I hear myself being categorized as a postmodern thinker/theologian by others on occasion. While I’m always honored to thought as a thinker, and more so as a theologian, I’m not sure exactly what post-modern means. I’m not sure that others do either.

As a scientist, such as I can claim to be at any rate, I’m generally comfortable with the label postpositivist ala Popper. I suppose I’d apply that term to my theological thought as well ala Barth. But while most people seem to think that postmodernism includes postpositivism, I’m not as convinced yet…

Anthony Dale Hunt writes about the same question today:

“I have noticed that there is an exceeding amount of confusion as to what ‘Postmodernism’ is in Christian circles (let along other circles). This seems to be in no small part on account of the various ramblings of those affiliated with the so-called ‘Emerging/ent Church’ and the many responses the movement has invoked. It doesn’t help that there is no straightforward way to understand what ‘It’ is and one wonders if we should just move the whole conversation away from this elusive word and its plurality of meanings.

I am one who would be more than willing to drop the term itself. I don’t want to define myself as a ‘postmodern.’ Unfortunately I have found the term to be just useful enough to justify my continued cautious use of it.

[…]I am going to save a ‘definition’ of postmodernism until we get to a specific book that deals with the topic. My first post will be dedicated to James K A Smith’s book ‘Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard and Foucault to Church.’ I think it is a very appropriate book to start off with.”

Read the full post here.

I’ve just started following this particular blog (“theophiliacs”) and now I’m glad I have. You might want to keep an eye on this as well.