Pt. 2 Metamodernism: Where is the Truth?

Part 2 of an essay on metamodernism, Christianity, and the church

A Christian worldview recognizes the Bible as an Absolute. A metamodern worldview, or a way of life patterns reflecting metamodern philosophy, is built upon a form of relativism.

Where is the Truth?

The locus of truth is vital for navigating cultural shifts, personal realities, and societal concerns. Gare (2001) identifies Parmenides and Plato as introducing the need for an Absolute by which everything is evaluated. Gare contends that the need for an Absolute is the problem with modernistic narratives. Postmodern philosophy removed the Absolute from modern narratives, unraveling the modern narratives. However, Corsa (2018), Vermeulen and van der Akker (2010), and Gare recognize the need for grand narratives as relative truth. Truth or reality in metamodernism is, according to Gare, in a state of regular change.

Jews, Muslims, and Christians view truth in connection to the Bible rather than oscillating grand narratives. Psalm 119:160 claims that all of God’s Word is truth. Additionally, Christians recognize that God is the Absolute that does not change (Hebrews 13:8). Freinacht

(2019) recognizes religions based on the Bible as part of a past phase of cultural development. Therefore, Christians may need to understand metamodernism and how to communicate

Absolute truth to a culture that replaces absolute truth with the relative truth of grand narratives.

A common Christian hermeneutic is based on a modernistic approach of viewing the object (truth, the Bible) as an Absolute to be understood. Therefore, the observer in the Christian hermeneutic must overcome one's place in history, culture, and society to view the truth. However, metamodern hermeneutics suggests there is no need to overcome one's perception of place in history, culture, and society when interpreting objective data (Corsa, 2018; Gibbons, 2021). One's existence is the only possible hermeneutic. As an individual or group, the subject is not independent of observable data, and thus no observable data can be truly objective. The metamodernist would not assert that denying subject-object truth claims equates to freedom from limits (Feldman, 2005, Gare 2001). Metamodernist philosophy claims that context primes and limits interpretation, and context becomes the bounding-box defining understanding.

The metamodern hermeneutic poses a similar problem as postmodernism for Christians seeking to interpret the Bible. However, while postmodernism would sustain that there is no objective truth and that all truth is relative, metamodernist philosophy claims no objective truth but accepts that a common truth may exist through grand narratives (Corsa, 2018; Vermeulen & van der Akker, 2010). Pontius Pilot's question in John’s Gospel chapter 13 verse 28 is relevant. As Pilot interrogated Jesus, he asked, "Truth, what is truth?” Stemming from a biblical worldview, questions regarding the nature of truth supersede the current cultural shifts.

Looking Ahead

Truth, for Christians, is based on an Absolute revelation of God found in the Bible and the person of Jesus. It is important to note that recognizing an Absolute for truth was adopted from religions such as Judaism by Parmenides and Plato (Gare, 2001). Yet, the metamodern denial of an Absolute and acceptance of a grand narrative as relative truth is incongruent with the Absolute truth claims of Christianity. However, engaging grand narratives may provide Christians new opportunities to advance the gospel.

Metamodern grand narratives maintain relative truth by not presupposing an inevitable ending (Corsa, 2018; Gare, 2001). Without an inevitable end, the grand narrative is free from constraints to evolve and change as needed to maintain the interconnectedness of individual narratives. For example, consider the history of the United States Thanksgiving holiday. Traditionally the narrative surrounding Thanksgiving is one of celebration, peace, and community. However, decedents of the Wabanaki Indians displaced by early settlers recount violence, murder, and theft. These are competing narratives with competing truth claims. However, a benefit of the relativism of metamodern grand narratives may be the adaptability toward inclusivity of a grand narrative. According to Gare (2001), modern narratives were problematic, as the modern narratives primarily reflected those telling the story. However, metamodern grand narratives may identify discrimination within the current grand narrative and may change the narrative to embrace the inclusion of everyone’s interconnected narratives. In this way, metamodern grand narratives are descriptive, not prescriptive (Corsa, 2018).

The Christian grand narrative has an inevitable ending prescribed in the Bible. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the story of God’s loving and relentless pursuit of sinful and rebellious humans. Therefore, the Gospel is the Christian’s grand narrative. Yet, there is no truth or reality in the grand narratives in metamodernism. Metamodern hope exists in pursuing the relative everchanging truth of a grand narrative, fully aware that hope is unobtainable (Vermeulen & van der Akker, 2010).

Corsa (2018) notes that in Western culture, multiple generations exist side-by-side. The same is true in the Western Christian church. Older Christians may be more familiar with modern and postmodern approaches to religion and society. However, youth and young adults have grown up during the transition from postmodernism to metamodernism. Cultural shifts may add to the difficulty with intergenerational communication and faith expression. With multiple generations living side-by-side in the church and community, Christians must follow the example of the tribe of Issachar in 1 Chronicle 12:32 and understand the times and how to respond. I recommend focusing on four areas to understand and respond to metamodernism and the changing times: 1. A Biblical Worldview, 2. Invite others into God's story, 3. Live the grand narrative of the family of God, and 4. Seek to help society flourish.

Biblical worldview

Myers and Noebel (2015) describe a worldview as a set of patterns. As stated earlier, a

Christian worldview is grounded in the patterns set forth by the Bible. A simple definition of a Christian worldview is a way of life patterns that reflect the Bible. A Christian worldview recognizes the Bible as an Absolute. A metamodern worldview, or a way of life patterns reflecting metamodern philosophy, is built upon a form of relativism. The form of relativism found in metamodernism is linked to the grand narrative and will change. For example, morality, a sub-division of a worldview, is patterns of living defined as right and wrong.A biblical morality must adhere to what the Bible defines as right and wrong. Metamodern morality is defined by a grand narrative whose definition of right and wrong may change. Thus, what is morally right at one point in metamodernism may be morally wrong at another point, depending on the grand narrative. Therefore, it is essential for Christians to understand the times to develop a robust Christian worldview and know what the Bible says about the nature of reality, morality, truth, humanity, and what happens after death (Myers & Noebel, 2015).