drew moser: The Gospel in a Pomo Society 3.2

journal : : field notes

The Gospel in a Pomo Society 3.2

27 July 2006

Continuing our discussion on Newbigin’s 3^rd Chapter in The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, we delve deeper into the concepts of ‘knowing’ and ‘being’.

On the role of culture in our lives: “Like the lenses of our spectacles, it is not something we look at, but something through which we look in order to see the world. The lenses…in a sense, they are part of us. We indwell them.” (35)

What implications, then does this have for a postmodern culture? Profound implications. Though we find ourselves surrounded by postmodernism, the effects of modernism still linger heavily upon us. We must understand that the postmodern sees the world through a postmodern lens. Thus, to expect her/him to simply conform to a modern worldview is an unnecessary, and hindering step in the mission of the church. Our job as a faith community is not to make converts of modernism, but rather, passionate followers of Christ in one’s own culture.

Does this mean that modernism can’t be a helpful corrective to postmoderns (or vice versa)? Of course not. “It is only when we are exposed to a totally different culture and a different language, shaped by a widely different history, that we can turn back and see that what we always took for granted is only one way of seeing things.” (35).

This is certainly true in Newbigin’s life, returning to his British homeland after spending decades in India. Through his exposure to eastern culture, he was able to step back and see the culture that indwelled within him in a fresh way.

In America, we find ourselves in a unique scenario. Our churches operate from a very Western, modern mindset. But our society is now pluralistic (culturally and religiously), and the religious pluralism is mutating into a new postmodern blend. Thus, within our very geographic borders we have a modern and postmodern culture occupying the same space.

Yeah, it’s messy. . . yeah, it can be frustrating. But it can also be sharpening. . .

Labels: newbigin

comments:

Simone Weil wrote that "culture is that which forms attention." I love this phrase because it speaks of telos and not merely lenses.. Once we recognize the lens.. become aware of our awareness.. we have the possibility of choice. To what do we attend? How do we attend to the Spirit when cultural forces push us to attend to externals?

posted by Len @ 1:09 PM : : permalink