Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Three Streams Of Postmodernity

Gallagher identifies three streams of postmodernity:
  1. ‘radical’ postmodernity, based on a head-driven philosophical search
  2. sociological search
  3. creative postmodernity

The first two of these three approaches are about Deconstruction (A) and one is Reconstruction (B). To get from (A) to (B) is a painful journey, and one that many in the Emerging church have made, are making or are about to make. It is common knowledge that any fundamental shift in the way we go about life will inevitably involve some pain, and is therefore something that requires the support of those around you.

‘Creative postmodernism’ is far more healthy, and akin to a deconstruct/reconstruct approach. In this scenario, people engage both head and heart, and are influenced by the thoughts, experiences, dialogue and interaction with others.

A Jamieson reports that this is the beginning of a process, which relates to Fowler’s Stages of Faith. The greatest mistake that people in ‘deconstruction mode’ make, is to stop praying. The reasons given for stopping praying are usually some form of objection to the mechanics and purpose of prayer. Rather than persevering with it or finding alternative methods of prayer, it has become the first casualty of deconstruction. The approach to faith turns into an exercise in philosophical truth claims rather than a relationship to the divine.

Prayer takes you beyond yourself and your limitations; it enables you to listen and encounter the God that is beyond, and not defined by us. It is believed that deconstruction held with prayer can help us hear and encounter the real Jesus and the real Godhead.

What do you think?

8 comments:

Matthew Celestine said...

I think if a Christian understands the intellectual background to Deconstruction in French philosophy, he or she should want very little to do with the stuff.

God Bless

Matthew

Kitty Cheng said...

Matthew, I can't say I know much about the intellectual background to Deconstruction in French philosophy. From my limited understanding, and research, I think deconstruction is not a synonym for "destruction."

According to Gallagher, reconstruction can't be acheived without deconstruction (which basically is to 'undo'). Through Creative postmodernism, the approach and process of deconstruct/reconstruct (with fervant prayer) can help us encounter God and be more relevant in this new era of postmodernity.

audrey` said...

Hi brother Godwyn
Here is another deep post from our dearest sis Kitty :) HeHe!

Praise God for Kitty's intelligence.

Matthew Celestine said...

The problem is that the methodology employed by Deconstruction makes it impossible to reconstruct any kind of meaningful discourse.

Deconstruction rejects the idea that anything may have a fixed meaning.

To be consistent in employing Deconstuction would mean that you could legitmately claim that God is a mispelling of dog in the Bible. As it rejects any fixed sense of meaning, you could not challenge this interepretation.

Every Blessing in Christ

Matthew

Kitty Cheng said...

Hi Audrey, thanks for your compliment. I wonder though this so called 'deepness' and 'intelligence' is really doing me any good. I feel that the more I learn, the more I am grappling with the paradoxes of my Christian spirituality.

Kitty Cheng said...

Matthew, maybe I am suffering from the consequence of not having a fixed sense of meaning in my quest of learning about church??

I am torn!

audrey` said...

It's very good to exercise our mind and to think about our beliefs and values. Then we can have a stronger foundation.

Kitty Cheng said...

amen!