The Only Postmodern Apologetic

How are Christian apologetics like a Rube Goldberg machine? Everyone is just waiting to see if it "works". 


We live in a Postmodern age; rife with relativism and the rejection of claims of absolute truth. There's a big back story stemming from the Enlightenment and a backlash against Modernism. But suffice it to say that Postmodernism is characterized by deep skepticism toward absolute authority and truth--even based in solid reasoning. Claims to such authority or objectivity are seen through the lens of power struggle. 


We see this in our current political climate, where each side marshals out their "facts and figures". Most people know that these have been hand-picked to support their perspective, and to secure power. We see this in the Scientific community as more and more researchers are exposed for falsifying their research in order to gain grant money or prestige. 


People are jaded for a reason. It leads to pandemic skepticism and cynicism. This is our culture!


Many (most?) apologetic camps are loath to accept this. They still attack the problem as though brute reason and argumentation can win the day. (The exception may be the Presuppositional Camp.) In the end, they find themselves licking their wounds and bemoaning the fact that relativism has rendered their arsenal harmless. Rather than accept the reality of the current culture they end up pining for a bygone era--or wishing the Postmodernism could just go away so that we could get on with proving Christianity!


Broad brush strokes. I know! But a lot of us have been there.


Just the other day I was decompressing after a Bible discussion where relativism reared its ugly head. Now I'm not saying that such classical apologetics are of no use. People do need to know that their faith has sound philosophical, historical and scientific foundations. Nevertheless, we need to ask, "Is what we're doing 'working.'?"


The irony is that I think Jesus likes Postmodernism; maybe even relativism. 


Here's what I mean.


Jesus never saw much value in views that weren't lived out:

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” [Jn. 8:31-32]

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" [Lk. 6:46-49]

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." [Jn. 7:16-17]

To Jesus, truth could never be an abstraction. It must be lived and experienced to have it's effect. Saying Jesus is Lord doesn't make any difference at all. Obedience is what unleashes the truth of his words! 


When we do traditional forms of apologetics (relying on empirical evidence and philosophical argumentation), we're only shining the spotlight on the abstract. 


But when we live out our beliefs, we allow our friends to ascertain, "Does it 'work'?"


In fact, this is what Jesus did. Right? We know he "revealed" God in this world (Jn. 17:7) How?

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." [Jn. 1:14]

Jesus made known the grace and truth of God by embodying it.


Now we've probably all heard the quote attributed to Thomas Aquinas, "Preach the gospel at all time. Use words if necessary." This statement is fundamentally flawed in that words are always ultimately necessary. It is a message, after all. But the resonance of this statement is that our actions also speak volumes.


Jesus made this very clear in his final moments with his followers.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” [Jn. 13:35]

 "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." [Jn. 17:23]

The evidence that demanded a verdict was to be the quality of their love. Eventually the world would know, because each successive generation and culture (even Postmoderns) could see that Christianity "works". I think Jesus likes Postmodernism, because it forces his followers to focus on living lives of sacrificial love; to rely on the costly power of love rather than the safety of mere intellectual argumentation. Maybe Postmodernism--even relativism--is God's plan? [Acts 17:26-27]


I wonder what would happen if, after our infuriating brushes with relativism, we would ask ourselves, "How has our love been deficient?" rather than "How has our logic been deficient or defied?" 


The Postmodern marketplace of ideas is actually a marketplace of pragmatism; viz., "let's see what works." Can the Christian faith survive it? If not, it probably isn't  true!


Next time you find yourself at a loss for how to defend your faith in a relativistic context rather than grapple over a new line of argument (one you probably won't have a chance to employ anyway), consider a creative way to demonstrate love for them. Maybe a situation comes to mind right now?


After this, wait and see if it doesn't advance your discussion further than anything else you've employed. 


Given a series of such sacrificial acts, such an apologetic approach may prove to be as entertaining and effective as anything Rube Goldberg could devise.