Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

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together in an eclectic, rather de facto pluralistic muddle about everything.
Postmodernity, post-colonialism, pluralism and post-Christendom -- the main topics
considered in this project -- are distinct from each other, yet especially in Western
cultures so inter-twined they must all be considered. Postmodernity introduces a fresh
cultural wave of anthropocentrism, a resurgent human arrogance rooted in subjectivism
and relativism. Perhaps greater and longer lasting than postmodernity itself, however, are
the powerful pluralistic influences in the West, a dynamic also considered herein.
There is a plethora of books, articles and websites available today that examine the
subject. These works run the gamut from the cursory, to the profound and erudite. By
now I have now read many books and articles on the subject, and have interacted with
dozens of people in person and via electronic technologies, to gain greater understanding
of this oft-confusing subject -- and finally feel I have attained a modicum of
understanding about it. Still, I would not call myself ‘expert,’ for the subject is so
convoluted. The dynamic nature of contemporary Western culture means that many of
my sources came from the Internet, rather than traditionally published sources: such is the
nature of postmodern research. While I read literally hundreds of On-line ‘blogs,’ and
other such materials, I have prudently tried to use only credible sources.
Among the published works are: Millard J. Erickson’s, Truth or Consequences: The
Promise & Perils of Postmodernism (2001), which focuses on the postmodern battle for
truth; Gene E. Veith’s Postmodern Times (1994), which is among the best overall books
on the subject I have read; and Stuart Murray’s, Post-Christendom: Church and Mission
in a Strange New World (2004), an excellent work that traces the disestablishment of
Christianity in the West.
Concerning postmodernity, some authors focus on the epistemological, others on the
philosophical. My own interests are inclined toward the cultural and religious, which
broadly describes the religio-cultural tenor of this project. It seems a bit odd for an
American to be doing doctoral research on a Western cultural phenomenon, with a
traditionally black South African public university. Perhaps this says something about
our new global reality. Yet, the African interest in new religious movements makes this
relationship appropriate.
University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa