Metamodernism - Where does your truth come from?

I came across an interesting scholarly journal article today. You can find it here - Swimming in a Sanctimonious Sea of Subjectivity. The author cites an article 'Notes on Metamodernism' by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker who he credits with coining the phrase 'Metamodernism."

Modernity is a cultural approach which defines truth objectively based on reality. Truth is understood as perceptible, tangible and quantifiable. The postmodern ideal is that there is no objective truth. The acceptable approach to truth is subjective and relative to the individual. Metamodernism could be understood as a post postmodernism. It is a combined approach with modernity and postmodernity.

Many in our culture today approach truth in this meta-modernist way by both constructing truth in a subjective way while adhering to truth in an objective way. That means that they form their opinions and world views in a subjective and relative way. Truth is what they want it to be or believe it to be. Then they adhere to their truth objectively insisting that others agree with their truth.

This obviously has huge implications that we see played out in our culture every day. More importantly, I've seen this dynamic at work in the church. I'd say the past twenty years have seen a decline in emphasis on discipleship or focused time for learning truth. I'll add that this is not just Bible related study, but also includes the whole process of learning along with the application of truth. This is how we spiritually grow into an evolving understanding of truth from the source. When this crucial component is missing, people are left to subjectively form their own opinions about truth based on secondhand knowledge. Their new personal flavor of truth is then further defined based on their own experiences and interaction with others. They then tend to vigorously defend their truth as the only truth.

I've found many of these people are good people doing their best to live their lives in accordance with God's word, but we are still missing that community focus on discipleship. Successive generations of this metamodern approach will lead the church further and further from truth received objectively through learning and living God's Word. The objective defense of these postmodern Christian worldviews will also lead to an increasing intolerance of those with different views. There is gradual loss of the ability to listen and engage in productive discourse as we all seek a deeper relational connection with truth.

I hope that a better understanding these cultural dynamics will lead to awareness. It should also lead us to ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and minds every day. Maybe then we can start working our way toward a more wholistic and objective approach to the Truth.



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