by Malcolm J. Dow

1 Introduction: Evangelicalism and Postmodernism

Postmodernity is here – we are living in it, and along with postmodernity has come postmodernism. A question which needs to be answered is how should evangelical Christianity respond to postmodernity and postmodernism? There have been many emotive comments made about postmodernism which generally class it as the latest threat to society and sanity, and hence as inimical to evangelicalism. Some of the fears may be justified, but many may be the knee-jerk reaction which some Christians tend to make to any ‘ism’, apart from the one to which they belong.

Evangelicalism, being a child of the Enlightenment, has typically produced a theology which operates firmly within the modern paradigm. David Wells is a theologian whose work might be considered as broadly representative of a numerous and influential section of conservative evangelical theology. Taking the response of Wells to the emerging postmodern paradigm as an example, I will try to show that a negative reaction to postmodernity is not fruitful. Non-evangelicals and non-Christians perceive such a reaction as either antimodern or premodern. This isolates evangelicals from the world as it is now becoming, and therefore prevents the evangelical voice from being heard. I also believe that a negative response to postmodernity misses the very heart of the gospel by encouraging individualism, isolationism, withdrawal from religious dialogue, and disengagement with ‘otherness’. However, Wells does sound some warnings which need to be heeded.

On the other hand, Stanley Grenz, Nancey Murphy and Ted Peters are evangelical theologians who have taken a positive attitude towards postmodernity. By examining their attempts to develop a postmodern evangelical approach to theology, in particular in the areas of nonfoundational thinking, the religion-science debate, and ethics, we may be able to discern how theology can remain truly evangelical, avoid the worst extremes of postmodernism, and yet also be fully engaged with the world. By distilling the evangelical ethos out from what has become an evangelical tradition, I believe a postmodern evangelicalism is possible, and essential.

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