In the last issue of Straightway, we presented the sobering reality that the Institutional Church of Western Civilization has now entered a “post” modernity having departed from the era of the “modern” church. The modern era began during seventeenth-century Rationalism and its by-product, the Enlightenment. It was an age where man looked within himself, drawing from reason and believing this was all that was necessary in order to live. Thus man, through his reason, was projected as being the measure of all things, needing no God and no revelation from God.
The Modern Period
There was both a religious and secular reaction in the world to the Protestant Reformation. The Roman Catholic Church through the Council of Trent organized a Counter Reformation. Likewise, the humanistic, secular world gave birth to its own counter reformation in the powers of the Enlightenment Period. The Reformation brought a revival of hermeneutics in the interpretation of Scripture, making the Bible a motivational force to culminate the Renaissance in all areas of life. Through the preaching of the Reformation, the Bible had come to open vision; in response the Enlightenment Period denounced the Protestant Reformation’s presupposition about the Bible.
The question could be asked, “Did God in His providence permit the Renaissance’s honorable inquiry into many areas of human thought in order to lead to the achievements of the Protestant Reformation?” Considering this probability then, what path did men take who rejected the biblical light of the Reformation? In rejecting revelation, what became their source of truth? Their path led directly to the Enlightenment Period and its age of the truth of Reason. This began the “modern” period. A few of its great minds were David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Georg Hegel. It was during this “modern” period of man’s authoritative reason that Liberalism and Modernism were born in the institutional church. Beginning in the 1600s, the Modern Era most likely culminated in the 1960s.
The Postmodern Period
During the 1700s, Unitarianism arose as a powerful child of the Enlightenment. In the 1800s, Liberalism became another byproduct of the Enlightenment. Both profoundly affected the church by their rejection of revelation and their reliance upon reason to dictate and dominate the church. Coming out of Liberalism was Modernism, arising in the church a century and a half after the birth of the modern secular world. Not until the turn of the twentieth century did things begin to drastically change, especially by the end of World War II. Although World War I had a profound effect on theology, post-World War II times pressed theology into Postmodernism. Evolution took over the schools while prayer was taken out of the schools; society more and more began to reject other Christian beliefs as well.
Forwarding the powers of Existentialism, the Postmodern era of the church began in Europe first with Neo-orthodoxy. In 1948 came the birth of Neo-Evangelicalism; that same year also brought Neo-Pentecostalism, which led into the Charismatic Movement around 1966-67. Two other entities also came into existence in 1948: the World Council of Churches and the nation of Israel. The World Council of Churches demanded two things. First, it was a movement calling for an ecumenicity of all of the Christian faiths. Yet, for this to be achieved both revelation and reason will have to go; the Enlightenment Period destroyed revelation, and now the rise of Postmodernism will destroy reason. The second thing demanded now by the WCC is the pressure for the global religions to come together. In order for this to be accommodated, the word church must be discarded. The Postmodern era will bring us to the end of the church age, because the term church is now an enemy to global ecumenicity. It is our firm belief that we are in the Laodicean Church Age and the Rapture will conclude the church concept. Even the public church of our times is declaring that humanity is at a point in history where drastic changes must come within the church, or the church will not be able to keep up in secular society with its postmodern era of changes that are taking place.
Through a variety of certain philosophical and theological writings, Postmodernism was conceived in the late 1800s and birthed in the 1920s. Nevertheless, this movement in the church did not make its way to the forefront until the 1970s and 1980s, coming to its prime in the 1990s. Postmodernism shifted the presupposition of life politically in governments and religiously in Neo-Christianity.
It may also be observed that in 1979, when the term New Age came out of the closet, it was right in harmony with the Postmodern philosophy. The New Age Movement—truly part of the postmodern movement—included religion. It also fostered a deification of the motherhood of nature. It has popularized alternative medicines, herbs, and natural remedies. Although these things in and of themselves may not be wrong to use, in Postmodernity these call all back to a simplicity where the goddess Mother Nature controls, sustains, and comforts us. This is a Postmodernism that throws to the wind all reason for a new spiritual, holistic experience.
Among the numerous contributing factors in the transition from Modernism to Postmodernism, the rise of several radical movements in the 1960s played a prominent role. This decade in our history was marked by great turmoil and upheaval in the culture, lifestyle, and music of its youth. Especially in the cerebral influence of its music, it was a time when Surrealism, a form of Existentialism, took over the youth. Even their process of thinking changed when they rejected Modernism’s use of reason for the imaginative world found in the drug-culture experience. This culture liberated the mind from reason, “awakening” it to a postmodern awareness beyond reason. It was truly a season when biblical principles of absolutes and morals were shattered throughout an entire generation. These ten years brought drastic changes in our country and ultimately throughout Western Civilization, paving the way for a new America and new-church consciousness.
We have now passed that era; the old concepts of Liberalism and Modernism are waning while a cutting-edge church is rising within the Postmodern world. The Postmodern world requires of society powerful and drastic changes in governments, corporations, education, and even day-to-day thought and living.
When we acknowledge the presupposition of a given society, we are acknowledging the root of its existence. It is not so much the superstructure of the church that first changes—it is its root that changes. The superstructure of ideologies will continue to change; however, the change from a modern Enlightenment philosophy to a postmodern one necessitates a drastic change at the root of thinking.
The Emerging Church
The new terminology for the church is still in a process today. Not even the leaders can tell you where we are going in the future. One requirement of Postmodernism in religion is the annihilation of all things identified with the church or with Jesus Christ. When this is achieved, what then is the church’s place in a Postmodern era? This is where the church presently finds itself. It is at an unknown. The church is just at a fluid, limbo state—the classic position of Existentialism.
An example of Postmodernism’s requirements is the substituting of the word pastor with the new term facilitator. A facilitator is one who facilitates; he is the one to keep the church going. He is the one to keep some sense of focus on this unchartered road. This facilitator facilitates the assemblies of people rather than the church. A facilitator is like the inept Sunday school teacher who merely presents a text and permits everyone to give their own interpretation with no clear, definite interpretation ever resolved. This is Postmodernism. Such approach to interpretation merely feeds the pride of the people. Everybody has their say-so, but the class is given no conclusion. There may be five different opinions about that passage, and the facilitator will say, “Well, you know everyone of these have some benefit, so let’s go on to the next passage.”
The above common situation is a classic example prominent in the emerging-church fever. The emerging church believes we are at a time of pluralism. We are in a pluralistic society, and when it comes to the understanding of the Word of God, we need a pluralistic presentation. Thus, the mega churches send out questionnaires inquiring of what the community would like in a religious meeting? This seeker-sensitive mentality accommodates what the people want rather than what the people need. If they like Rock music or disco music, if this is what they are seeking for their life, then we want to be sensitive to these seekers. They do not want someone dogmatically declaring this is the way you must live, this is the way you should interpret that passage of Scripture. So they have opened it up so that everyone can express their sensitivity about that passage of Scripture. It is accommodation to the world. It is accommodation to society.
According to the leaders of the emerging church today, this is how we must forward future religion. We must go where the fish are, where the seekers are. What are they seeking for? They are not seeking for God; they are seeking for a social gathering. They want to feel wanted. They want to be entertained rather than being told what to do. All must be sensitive to these needs. Where is it going to end up? Three years from now they may be seeking something else, and we will have to turn with the flow of the seeking.
Postmodern thinking is for the Existential existence of the people: they are hurting, they have been wounded, they are depressed; therefore, we must accommodate this. Through his “In Touch” ministry, Dr. Charles Stanley is one of many in the conservative, evangelical world who is merging into the emerging church mentality. One will notice there is no pulpit or even a lectern for his television broadcast. Walking back and forth and getting away from “preaching,” it is becoming more of a “talk-show format” with the people. Because the seeker-sensitive audience sees the pulpit as a very intimidating symbol, its absence makes Bible-teaching appear warmer, and non-offensive. Several ways of how to overcome a hurt may be given although many times Jesus is not even mentioned. Less and less the Gospel is being preached and more and more the preaching is dealing with the so-called neurotic and psychotic aspects of a depressed society. The church needs to emerge in order to accommodate this hurt, this wounded spirit, this depressed society.
In reality, people are not going on with God. In fact, the overwhelming, vast majority knows nothing about God; they are simply needing a quick fix on Sunday morning. This is what they are “seeking.” They do not want to hear, “Thou shalt not, Thou shalt not.” They want something that will soothe their wounds, that will make them feel good, that will be non-offensive. They do not want to be told “that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).
For these very reasons, the emerging church is pressing for casual attire. You will even see it now as a norm in the advertisement of churches in the local newspaper—casual dress. But even further, recently a church announced that within the church sanctuary or “auditorium,” they would be playing ball down the middle aisle, throwing hoops over balls, making recreation, fun, and entertainment a part of the purpose for the emerging church. They believe we must get away from the old concepts of worship and even the “old” music of the church. We must accommodate the people and create an environment of comfort and ease for them. We must be sensitive to what they want.
How far do we accommodate this emerging church philosophy? Well, everything must change including music, Bibles, worship, ambiance, purpose, goal, décor, and dress. The broadness of this belief has ventured so far out to a frontier where Billy Graham declared in his interview with Robert Schuller that we must now see that the Body of Christ includes many from other religions. According to his “emerging” belief, there will be those who will go to heaven without believing on Jesus Christ. Dr. Graham voiced very explicitly that this would include Hindus and Buddhists entering into heaven another way. Such words of boldness now coming from him indicates he too is part of the transition to bring about all the religions coming together.
Conclusion
There is an ambiance, an unnatural atmosphere that has entered the institutional church that is strange to the true child of God. The remnant in the End Time is going to be viewed by the present church age as belonging in the Dark Ages. Even our terminology, our worship, and our concept of a walk with God are going to be viewed as obsolete and archaic. It is evident that the transition has been well underway for quite some time now; we are now entering the solidification of postmodern belief in the church. More and more it is evident that the average professing Christian has no concept of what it is to biblically “walk with God.” Such individuals include pastors; they have been so in contact with what we would call the contemporary that they have no concept of the past and those great men who had a true walk with God. Sadly, the biographies of the men of the past are now being written from the emerging church’s perspective. They are boldly declaring that men like Martin Luther were forerunners of their emerging church and all of the contemporary missionaries. These writers have completely re-interpreted such early lives, their terminology, devotions, and their prayers (i.e. John Piper’s contemporary interpretation of Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening).
There is also a new hermeneutics emerging from the contemporary where men are giving us totally new interpretations of the Scriptures. Although they claim to use the same Bible, they are viewing it now through the eyes of the emerging church. It is evident that eventually all theological systems will have to go in this new church. The old Calvinism and old Arminianism will have to go or be re-interpreted to accommodate the times. All these systems must die or change because they were based on reason and certain absolutes. Since there are certain things you must believe to be a Calvinist, Arminian, Methodist, Episcopalian, or Roman Catholic, all traditions must be done away with in these days of the sweeping powers of the emerging church.
One of the greatest griefs the remnant will experience now is to observe friends and companions on the road of life, who seemed to have discerned the general changes within the churches in days gone by, now being ensnared in the web of deception found in the transitional movements birthing the Postmodern church. Such individuals will be sucked into the vortex of this Postmodernism. In this slowly emerging philosophical thought, ultimately there will be no resemblance to the thinking of the past. This is the determination of the emerging church; the former must be destroyed, and a new accommodating form of Christianity must be set in place for the coming new world of Antichrist. The word Christ has now become global, and is no longer limited to Jesus. It is the word for the man of the coming Shangri-La, the man to lead the utopia of mankind in the future. For this to come about, even public Christianity must drastically change. From this postmodern womb, Antichrist will come.
In the public arena of life, what will be the concept of the Church ten or fifteen years from now? More and more, Existentialism is pervading all religions contributing to the denial of biblical absolutes. Why is it important that all religious thought become so fluid? The stability and exactness of Truth and absolutes establish unchangeableness. Eternal Truth is resolved in its principles, authority, and perpetuity. Therefore, a postmodern generation must destroy that which is unchangeable and somehow pull it down to a fluid state in order to remold and reshape it. Public Christianity is now in a fluid state. The absoluteness of principle and practice has been slowly eroding over the past decades of Evangelicalism. The apostasy that has now taken over the institutional church in a global perspective now has been given a new name, the Emergent Church. But it is simply a church in rebellion to its Lord; it has defected to the world. Upon its unstable waters an End-time religion is being born.
May God give us insight to see we are in the final days of the visible church’s existence. The gates of hell have prevailed against the institutional church; nevertheless, the remnant, the true church, built by Christ Jesus and upon Christ Jesus will never see this death of Hades.