Epistemology: Some Guiding Questions (1)
- Posted by scott on December 23rd, 2006 filed in epistemology, postmodern, smith, emergent
In his preface to the “Church and Postmodern Culture” series, Smith argues that postmodern theory has enabled / encouraged a post-denominational ecumenical movement among “evangelical, mainline, and Catholic faith communities.” Not surprisingly, he characterizes the gradual ecclesial shift toward a postmodern epistemology as an “opportunity” (p. 9).
In a truly po-mo fashion, Smith poses a series of “mashup” questions (p. 10):
- “What does postmodern theory have to say about the shape of the church?”
- “How should concrete, in-the-pew, on-the-ground religious practices be impacted by postmodernism?
- “What should the church look like in postmodernity?”
- “What has Paris to do with Jerusalem?”
My question: “How is the Theology of Web 2.0 shaping emerging individuals and faith communities?”
Stay tuned for more; share your thoughts in the comments.
2 Responses to “Epistemology: Some Guiding Questions (1)”
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Epistemology: Some Guiding Questions (1)
- Posted by scott on December 23rd, 2006 filed in epistemology, postmodern, smith, emergent
In his preface to the “Church and Postmodern Culture” series, Smith argues that postmodern theory has enabled / encouraged a post-denominational ecumenical movement among “evangelical, mainline, and Catholic faith communities.” Not surprisingly, he characterizes the gradual ecclesial shift toward a postmodern epistemology as an “opportunity” (p. 9).
In a truly po-mo fashion, Smith poses a series of “mashup” questions (p. 10):
- “What does postmodern theory have to say about the shape of the church?”
- “How should concrete, in-the-pew, on-the-ground religious practices be impacted by postmodernism?
- “What should the church look like in postmodernity?”
- “What has Paris to do with Jerusalem?”
My question: “How is the Theology of Web 2.0 shaping emerging individuals and faith communities?”
Stay tuned for more; share your thoughts in the comments.
2 Responses to “Epistemology: Some Guiding Questions (1)”
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Dan Says:
December 27th, 2006 at 1:45 amI also recently read Smith’s pomo church/theology book. I was interested to see how he connected the dots of pomo philosophy with practical concerns on “doing church. The section on Derrida was worth the price of the book. He makes Derrida accessible without dumming it down or trivializing Derrida’s concerns. However, I did find the book a bit surprising in one particular area–his equating of pomo theology/philsophy being most compatable with what he terms “radical orthodoxy”, which to me looks like nothing but re-packaged Reformed Theology. I was just curious if I was the only one who thought that. ??
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scott Says:
December 27th, 2006 at 11:35 amHi Dan,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve not finished the book yet, but it’s been a good read so far. If his “radical orthodoxy” bears strong Reformed overtones, I wouldn’t be surprised — he teaches at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. But I’ve not read far enough to evaluate that.
Even if he is a pomo-reformer a la Mark Driscoll, his engagement of postmodern philosophy / epistemology differs from most in that it’s down-to-earth and hopeful. I look forward to finishing “Who’s Afraid.”
Also, can I ask how you found this site? I began developing it four days ago and hadn’t planned to launch it for another few weeks. I just saw that Google picked it up, too. Hope you’ll stick around — especially after the dust settles!
Cheers,
- Scott
December 27th, 2006 at 1:45 am
I also recently read Smith’s pomo church/theology book. I was interested to see how he connected the dots of pomo philosophy with practical concerns on “doing church. The section on Derrida was worth the price of the book. He makes Derrida accessible without dumming it down or trivializing Derrida’s concerns. However, I did find the book a bit surprising in one particular area–his equating of pomo theology/philsophy being most compatable with what he terms “radical orthodoxy”, which to me looks like nothing but re-packaged Reformed Theology. I was just curious if I was the only one who thought that. ??
December 27th, 2006 at 11:35 am
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve not finished the book yet, but it’s been a good read so far. If his “radical orthodoxy” bears strong Reformed overtones, I wouldn’t be surprised — he teaches at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. But I’ve not read far enough to evaluate that.
Even if he is a pomo-reformer a la Mark Driscoll, his engagement of postmodern philosophy / epistemology differs from most in that it’s down-to-earth and hopeful. I look forward to finishing “Who’s Afraid.”
Also, can I ask how you found this site? I began developing it four days ago and hadn’t planned to launch it for another few weeks. I just saw that Google picked it up, too. Hope you’ll stick around — especially after the dust settles!
Cheers,
- Scott