The Next Reformation: Why Evangelicals Must Embrace Postmodernity

by Carl Raschke

Can evangelical Christianity be postmodern? In The Next Reformation, Carl Raschke describes the impact of postmodernism on evangelical thought and argues that the two ideologies are not mutually exclusive. Instead, Christians must learn to worship and minister within the framework of postmodernism or risk becoming irrelevant. In this significant and timely discussion, Raschke demonstrates how to reconcile postmodernism with Christian faith.This book will appeal to readers interested in the relationship between postmodernism and Christian faith as well as church leaders and pastors wrestling with the practical implications of cultural changes for worship and ministry.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Religion, Christianity

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Atrocious.

[Michael Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense and difficult, but worth the effort. In the end, seemed more exploration than conclusion. The first chapter on Postmodernism was the highlight.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

To sum it up, Jesus is more than the doctrines about Him, and what He says is not so much to make up theology as to demand a response from us. The Church needs to accept this.

[Kirk Lowery]

It is important to know that this author's defining religious experience was in a charismatic context. His primary thesis is that the "foundationalism" of the Enlightenment and modernism has been embedded in evangelicalism (although they are antagonists) and that the epistemology, philosophy of language and metaphysics of modernism has been rejected and superseded by postmodernism. Of course, trying to define postmodernism is like trying to nail jello to the wall. For Raschke, postmodernism is bound up with Heiddiger, Derrida and others of that -- especially French -- ilk. His primary complaint against modernistic Christianity is against the "hellenistic" systematic theology. He also doesn't like the doctrine of inerrancy. He promotes "faith" which is "postpropositional."

It would take a major essay to critique this book adequately. Good things: the survey of Western intellectual history; the summary and discussion of major intellectual figures: Luther, Calvin, Kant, Kierkegaard, Heidigger and others; the emphasis that systematic theology is not the essence of Christian faith. Bad things: the elevation of Derrida's views of language (he was a snake-oil salesman, in my view); he demonizes what his disagrees with; he uses rhetoric to inform the reader what conclusions to have without a rationale for those conclusions; he elevates the neo-charismatic religious experience and spontaneity as normative for Christian experience without providing reasons for the "modernist, foundationalist" evangelical to change his views.

After reading this book, I have a much more articulate understanding of why I reject so much of postmodernist polemic.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Raschke offers a very accessible introduction to some of the more important and complicated philosophical themes of Continental post-modern thought. Raschke suggests that the thinkers who have shaped the Postmodern movement do so along a similar vein as the Sixteenth Century Reformers. Showing similarities, he refuses to go in a Phyllis Tickle direction by reducing Western history to basic 500 year revolutions. Instead he suggests that the Reformation inadvertently torpedoed the Enlightenment, and that Postmodernity is, in a sense, a return to original Reformation thought. A fantastic read.

[Daniel Lundgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The background information regarding the development of Postmodern theology was the most informative aspect of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's historical survey of theology, the enlightenment experiment, the resulting modernist theologies, and the progression to the views of the postmodern philosophers and theologians. Where the book felt weak and unsatisfying was in its conclusion. As a reader, I was left wanting more, perhaps a more practical conclusion would have been helpful, though possibly in tension with the author's aims.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interestingly enough, much of this work describes in academic terminology my journey of faith thus far. I found this to be an extremely fascinating and helpful work, though I found the chapter about the charismatic movement to be a little unnecessary and not well connected to the rest of the work. However, I would encourage anyone with an interesting in Christianity to read this work to understand where Christianity is going in North America.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good philosopher attempting to carve out how he sees postmodern philosophy positively affecting the church. Well worth the read. However, his conclusion about the pentecostal church being the epitome of a postmodern church is just silly and wrong.

[Kate Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful in explaining postmodernism (with some informed speculation on what post-postmodernism might be)! Explains how the church has come to be where it is today in USAmerica, and how philosophical differences and strongholds have shaped our current debates (especially inerrancy).

[Nathan Smith]

great primer on why Christians and anyone for that matter needs to embrace what is going on with postmodernity. Great background and info and trajectory.

[Keri Murcray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read one chapter (Chapter 6 - The Priesthood of all Worshippers: from hierarchy to relationality), but it was fascinating and helpful.