Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew are authors of the book Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview.
They suggest that we (Christians) live in the crossroads of the Christian story and the Western Story. What is the Western Story? It has two parts: modernism and postmodernism.
We’ve explored what Goheen and Bartholomew write about modernism. But all was not well with modernism. People began to lose faith in it. Why? Here are five reasons:
Global poverty. Modernism promised a bright future of human progress characterized by abundance and prosperity. The dream of material prosperity, however, has only materialized for a few. For example, in 1960 the world’s richest 20% were 30 times wealthier than the poorest 20%. In 1990 the world’s richest 20% were 60 times wealthier than poorest 20%. By 1999 the world’s richest 20% were 86 times wealthier than the poorest 20%.
Environmental degradation. Modernism promised that through natural and social sciences humans could master the earth and all of life. That mastery, however, has only led to the destruction of creation. If the whole world were to consume natural resources at the same rate as North Americans do, those resources would only last for 10 to 20 more years.
Proliferation of weapons. Modernism promised technology that could better human life. It claimed that science could unite humanity across cultures. This technology and science, however, has been used to create massive stockpiles of weapons capable of destroying the world. If one days’ worth of global spending on arms were spent on food instead, it could feed the world’s hungry for years.
Psychological problems. Modernism led to increased knowledge about social sciences and the psychological make-up of humans. It has not, however, been capable of curing the increasing numbers of mental and psychological struggles that have come with the society of Modernism: anorexia, bulimia, stress, low self-esteem, burnout, and depression.
Social and economic problems. While Modernism promised to deliver mastery over all aspects of life through reason and science, mastery has been elusive. The breakdown of the family and the rise of crime and unemployment are only some of the multiple symptoms of social breakdown in the West.
This has led to many questions: Does humanity have the power to renew the world? Can scientific reason in fact give us certain knowledge? Are we really capable of mastering nature to build a better world? Can technology really deliver us? Is there a future? Will economic growth and material prosperity really bring a future of happiness?
– more to follow –
