This is the sixth article in a series about Mark Driscoll’s book The Radical Reformission. You can find the first article here, the second here, the third here, the fourth here and the fifth here. We are reaching the end of the book; all that remains is today’s chapter and then the conclusion.
This chapter is an attempt to explain postmodernism. As anyone can attest who has attempted to define such a monster, arriving at a satisfactory explanation is no small feat. But Driscoll does quite a good job. He prefaces the chapter by reiterating the importance of the cultural mandate, though he provides no Scriptural support for this. “While we are here [on earth],” he writes, “we are supposed to be cultivating a culture like the kingdom…Culture is not something that God’s reformission people are merely to participate in; it is also something we are to cultivate, to plow, by living for the kindgom of heaven among the cultures of earth” (page 160).
Driscoll goes on to define postmodernism, at least as far as such a definition is possible. He begins by making four important points. First, postmodernism is basically a philosophical junk drawer into which people toss everything they can not make sense of. Ask four people for a definition and you’ll receive five answers. Second, postmodernity is not new, but was already being examined as a relic of the past as early as the 80’s. Third, postmodernity is simply another philosophy that is destined to pass away. And fourth, postmodern culture is not something that should be ignored, opposed or embraced; rather, it is simply another culture that Christians should seek to redeem.
The heart of the chapter is Driscoll’s list of seven demons that have entered the American church through what has been dubbed the emerging church. He warns that these are traps that must be avoided if we are to remain faithful to Scripture.
demon one: the Sky Fairy – Some church leaders see God as little more than an emasculated Sky Fairy who would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell. “As we work among cultures that value trendiness, we must not forget that the kingdom values timeless truths like sin, repentance, and faith that leads to good works” (page 167).
demon two: keeping it real…sinful – While emerging churches have placed emphasis on being real and genuine, many have taken this too far. “Because we are sinners, simply encouraging people to be who they are in the name of authenticity is dangerous because it can easily be taken as license to sin without repentance” (page 167). We must not forget that the Scriptures value repentance much higher than being real or authentic.
demon three: hermeneutics of the Dragon – Postmodernity poses a challenge to the church because it changes the rules of hermeneutics. Too many postmodern leaders keep the Bible but do away with its authority, choosing to play with the interpretation and meaning of particular texts. Driscoll states, correctly I believe (in fact, this is something I’ve often mentioned in articles on this site), that while the battle of previous decades was for the Bible’s inerrancy, the battle for our day is over the Bible’s authority and meaning.
demon four: from creation back to ex nihilo – Postmodernism is a philosophy dealing with deconstruction. Too much deconstruction, without a building plan, leads to homelessness. “This sense of homelessness pervades those who have undertaken to deconstruct God, Scripture, gender, sin, the meaning of life, and anything else they can find” (page 169). The danger to postmodern churches is that, like fundamentalist churches, they become known more for what they are against, or what they are not, than for what they are.
demon five: the custom is always evil – We live in a gluttonous, spoiled culture where everyone is a customer and everything is a product to be marketed. This applies as much to the church as to a box of cereal. Many postmodern Christians have accepted a consumeristic mindset where they expect a church to cater to them and to meet their felt needs. “But as we cultivate a counterculture, we must not forget that what people need most is to die to themselves and live for God. If we simply give people what they want, we will not be giving them what they need” (page 172).
demon six: the photocopy heresy – Deeply embedded in our culture is the myth of egalitarianism, that everyone is equal in every way. This denies the obvious: that God has created people with different skills, roles and abilities. A postmodern church that is addicted to egalitarianism will be confused over many issues, including those dealing with sexuality and gender. It may also refuse to acknowledge any authority, including that of pastor or elder. In advanced forms this may even diminsh God (through open theism, for example), to make Him more equal to us. As Christians we must remember the duly-appointed authority structures God has seen fit to give us.
demon seven: the hyphenated Christian – Postmoderns reject any authority beyond themselves and reject any claim to truth other than the claim that there is no valid truth claim. Postmodernism has rejected truth and settled instead on the idea of multiple truths, none of which is in any way absolute. The Bible, though, claims to be truth and to reveal truth. It claims to hold total authority over the life of believers. “As we work among cultures, we must never proclaim Jesus as God merely from our limited and biased perspective but rather as God and the King who rules over a kingdom that includes the cultures of the earth. And the view from his throne is not simply one of the many equally valid perspectives but truth” (page 176).
Driscoll’s purpose in addressing these issues is to show that all of them will bring a rapid and inevitable end to reformission. He also warns of them so that believers can avoid being mired in these pitfalls as they seek to build a kingdom culture. He promises that “in the final chapter, I will share with you what this looks like at our church and will try to inspire you to pursue the dreams that God has given you for the place in which you live” (page 176).
Reflections
I began my reflection on the previous chapter by noting, “This was probably the shortest and lightest chapter in the book thus far. I agree with the majority of what Driscoll teaches here.” While this chapter was not nearly as light, I would have to echo the second sentence once more. I found myself saying “amen!” each time Driscoll discussed one of the demons that plague the emerging church. As he addressed each pitfall I could immediately think of examples of people or churches who have fallen into exactly that error. It seems clear that Driscoll has spent a great deal of time studying the emerging churches throughout American and reflecting on what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. I was especially pleased to hear his affirmation of the authority of Scripture, for if one has a biblical view of the authority of Scripture it seems likely that many other pieces of theology must necessarily fall into place.
I look forward to reading the final chapter and look forward to being able to reflect on the complete argument Driscoll presents in The Radical Reformission.
