The Postmodern World: Discerning the Times and the Spirit of Our Age

by Millard J. Erickson

Book Overview

In both subtle and distinct ways, postmodernism has permeated American life, becoming a part of our schools, our TV shows, our churches, our conversations, and even our own thinking. How often have we said or heard, "Do what you want, but don't push your values on me," or "You live your life, and I'll live mine"?

Its sheer pervasiveness demands that we ask: Is there anything wrong with postmodernism, or with the tolerance, pluralism, individualism,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581343426
• ISBN13: 9781581343427
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Crossway
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Good survey of postmodern influences

This book provides a good summary and overview of postmodern influences in the past four decades. Erickson writes with a very accessible style. If you have limited background with postmodern thought and would like a useful introduction from a Christian perspective, this is a good choice. I have appreciated Erickson's theological writings for some time and also like this book as a casual read that still provides sufficient analysis."The Postmodern World" may help you reflect upon your own influences. In reading it I found myself more influenced and accommodating of postmodern ideas than I had suspected. This is not all bad, but it does have to be kept in check and that is part of Erickson's point. Beyond this, he seeks to dismantle the more extreme forms of postmodernism by analyzing the work of Derrida (deconstructing traditional meaning in language), Foucault (power establishes truth), and Rorty (pragmatist - whatever works is true). It's not all critique though, Erickson lays out more coherent theories to counter these and shows how even the postmodern thinkers have to rest upon the more coherent theories they oppose to make their case at all.While reading the book, I occasionally couldn't tell if Erickson was bothered by the less harmful effects of postmodernism (like casual dress in business and news telecasts that show the cameras and props, etc.) or just observing them. Usually, he was more clear in giving sound critiques with detailed examples of lowered university standards, sloppy truth handling in the courts, the decline of morality in television and similar effects that are undermining our society.The last chapter of the book is a fascinating glimpse into the future of the evangelical church in light of postmodernism written from the perspective of someone living in the future and looking back. Erickson actually goes a little postmodern himself in the last chapter since it is brilliantly and entirely told from an individual's perspective. The practical ideas of how Christians can move forward accepting, but not compromising to, postmodernism given here alone are worth the purchase of the book.To compliment this book with some more specific and practical responses to postmoderns objecting to the Christian faith, look at Paul Copan's "That's Just Your Interpretation", and "True for You, But Not For Me"

Good Introduction

Millard Erickson is a well-respected evangelical theologian. His CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY is the most widely used systematic theology in Baptist seminaries in the United States. In recent years, he has turned his attention to post modernism. This work is a popularly written critique of postmodernism from a Christian perspective. This books focuses on Foucault and Derrida and also the American pragmatist Richard Rorty. I've read next to nothing of Foucault and Derrida, so I don't know if Prof. Erickson's reading of their "texts" is accurate, but from my reading of Prof. Erickson's other books, it seems that he always tries to be fair to those with whom he disagrees.Prof. Erickson sees postmodernism as a sort of relativism. Through an analysis of TV shows, political debates, and cultural changes, he shows how relativism has pervaded Western life. Many people, including ostensibly conservative Christians, have accepted some of the presuppositions of postmodernism even as they profess their admiration for historic Christianity.Prof. Erickson has written a more detailed and scholarly critique of postmodernism called TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES. His books POSTMODERNIZING THE FAITH and THE EVANGELICAL LEFT are also relevant.