A few resources came across my desk that I would like to recommend:
One, is a memoir by one of the early innovators of postmodern church ministry.
Mark Humphries has recently published A Bridge between Two Worlds: The Story of a Postmodern Missionary. The book is an invitational and intensely personal journey with the leader of a truly avant-garde Christ-community in Winnipeg, Canada. If you’ve ever felt alone in your experience of breaking new ecclesial ground Mark’s story will open your eyes to let you see the thousands of chariots on your side; you not alone, do not be afraid.
Two. The much anticipated new text by Carl Raschke titled, The Next Reformation: Why Evangelicals Must Embrace Postmodernity is now available. This is not armchair philosophy, though it is among his more accessible texts. Carl is a world-class professional postmodern philosopher who happens to love God and the church; he has done today’s Christ-commons a great service in writing. Could it be that history will reveal Derrida and the postmodernists as providing a service not unlike the service provided by Luther and the protestant reformers? Raschke would say, “Damn right!” Carl evangelizes evangelicals with God’s invitation to faith offered through the prophets of postmodernity. I was almost expecting an altar-call, inviting evangelical Christians to personally accept and live into an existential conversion to a life of faith transcending objective truth, inerrancy, worldviews, etc.
I’m also reading:
- Roy Sorensen’s A Brief History of the Paradox: philosophy and the labyrinths of the mind.
- A collection of essays edited by James K. A. Smith and Henry Venema, The Hermeneutics of Charity: Interpersonal, Selfhood, and the Postmodern Faith.
- And a collection of essays in honor of the late James E. Loder, edited by Dana Wright and John Kuentzel, Redemptive Transformation in Practical Theology.
Peace, dwight
I cannot wait for my Christmas break to read the Raschke book. Taking a class from him this summer was quite a trip into the mind of a philosopher. There were many times that I thought, "I dont think im smart enough to be sitting here listening to this." So it is good to hear that although this text may still be complicated it might be more understandable than Kant or Heidegger (or maybe not…who knows). Thanks for the review.
Joel
Dwight, looks good man. I wish I would have been here at Princeton while Loder was here – he was apparently "the man." Im looking forward to reading that Raschke book too…in about 4 years.