If we live in a postmodern society, is there any point to apologetics? Isn’t true that people today have given up all sense of truth?
I would like to suggest that the full arrival of postmodernism is greatly exaggerated. We do not live in a postmodern society. We live in a society that is influenced by postmodernism. While postmodernism has strongly impacted morality, in many other areas of life the influence has been much less.
I have heard from many “experts” about what people believe today. This is usually based on their understanding of postmodernism rather than their conversations with people. When I compare what people today are supposed to be like and what they are actually like, I see a big difference. It is not because I am immersed in a Christian culture where modernism still reigns. Many of the non-Christians I know have not fully embraced postmodernism. We need to be careful about painting all people with a postmodern brush.
What about apologetics? Apologetics is about pointing people to the truth. But if people have rejected all notions of truth, then perhaps the time for apologetics has come to an end. However, it is not true that all people have rejected truth. Concepts of absolute morality are often rejected but truth is still valued. We live in the information age. Why do people Google? They want to find answers to their questions. Why do people check out Snopes? Because it matters if a story is true.
If a Christian leader tells you there is no place for apologetics because of the postmodern nature of our society, do not let them get away with it. Everything that we see suggests that truth matters and that people are seeking answers. If they cannot get their answers from the Church, then there is a big problem.
- Apologetics
- Culture
- Postmodern
- Postmodernism
- Society
