Lisa Samson’s post “the way, the truth, the life” reminds me what a great divergence there is in worldviews between those staunchly entrenched in modern thought and those who see flaws in that worldview. She does a good job of addressing the general issue.
I’d go a little further and really tackle the concept of truth and what it is we postmoderns, for lack of a better term, take issue with of the modern concept of truth.
I think, if you look at cultural postmodernity, the meaning isn’t quite the same as what the philosophers throw about. For most, the issue isn’t really if there is an absolute truth (though the term is avoided because of the way it is used by moderns) but how well we understand it.
If pressed, the typical postmodern would admit that there is an underlying reality to everything. But it is our ability to understand that reality that falls into question. When we are accused of discarding truth, I get a little defensive. I think truth is discarded when you try to capture it with pithy little propositions that hold no value without experience of the “truth.”
I probably overuse this example, but think about the phrase, “God is love.” Is it true? I believe it. But does it say anything meaningful at all if we have not experienced love, or God for that matter? What value is it that we make a true statement if we don’t really understand what it means? Truth is meaningless without understanding the words we claim to be true.
For me, this is the heart of the paradigm change in regards to truth.
Truth & Postmodernism
Alan Hartung shares some great thoughts about postmodernism and the nature of truth: I think, if you look at cultural postmodernity, the meaning isn’t quite the same as what the philosophers throw about. For most, the issue isn’t really if there is an …
relentless grace
February 24th, 2005