Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

Postmodernism enhances the process of desecularisation:
it endorses the resurgence of
spirituality, reflects loss of confidence in
rationalism and science and urges pursuit of
authentic humanity. It regards all ‘metanarratives,’
(overarching explanations and
truth claims) as inherently oppressive.
Uninterested in coherent systems or
consistency, it is relativistic, playful,
pessimistic and sceptical (Murray,
May 2004).
For centuries Western societies were rooted in a worldview that assumed a “system of
trust based on transcendent absolutes and of submission to a supreme God” (Fernando, in
Carson, 2000:134). The Enlightenment project worked dutifully to remove religion from
the Western intellectual framework, and in many ways succeeded. While the
Enlightenment did not remove religion as it had hoped (cf., Secularisation Theory), it has
helped to strip away the facade of cultural Christianity (i.e., Christendom), unveiling a
faith in most places that has little vitality. People in Western nations have now been
shown to be culturally ‘Christianized,’ but hardly Christian.
In some ways modernity has actually done the faith a great favour. In revealing the
many faults of Christendom, there is now hope for a truer, healthier faith to develop, and
there are encouraging signs that this is in fact happening. Postmodernity is actually
helping in other ways, because it counters modernity’s anti-supernatural penchant, and
once again ‘allows’ people to be spiritual. In this new cultural milieu, Christianity can
potentially thrive again -- though it will certainly continue contending with modernity and
the remnants of postmodernity.
Scepticism based on the assumed infallibility
and universal sovereignty of reason was the
constitutive character of modernity. It was
designed to eliminate faith and re-channel
man’s inherent compulsion to submit and
worship. New Gods and new traditions were
invented, new prophets were proclaimed and
new heavens were imagined. But religion
has not only survived the five hundred year
assault on God and his messages, but has
returned with an increased fervor that
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University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa