Here are a few quotes from ” Preaching to a Postmodern World” by Graham Johnston. Baker books.

The purpose of the book is to alert preachers that the world of the listener is not the world of the Pastor. In all sincerity he or she may be preaching truth but that truth is not received because the hearer has a different set of receptors. We may preach truth but it may not be received because we have not taken on board where people are at. ( Alan Nunn.)

Some quotes from the book.

“Somewhere between 1960 and 1980 ,an old, inadequately conceived world ended and a fresh new world began. That, they say calls for a renewed sense of what it means to be Christian, and more precisely what it means to be Pastors who care for Christians in a distinctly changing world.” p9.

My appeal is that biblical communication to a post modern culture should be approached in the same way that a missionary goes into a foreign culture. No missionary worth his or her salt would enter a field without first doing an exhaustive study of the culture he or her seeks to reach. The time has come for today’s preachers to don the missionary garb. p10

The challenge for the biblical communicator is moving towards the post modern era, then is to present the message of Christ with freshness, relevance, and meaning to a generation of listeners who don’t know that they are missing. p21

Christianity can no longer demand nor expect privileged status, but must wait its turn to be heard like other faiths. This new pluralism is witnessed in Charles, the Prince of Wales. The future King of England and head of the Anglican church bears the title “Defender of the faith”. Charles has already spoken to this, preferring to alter the title to read “defender of the faiths”. In his role as he sees it, he is not to promote one faith but all faiths. p34.

In the western world, modern people applied reason as a gauge to ethical behaviour and the Judeo-Christian ethic was accepted in principle, if not in conduct. But in a post modern society multiple standards of morality may apply and situational ethics prevail. p40.

Post modern people are more likely to be spontaneous in their decision making, often ignoring the consequences of their choices; they won’t hesitate to make a choice inconsistent with a prescribed set of values. The Nike shoe company tapped into this when it targeted a generation X audience and adopted the saying “Just do it”. p 43

Modernity almost succeeded in destroying the environment; post modernity has given rise to the green movement and environmentalists. p 46.

Post modernity comes with a generation that has grown up in broken homes, been lied to by politicians, and deceived by church and community leaders. The church makes bold claims but rarely delivers on its own message of love, reconciliation and compassion. p55.

I commend to all readers this thought provoking book and will be glad to discuss the author’s most interesting conclusions as to the way ahead.

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