What Time Is It?

Understanding Our Age

Men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 1 Chron. 12:32

26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. – Acts 17:26,27

What Time Is It In the West?

Pre-Modern (Traditional) Period: 500 AD to 1800 AD (exists both before and after as well)

• Belief in supernatural as the guiding reality
• Transcendence through connection with supernatural
• God is preeminent – man derives his identity through God and community
• Supernatural is most commonly defined through belief in Judeo-Christian God
• One form of Truth as revealed through Holy Scripture
• Institutional Church wields power over temporal affairs (Christendom)
• Unified system of government – Monarchy/Nobility – Sovereign Right of Kings
• Heaven/After-life more important than this life
• The Community/Village/Family/Tribe is most important. You only exist as a part of a larger whole
• Much superstition still abounded – mixed with Christianity
  
  What is the result of this view of life (worldview) on morals? On the family? On how one should live? On authority?

Modern (Contemporary) Period: 1700 AD to present (began in the Renaissance in 1400’s and is beginning to die out)

• Science is the guiding reality
• God is no longer needed and is considered a hindrance or superstition
• Individual Reason is needed to ascertain Universal Truth (it is possible if we all use our Reason)
• Education is the means to using your Reason
• Man becomes preeminent – humanism
• Community is broken down – we are all just parts in the machine
• If man is the center, and there is no guiding force beyond our reason, we are free to determine our own laws, morals, social customs
• Age of experimentation scientifically, socially, relationally
• Technology is King – solves many of the world’s problems/creates new ones
• Democracy becomes the prevailing government because political/social power is derived from a social contract with the people
• Capitalism is the prevailing economic system – people become useful as consumers
• Family and community becomes optional as individual choice holds sway (the center has broken)
• We are on the dawn of a Golden Age (optimism through technology and human ingenuity)
  
  How does this worldview affect the family? Individual morals? Community morals? Government? Sexuality? Faith?

Postmodern Period (1917 to present - began in intellectual circles, popularized in 1960's)

• Realization that promises of Modern Period are empty
• Recognition that we will not come to Universal Truth through use of Reason
• Everyone has their own Truth because of differing experiences and perspectives. All truths/paths are equal (mirrored by shift from Newtonian Physics to Einstienian Physics - Quantum – Theory of Relativity)
• Language is used by those in power to twist arguments – it is about persuasion more than truth (power of advertising)
• Deep spiritual void discovered
• Extreme pessimism – desire for escape into emptyness (nihlism)
• Hyper individuality, yet desire for relationships with others like you
• Tribalism emerges as people join together in racial, sexual, religious, and other special interest groups to fight for their cause – no longer majority/minority, but many minorities who all fight for power
• Continual hostility toward traditional religion, although spirituality begins to be affirmed
  
  How does this view affect our view of life? Of the future? Of the individual? Of institutions? Of authority? Of the family?

Post-Postmodern Period (Emerging Worldview – 1965 to present – esp. since 1991)

• Global world/community emerges
• New embrace of spirituality and religion (hostile to Christianity – seen as authoritarian and closeminded)
• Interconnectedness of humanity – global Truth
• Free flow of ideas and information because of the Internet and global communication (flattening of the world)
• Emergence of China and India
• Young, Urban, Non-Anglo culture will dominate
• Decentralized authority - many to many communication
• Empowering of the individual
• Security becomes preeminent (terrorism, biological issues)
• Use of technology, not mastered by it
• Individualized community
• Traditional social structures reformed
• Interchangeable identities
• Deification of the environment – seeking to restore damage
• Idealism and community enhancement and involvement
• Tolerance for other viewpoints is affirmed
• Giving over of rights to protectors to ensure safety and security
  
  What does this view mean for the individual? For Christianity? For the idea of Truth? For the Family? For Morals?

This is obviously a simplistic rendering, full of generalities and assumptions. Although true historical and cultural analysis is always far more sophisticated and full of nuance, I still find approaches like this helpful to begin to get a grasp on difficult subjects for those who are not familiar with all the intricacies.

The implications of understanding these competing perspectives are vast. If we live in a pre-modern worldview, doesn't it make sense that we would struggle relating the gospel to post-post modern people? The answer is not to try harder at what we've always done, but to step back and learn from others how to speak in a way that our audience will understand. Sometimes, it is as though we are going to China to speak to Chinese people, but we only know English instead of Mandarin. When they do not understand us, we just speak louder. When they still do not understand us, and reject us, we then condemn them. This is what the Spanish Conquistadors used to do. They would arrive on an island or amongst a Native American tribe, and in Spanish, read an announcement from the King of Spain, commanding them to convert to Christianity. If they did not do so immediately, they would be taken into slavery or killed. They were told that the fault would be their own. The confused natives would not understand a word they said, but because the Spaniards "warned" them, with a clear conscience, they would then take control. We're kind of like that sometimes. We warn the world to repent, but we never take the time to relate to them or speak to them in a way they understand. Then, we shrug our shoulders and say they get what they deserve.

Thom Wolf says that there is a global conversation taking place and everyone in the world is asking how they can best live life on this planet. May we take part in that conversation for the glory of Christ.