PostModernism “Explained”
A Guide for the Christian Man
I.
I run into the tenets, symptoms, and broken worldview of PostModernism all too often. At its core, it’s totally at odds with Christianity. And while, at a cursory glance, we can say that some of its ideas are interesting, none of them are helpful. To make such broad, sweeping claims requires a reasonable explanation as to why that is, so here we are.
Men, especially in the Church, are unaware of so much spiritual poison in their thinking. And it’s brought on slyly, with all the fingerprints of the enemy. If you don’t believe me, consider what one scholar called Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight: “…Batman made postmodern.” And once you know what all of those words mean together, you can’t unsee it as you rewatch Nolan’s entire trilogy. The most egregious purveyor of postmodern doctrine is the Superhero Movie genre. It used to be that straight sci-fi heavyhandedly spoke atheism into the void of space from the ground floors of multiple planets and starships. Today, though, spandex, Kevlar, and quippy actors beat you over the head with it. It’s different from them, though. It’s a postmodern heavyhandedness, one where subverting your expectations is the rule of the day. “Oh, you thought heroes were supposed to stand for something unequivocally? Psssh. Not Captain America, not anymore. Now, his uprightness is a joke, a relic of the past, something that must change with time. We’ll let him merely dislike bullies, not stand for Truth or Justice, and definitely not ‘the American Way.’” While it seems more broadly wholesome, it’s intentional. Changing such good and stalwart ideas of a man’s character, even that of a fictional character, is intended to communicate that good ideas are fluid, malleable, and relative to the situation. What’s good in America may not be good in, say, Sokovia or Latveria(the latter of which will probably make more sense come the end of 2026). That’s because Postmodernism seeks to abandon the notion of an objective universe. Consequently, its primary goal is to indoctrinate others into abandoning the idea of an objective faith, specifically the Christian faith. The reason for this is that Christianity is the most objective faith of all, the truest, and the most beneficial for everything, everywhere, all at once. Why? Because the foundation for it is God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. And Satan hates Him, which is why he started Postmodernism in pre-modern times.
II.
Officially, Postmodernism was founded by Satan in the Garden of Eden(Genesis 3:1-7). When someone says, “Did God really say…?” you know you’re speaking to someone with a postmodern view of reality, which is to say no view of reality because it’s been poisoned by the same evil that tempted Eve. If we’re being technical, though, Postmodernism emerged in the 1960’s and 70’s among intellectuals in the liberal arts as a response to objective values. You’ll see some scholars argue that Postmodernism is a rejection of Modernism, and it is, etymologically speaking, but not actually. You see, the formation of Postmodernism coincided with and influenced the Free-Love and Hippie Movements, increased involvement with New Age Spirituality, and directly informed the later redundantly named “New Atheism.”
How many adherents there are to Postmodernism isn’t quantifiable, though, because it’s not a structured belief system, by definition. You can call someone a “Postmodernist,” but that doesn’t really mean anything to them. Nothing has any objective value, even words. As one of the most famous postmodernists of all time, Bill Clinton, famously said, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is. If the-if he-if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not-that is one thing.” You can’t argue with a dog chasing a tail that doesn’t exist.
The number of postmodernists is growing, however, as will become clear as you read further, even in Christian circles. That’s because there are two camps in the Postmodern belief system: the Spiritual and the Anti-Spiritual. Let’s examine some of their attributes as they relate to Christianity.
Spiritual Postmodernism
View of Scripture. Scripture is Inspirational and Descriptive, but rarely Prescriptive and certainly not authored by God through the hands of men. It is archetypal and symbolic, a product of its time. It has no universal application or meaning. It’s wisdom for wisdom’s sake, and unreliable at that. A good thing to assume is true, but not necessarily take seriously.
View of God. God is whoever someone needs Him to be, but most commonly everywhere and everything, or nowhere and nothing.
View of Jesus. One of the most moral men to have ever walked the earth, but not God or His Son.
View of Salvation. Free to everyone. Everyone gets a happy ending. Or no ending. Whatever is the nicest possible outcome for everyone.
View of the Afterlife. Everyone goes to a paradise of their choosing, which could include hell, because that is appealing to some, and not actually a lake of fire and eternal torment. But it could be if you’re into that sort of thing.
View of the Church. Church is lovely, but not for everyone, and everyone should be free to worship however, wherever, and with whomever they like.
View of Baptism/Communion. Beautiful, but a mere ritual, which is what makes it attractive, and it may have supernatural powers, but only if you believe it does.
View of Truth. Completely and inarguably relative or subjective, depending on who you ask and how they feel.
View of Morality. Not necessary to live a good life; morality and immorality are non-existent; you follow your heart and love who you love because hate isn’t real, unless you disagree, and then hate is real until you agree.
View of Sexuality. Nudity and sexual expression are entirely subjective and should not have boundaries; gender is fluid depending on whom you love in the moment of sexual fulfillment; rape is rape if it’s non-consensual sex, or if you later realize you meant no, not yes.
Anti-Spiritual Postmodernism
View of Scripture. Hogwash and Oppressive.
View of God. God is either dead(Nietzschean philosophy), non-existent(Atheism/New Atheism), or the “opium of the people”(Marxism), and definitely immoral either way.
View of Jesus. Maybe historical, depending on which scholar you agree with, but certainly not God, God’s son, or moral in the slightest—basically Buddha with a better body.
View of Salvation. Immoral. Jesus’ death was cosmic child abuse at best.
View of the Afterlife. Nothing. Nothing happens after death, just like nothing happened before life. And what is nothing anyway? Are we even here? This is probably a simulation.
View of the Church. One of the most immoral, violent, and institutionally oppressive corporate systems ever devised by man; completely corrupt. Goes for the Roman Catholic Church and all Protestant churches.
View of Baptism/Communion. Abhorrent in their entirety; communion is, if true at all, cannibalism; baptism, if necessary, is another control device created by the Church.
View of Truth. Only exists so long as science agrees with it, and is relative to the culture in which it is discussed and determined.
View of Morality. Morality is okay, but only the idea of morality that emerged within the framework of evolution; any morality derived from ideology is inherently evil and oppressive.
View of Sexuality. Nudity and sexual expression are entirely subjective and should not have boundaries; gender is fluid depending on whom you love in the moment of sexual fulfillment; rape is rape if it’s non-consensual sex, or if you later realize you meant no and not yes; there are no limits on who someone can love or have sex with.
III.
That’s quite a lot to wrap one’s head around, but helpful to see for what it is. It’s difficult to think someone could hold to any one of those things, but I’d imagine there’s a lot of this junk in other forms found in seemingly innocent questions at Wednesday Night Bible study. I know I’ve personally witnessed it. But since we’re here, let’s add some more beliefs and practices worth mentioning or repeating.
Postmodernists believe that words and meaning are in flux. Nothing has meaning always, only in the moment, if that. They disregard purpose outside of oneself. It’s either non-existent, relative, or subjective, and “selfishness” isn’t a word. “Self-care” is, though, so watch out for that one. Hope is only a buzzword and entirely abstract, and definitely not something one can hold onto. And sin isn’t real, much less shame. According to Postmodernism, however, you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking that sin or shame do or ought to exist. And believing anything contrary to Postmodernism itself is a cardinal sin.
Hardcore Anti-Spiritual Postmodernists have one thing in common. While, after a bit of arguing, you can help them see at least the subjective value of cultural Christianity, they all agree that Islam is the closest thing to pure evil. They generally loathe it. The Spiritual Postmodernists believe the lie, however, that Islam is a religion of peace. That is, until devout Muslims stone or rape them. And then they may only meet you halfway. Generally, though, there is a further divide between Anti-Spiritual and Spiritual Postmodernists in the form of facts. Spiritual Postmodernists would rather lean on feelings in the moment, but Anti-Spiritual Postmodernists heavily lean on facts…that support their views. And while most Spiritual Postmodernists avoid conflict to a fault, their Anti-Spiritual counterparts seek it out militantly, even within their own Postmodern family. But both camps are extremely liberal politically. And while the Anti-Spiritualists seemingly have some “conservative” views sometimes, it’s a self-defeating façade, which is why you can have a gay man adopt a child with his partner and still be considered a good representative of “conservative Christian values.”
IV.
The most important thing we need to remember about anyone with an opposing worldview to a biblical one is this: they need Jesus. And while it’s not the easiest thing to do, sharing Jesus with them is not impossible.
Firstly, don’t try to put them in a box. They will reject anything they feel traps them into a specific category. Since nothing is objectively true to them except that there is nothing objectively true(an objective truth claim, by the way), you cannot reason with them. Put yourself firmly in your box instead. If you get the chance, lovingly, gently, kindly, and with all respect, tell them what God and His Word say. Don’t tell them what your favorite Christian author says. Tell them what God says. And when they make snide or offensive remarks about your beliefs, don’t bite. God doesn’t need a bodyguard. Be ready with a defense for why you believe what you believe, not for an attack on God’s character(1 Peter 3:13-22). If anything, they are on a terrible footing, attacking behavior they find subjective or relative anyway. Even worse, they are attacking a God they probably claim not to believe in. While I don’t suggest pointing out the absurdity of the position directly, I would study Gregory Koukl’s Tactics to lead them into a sane exchange.
Beyond the overt sharing and discussion of the Gospel, live your life as Jesus commanded. And do it to the best of your ability. Integrity is an excellent defense for your belief in Jesus. And you can be honest about your weaknesses and failures to help with that, but don’t share details. “Share your scars, not your wounds,” as it were.
Both camps of Postmodernism hold authenticity in high regard. The more you are yourself, the more “real” you are, the more they respect you and what you have to say. They can see through a “holier-than-thou” Christian immediately. That’s not a license to drop f-bombs. It’s an open door to build trust. F-bombs, contrary to what some think, don’t build trust.
At the end of the day, though, always - not constantly - bring the conversation back to Jesus. Even if you have to take the proverbial wheel and jerk it back onto the road, bring it back to Jesus. If you really believe John 14:6, you’ll be faithful to stand on it, even in the face of someone who was deceived into thinking there’s nothing to stand on.
V.
There you have it, men. Postmodernism. I don’t need to tell you that at least a hint of it is in your home, even in your thinking. Seek God and His Word to correct the fundamental facts of the universe. And once He’s done that, let Him use you to help others in your charge do the same.