Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

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should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Pe. 3:9).
What has this to do with postmodernity Simply stated, postmodernity is the next
progression of man’s frustration with himself. Modernity -- the Enlightenment project --
remains the great driving force of our world, a force I earnestly doubt will cease until
either mankind has destroyed itself or Christ returns to save us from ourselves. As we
will discuss herein, since the dawn of the Enlightenment, there have been other waves of
discontent with modernity -- post or ultra modernity is simply the latest. As
postmodernity passes, still another anti-modernist reaction will likely arise in the future.
The postmodern story is another chapter in the wide and diverse history of humanity.
Postmodernity is an expression of mankind’s frustration with himself -- with his own
inabilities and shortcomings. Man cannot overcome his own failings, nor can he
dominate the natural world, try as he does. Men will not cease in their rebellion against
God, wanting to be ‘gods’ instead. Men want to control, rule and dominate, but all these
efforts will inevitably fail, just as the Tower of Babel failed (Gen. 11:1-9).
It is historically too early to accurately calculate the impact of postmodernity.
Postmodernity consumes the thoughts of some, while others virtually ignore it. A
growing number of scientists now say it matters little, for it was a construct doomed from
the start, and has had no affect on their work. Still others attempt to be more patient and
balanced on the matter, an approach I have attempted to embrace.
What is increasingly clear, however, is that postmodernity has affected Western
culture, and is affecting many non-Western cultures as well. Samuel Escobar, a native
Peruvian who teaches at a US seminary, believes with others, that postmodernity is
profoundly affecting people far beyond Western borders. “I compare notes with my
students from Myanmar, Ghana or India, and something similar is happening there. We
need to understand these new cultural trends not only in the West but also globally”
(2003:71).
Postmodernity is complex, confusing, and often incredibly difficult to grasp. One
cannot exclusively study postmodernity, because it is so inter-twined in history, and with
other cultural dynamics affecting the West and far beyond. Postmodernity is intentionally
fragmentary and anti-foundationalist. There is a frequent overlap of issues, all jumbled
University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa