Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Post

When I attended the 2005 Emergent Convention in San Diego, I was frustrated with what I perceived as unwillingness of its leaders to articulate Christian theology beyond a commitment to personal morality and social justice. Although I was sympathetic with the emergent church’s rejection of fundamentalism and evangelical pragmatism, I left the convention thinking that the movement lacked theological substance. I was pleased to learn that Smith also believes the emergent church needs some tweaking. He actually proposes a middle ground between conservative Christianity, which he views as modern, and the emerging church, which he feels is in danger of being shaped by the postmodern culture as much as the seeker-sensitive church is shaped by modernity. This middle ground Smith labels “Radical Orthodoxy.” Smith’s Radical Orthodoxy would adopt certain postmodern philosophies. Modernity has powerfully shaped the church, although we are unaware of its assumptions and commitments that reside in our theology and practices. Postmodernism and postmodernity have challenged these assumptions and commitments. I think Smith makes a good argument that this cultural moment provides an opportunity for serious work in philosophical theory to serve the practice of the church. As Francis Schaeffer did before him, he believes that we must take philosophy seriously because it does have practical implications.