. Meta-modernism is moderating postmodernism to a centering where absolute truth is possible, Grand narratives are valued, and terms or ideas in tension engage in debate. We do not erase or rewrite the statements so they agree with our bias.
This meta-conflict between modernism and postmodernism is raging and whether small or large, communities and churches are being impacted. In my view the war between these two weakens churches and makes them vulnerable to move into tangents. Metamodernism seems to offer a middle ground that does not deconstruct Christianity. An integration of Christianity and metamodernism will be hard work, but it will be worth it.
In the process of serving in six churches over twenty years, I have watched churches evolve and respond to the challenges in community. One church moved quite quickly into partial postmodern community ministry. (Partial postmodernism does not use the radical postmodern methods but is concerned about culture and community). A second church was definitely modern but made room for a partial postmodern outreach effort to the community. A third church which I just attended had a partial postmodern approach but out of necessity moved into a “Network” arrangement where another church partnered to supply speaking, help with leading worship, and assisting in finances until the church rebuilds. This seems to have elements of metamodernism.
The church that moved quickly into partial postmodern community outreach started with setting up basketball courts in a downtown parking lot. The community youth pulled in and we set up a basketball team that used the inside basketball court in the local YMCA. Girls and boys basketball teams were set up, and the church received grants to hire four college staff to keep the centre open four nights a week. The YMCA opened four nights a week, and the Croatian, Bosnian, Sudanese, Filipino, Turkish, youth had a safe place to socialize. The outreach effort kept absolute truths in view and used scripture and prayer. The approach dialogued with youth regarding rule violations with drugs or theft.
In addition, the church received a grant of $200,000 a year to implement an ESL program that involved 10 student interns. The ESL program eventually facilitated a multi-cultural church plant. Sudanese funeral events were facilitated, a contemporary service started, and the community senior’s city program was encouraged and expanded. Many of these initiatives were started out of the context of what was happening in the church community and surrounding community. The Senior Pastor was supportive of the efforts, and augmented the efforts with messages referencing Barth.
The second church had a very faithful, personal fellowship and a Senior Pastor who was excellent at expositional preaching and teaching. The Women’s Fellowship was outstanding. We eventually opened a Youth Drop In with a pool table, stereo, and several other games. The effort developed into a community basketball team from several ethnic backgrounds where the team played other church teams in the province. At the end of the tournaments, before the trophies were handed out, an experienced speaker shared his testimony. The church stayed modern but made room for partial postmodern initiatives. Later the church opened a clothing exchange that offered significant outreach to the area.
The third church was a mix of modern and partial postmodern methods. Because of covid and the retirement of the Senior Pastor, attendance and finances dropped to a threatening level. The Area Minister offered to speak each Sunday and move toward a “Networking” arrangement. Supplying speaking, supplying some Sundays of worship support, and omitting any speaking fees would allow the church to keep its two food programs going, work on some renovations, and make room for an Urban Garden. It is not clear that this is meta-modern, but there is a document clarifying the relationship between the two churches. The network seems sensitive to social concerns, ecology, and balanced interdependence. It seems that the “Network” arrangement has strong elements of meta-modernism.
Meta-modern approaches will have documented arrangements such as Family Policy or Statement of Faith. They still believe in Grand Narratives and hold to the reliability of scriptures. They believe in truth, even absolute truth. And they work through debate where there are differences, and look to find a middle ground. These and other characteristics will begin to influence the evangelical church in a more positive way.
Resources
Andersen, L.R. 2019. Metamodernity: Meaning and Hope in a Complex Word. www.nordicbildung.org.
Rowson, J. & Pascal, L. (Eds.) 2021. Metamodernity: Dispatches from a Time between Worlds. Cornwall: T.J.Books
Rodrum, D. & Stavris, N. 2015. Supplanting the Postmodern. New York: Bloomsbury.
Schmidt, K.A. Fall 2020. Multiple Modernisms and American Christianity: Where is the Church? Journal of Sociology and Christianity 10(2): 68-74.
Steele, H. 2017 New World, New Church? The Theology of the Emerging Church Movement. Norwich, UK: SCM Press.
Stein, Z. Dec.18, 2018. Be Careful “Going Meta”: Metapolitcal Practice. (II) http; wwwzakstein.org/be-careful-going-meta-political-practice-ii/
