Manzil Teri (2007 Live)

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Postmodernism: A Comparision Chart

Postmodern is used to define a period of time that most historians and authors would recognize. However, postmodernism describes a distinct worldview and/or philosophical system. Gene Veith describes it in this manner, “If the modern era is over, we are all postmodern, even though we reject the tenets of postmodernism.” Postmodernism categorically denies universal truth. Jean-Francois Lyotard, one of the most influential postmodern writers, describes it as an incredulity towards metanarratives. A metanarrative is any large story that large groups of people, even entire societies embrace as truth. Patricia Waugh defines metanarratives as, Large-scale theoretical interpretations purportedly of universal application. The faith story of the death and Resurrection of Christ is considered a metanarrative. Another example would be the concept of liberty and justice for all and the story of the founding of America. Truth found in metanarratives is not true, according to the postmodernist, for all of society. This is not only an attack on truth, but on coherence of facts that have been considered to be true until the Postmodern age.

Jacques Derrida is one postmodern thinker who actively challenged the concept of objective meaning within society or should I say societies. These postmodernists would not argue that these metanarratives have no meaning, but that the meaning relies upon the perspective and understanding of the individual. When combining truth and knowledge in this postmodern matrix, the postmodernist will assert that reality is practically unknowable. The only thing that truly can be known is our individual experience and our individual interpretation of that experience. So it is self contradictory concept in itself which has its root in existential philosophy.

Here is the summarized comparison chart of pre-modernism, modernism and postmodernism. 

	Pre-modernism	Modernism	Postmodernism
Metaphysics	Realism: Supernaturalism	Realism: Naturalism/ Optimism	Anti-realism/ Pessimism
Epistemology	Mysticism and/or faith	Objectivism: Experience and Reason	Social subjectivism
Human     Nature	Original Sin; Subject to God’s will	Tabula rasa and Autonomy	Social construction and conflict
Ethics	Collectivism Altruism	Individualism	Collectivism: egalitarianism
Politics &   Economics	Feudalism	Liberal Capitalism	Socialism
When and   Where	Medieval	The Enlightenment; 20thcentury sciences, business, and technical fields	Late twentieth century humanities and related professions
Guide	Priest	Scientist	Rock-star
Truth	Revealed Truth	Truth Discovered	Truth Experienced
Belief	God	Mind	Culture
Dependency	Faith	Reason	Feeling

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A Book Review: Dialogical apologetics: A Person Centred Approach to Christian Defense

Author: David K. Clark

Pages: 245
Year 1993
ISBN 0801025737

 “Rather, it (Apologetics) is a strategy for presenting, in the course of a unique discussion
with a particular audience, the sort of case that makes sense to those persons. In other words,
apologetics is the reasoned defence of the Christian faith in the context of personal
dialogue”(99)

In its’ two parts, part one is Foundations for Dialogical Apologetics. Part Two is Strategies
for Dialogical Apologetics. First theory, then practice. Chapter one deals with the subject of
faith and reason. Clark defines the terms, provides brief historical sketches of how the two
have traditionally been associated, and then offers a model for how the two should best be
linked. Chapter two deals with the foundations of epistemology. Clark presents outlines of
diverse epistemological alternatives, comparing evidentialism, rationalism, reformed
epistemology, and others. He settles on soft rationalism for his own view, which “lies
between classical foundationalism and Reformed epistemology on the range between
rationalism and fideism.

Chapter three, The Challenge of Science, investigates the philosophy of science. Clark looks
at a number of approaches to science: inductivism, confirmationism, falsificationism, among
others. He shows three main views of the association between faith and science: the conflict
view, the compartmental view, and the complementary view.
In chapter four, author sketch a middle-of-the-road view on how humans can prefer world
views. He settles on soft rationalism, as “it insists that humans can use rational procedures in
choosing world views.” So in this chapter the author explores how world views can be
evaluated, how rational principles can be used, and the use of a cumulative case to land at the
most excellent clarification.

In chapter five, Apologetics as Dialogue, Clark elaborates on the idea of dialogical
apologetics, expanding on his earlier descriptions to gain more clarity. He first outlines four
major approaches to apologetics (presuppositional, evidential, existential, classical) then
points out that dialogical apologetics is not a “fifth view.” Instead, he proposes that,
dialogical apologetics is person-oriented both in practice and in theory.
Part Two, Strategies for Dialogical Apologetics, focuses on the practical use of dialogical
apologetics, with each of the four chapters covering a diverse key element. Chapter six, The
Word on Words, examines the use of logical argument, fallacies, the meaning of words, and
the importance of understanding presuppositions. Chapter seven, The Man’s Got an Attitude,
looks at the crucial element of the one’s attitude in being receptive (or resistant) to change. In
essence, the author explores three types of persuasion: “attitude formation, reinforcement,
and change.”

Chapter eight, Conversation at the Cultural Crossroad, unpacks the issue of culture as it
relates to person encounters and persuasion dialogue. Here the author looks at stereotypes
and prejudice, cultural relativism, and cross-cultural communication. Clark ends by spelling
out a few strategies for communication across cultures.

The most important is the chapter nine, “Tipping the Scale”, brings together all the strands of
Clark’s book and weaves them together into a general outline for apologetic conversion. This
includes developing a proper set of attitudes, listening carefully, being emotionally sensitive,
using evidence, being patient, and inviting a response. Clark concludes the book with a short
chapter entitled Who You Are Counts Most, in which he notes that the character of the
apologist speaks volumes; often more than his/her arguments for Christianity.
In sum, it is an important book that goes beyond method and focuses on practice. While the
ideas are not necessarily new, their application in apologetics is often neglected, and today’s
Christian ambassador would do well to learn from Clark’s insights. This book is highly
recommended for those studying or active in apologetics and evangelism.

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