e-Book A New Kind of Conversation: Blogging Toward a Postmodern Faith download

I have worked through this book twice and find it a very interesting and unique specimen as far as theology books are concerned. It’s a compilation of blog posts and responses condensed down to a few distinct conversations on topics relating to postmodernism. As John R. Franke says at the beginning of the book, “Such a format is fitting for an engagement with postmodernity and its interest in fluidity, dynamism, plurality, and open-endedness.”

But I think the strengths in this book are also its weaknesses. With so many voices and the unique format, I feel like it tries to cover too much in too small a space. But it’s a noble effort.

“A New Kind of Conversation” starts out with an essay explaining the basics of postmodernism. It’s hard to pin down a definition for postmodernism but Bruce Ellis Benson does his best to give us a framework (although he also says that there is really no such thing as postmodernism). He writes, “Despite all the differences in postmodern thinkers, they would generally agree that 1) we think and know only in connection with others, 2) our knowing is always culturally and historically conditioned, and 3) human reason is considerably less powerful than many Enlightenment thinkers assumed.” So that gives us a broad description to keep in mind while we read the other entries. Benson also mentions that, “[P]ostmoderns tend to think of human existence as being part of a story. Stories are the ways we define and understand ourselves, as well as others.” I find this to be one of the most interesting and exciting things that postmodernism is bringing to theological discussions. Scot McKnight’s book “the Blue Parakeet” goes into a similar idea in more detail and does a wonderful job of explaining how and why we should read the Bible as Story.

Each blog post touches on important subjects and their relation to postmodernism and then lets us read how the commenters interacted and expanded on the topic. There are a lot of interesting points that come up and I’d like to just mention a few:

• One thing that a contributor (Kenzo) points out—and I feel it is something that definitely has to be recognized by today’s church—is that “Doubt is always part of Christian experience. At times, the appropriate response to doubt is not more epistemic evidence, but more faith. “I do believe! O Lord, help my unbelief!” I think this is something that more people are realizing today as they move away from a strict, fundamentalist setting that won’t let them explore or analyze what they are supposed to believe.

• Something postmodernism is often accused of is a rejection of logic and reason. However this is not how it is defined by the primary contributors in this volume. Myron Bradley Penner writes, “Postmodernism, especially as described here… is not opposed to rational discourse, nor even the rational articulation of Christian belief; rather it is opposed to a particular conception of reason and the idea that this flawed conception of reason is the final arbiter for Christian belief and practice.”

• There is a great description of how Christians should reach out to people with a postmodern mindset stated by Ellen Haroutunian. She writes, “[W]e must recognize that postmoderns have already said “no thanks” to Christianity because our assumption of absolute truth carries no weight with them. For many, the word Christian has come to mean close-minded and judgmental, and trust has been lost. Trust must be rebuilt through friendship and the willingness to walk a long journey alongside them filled with genuine curiosity and conversation.”

Of course, these are only a few of the ideas touched on and each blog post has something interesting to contribute to the conversation. However, I find myself sympathizing with the worries brought up by some of the comments on a few posts. I fear that, in reacting to modernism, postmodernism may swing the pendulum too far in the other direction. We’ll have to wait and see.
So, I guess, in the end, I would say there are dangers that could arise from postmodernism, just as they did in modernism, but the contributors (namely McLaren and Benson) acknowledge this plainly. While I don’t agree with everything the primary contributors say, I find that postmodernism isn't some kind of simplistic relativism or rejection of truth that people are often taught it is (and it can’t be as easily dismissed as it frequently is). It’s obvious that postmodernism has its Pros and its Cons that we will have to work through as we try and understand how to live out and preach the gospel today.

In conclusion, if you want to learn about the major movement away from modernism that is happening within Christianity today, this book is a great place to start.

Minor Issues:

A brief comment should be made about the Kindle version of this book. The definitions of key phrases are important to the reading but they often interrupt the middle of a sentence and make the formatting look all wonky. It’s kind of an annoying way to read. It would be more useful to have the highlighted words linked to a glossary at the back, that way they don’t interrupt the flow and the reader can decide whether or not she needs to take a look at the provided definitions.

Also (and this really is minor), in the citations at the end it says Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was directed by Charlie Kaufman. It was not. It was directed by Michel Gondry with a screenplay by Kaufman.

:: Overview ::

Moving beyond the cliché title of this text, one is invited to join in at the heart of what is truly the oldest Christian conversation--maintaining faithful witness to Christ in ones context. John Franke's forward situates the book nicely in the whole of Church history emphasizing its particular form and relevance to our present situatedness in the postmodern turn.

The key for this text is its tasteful use of formatting, initializing with an article, called a blog, then followed by subsequent interactions and thought streams, called threads. This enables a nice interplay of the contributors with each other and those who participated from across the web. As a result, the book is sure to engage all levels of thinkers within the conversation who are each approaching from their own vantage point. The reader is methodically walked through eight blogs starting with the philosophical notions of postmodernity down to to their outworking in apologetics, ministry and spiritual formation.

:: Chapter by Chapter/Blog by Blog ::

In `Blog 1' Bruce Benson essentially establishes a postmodern centre, countering the most prevalent Christian objections and misconceptions, appropriately/cautiously directing them towards accepting necessary levels of critique and reception. The following `threads' shed light on many of the evangelical basis for approaching postmodernism while further articulating the proper understanding for Christian interaction. Brian McLaren, Myron Penner and Benson brilliantly interact with contributors enriching and refining the content of the first blog through historical and philosophical examples and clarifications.

`Blog 2' builds upon the first, moving towards an evangelical centre in which Myron Penner offers some necessary critiques and clarifications of what evangelical represents and ought to be--all the while maintaining a generally upbuilding tone and good aftertaste. Penner enables evangelicals to recontextualize our historical identity in being about the gospel, personal piety and scripture's authority while shedding a number of modernity's distortions--yet he is careful to leave open what exactly a `postmodern evangelical' may be. The ensuing dialog is priceless, as those of various generations and understandings begin to reveal their own reservations and experiences with modernism and postmodernism; this is exactly why this book was written and its format is virtually flawless paired with this content.

`Blog 3' is marked with the return of Benson, taking the conversation in to the realm of postfoundaitonal theology. The discussion quickly moves into semantics, however, it does not remain there and opens to a number of clarifications and difficulties in the realm of foundationalism and belief. There is some discussion on the nature of scripture as our authority and its interpretation, which although it does not necessarily add to the argument, it shows the concerns that are all related to this conversation.

`Blog 4' brings scripture to centre stage as Penner approaches modern evangelical understandings of inerrancy and interpretation in light of the postures and approaches that postmodernism presents. The `postpropositional' attitude put forth allows us to see God's speech acts beyond modern concerns while still recognizing the texts ability to speak. The subsequent discussion, including remarks from Scot McKnight (cool NT scholar), opens up understandings of how the text is known and teaches us. One of the most useful aspects of this is a thread on what sola scriptura might look like as we hold true to the intent of the reformers in light of our own situatedness.

`Blog 5' marks the introduction of Mabiala Kenzo, an African theologian, who expands the horizon of the conversation beyond the west and postmodernism to its ally and flourishing in postcolonial contexts. Postmodernism, for us in the West, is seemingly the lessons of deconstructing modernity as it presented itself in the colonial and emerging postcolonial context applied back on the West. These lessons, however, are not only for the West, but also, as the conversation shows, need to be a balanced and appropriated interaction in all contexts.

Penner in `Blog 6' brings the conversation into the realm of apologetics. He clearly articulates our current method of apologetics as being intricately connected with modernity (both the positives and negatives). Postmodern apologetics, however, maintains a level of rationality but it is necessarily personal and gospelcentric/holistic in its context and concern. The discussion intensely interacts with some of Penner's viewpoints, subsequently highlighting common misconceptions and supposed dichotomies of postmodernity and old/common readings of those who might offer a way through.

`Blog 7' calls the conversation into the congregation and the ministry that takes place there with Ellen Haroutunian. She calls us to an incarnational orthodoxy, which is essentially a heartfelt neo-pragmatism for our own era, formed around relationships while still holding onto a core conception of Jesus. The conversation talks about moving from talking about loving others into action, with some qualifying statements about how far we can and ought to take postmodernism and in what contexts.

Brian McLaren in `Blog 8' brings the book to a close in perhaps one of the most opening topics, Spiritual Formation or that which makes us more like Christ. He presents some of the confines that modernity placed on Christian development, which brought about the systems in which many of us have `matured' into our faith. He introduces some of the beneficial directions in Spiritual Formation that we can consider some long-term investments in (so to speak). The conversation peels away some concern over specific directions and very tightly/openly presents some ways deeper as individuals intricately integrated in community (the church) and in the world.

:: Analysis & Uses ::

First Off: I went to book the book on my book shelf and was seriously perplexed if it should go with my philosophy books or theology or spiritual growth... so I put it back on my desk, I guess the conversation continues on.

Secondly: This book seems to have its upbuilding uses for anyone who has joined the reality of maintaining faithful witness to Christ in ones context (that is, who is a Christian). Furthermore, in the classroom, no Christian introduction to critical thinking, philosophy, ministry or theology in this day should be taught without the accompaniment of this text.

Thirdly: This book brings to the table a number of significant points. However, as these authors show, it is not simply the words these contributors write but the lives that they live which transubstantiate this conversation into the reality of Christ--love of God and neighbour.

Lastly: Myron Penner has, yet again, successfully brought together some leading contributors of contemporary thought and it's outworking on the intricacies of postmodernism and Christianity as we adventure and thrive though the Holy Spirit and in Christ through this turn.