The Explosions of Postmodernism
The Postmodern Expanding Worldview
Growing Up in the Jesus Path – Part Six
In this series on Growing Up in the Jesus Path, I use the terminology of “stages of development” from Ken Wilber. A stage may also be called an altitude, level, worldview, viewpoint, or place on the unfolding spiral of life. It may be called a “wave” to get away from any rigidity in the metaphor. Another term for stage is a “station” in life. This suggests that we all develop in our own ways as we come to a new station in life and stay there for a while. We may even spend much of our adult life at one particular station. Every person has a right to be at any stage. All stations in life are expressions of God’s work in taking us along one step at a time.
I also use the terminology “structures of consciousness” from Jean Gebser to offset the idea of stages only evolving in a linear, singular direction. Cynthia Bourgeault observes the difference between stages evolving and unfolding:
“Stages EVOLVE. They are like steps on a ladder, building sequentially one upon the other in a journey that leads onward and upward.
Structures UNFOLD. They are like sections of a jigsaw puzzle or rooms in an art museum, gradually filling in to reveal the big picture (which already implicitly exists). Each of Gebser’s five structures is indeed an authentic mode of participation in the world, and if they are not, perhaps, fully equal partners, they are at least fully entitled partners. The muting or repression of any of these structures leads to an impoverishment of the whole; this is true both individually and across the broad sweep of cultural history.”
As Jeremy Johnson says, “The developmental solution necessitates a strictly linear view of consciousness emergence, saving the transpersonal for the higher stages while still reducing the so-called “lower” stages to a childlike fantasy rather than a true and now lost mode of participation.” Gebser regarded these structures as arising not just sequentially in history but also vividly in an ever-present now.
Since there is an element of evolution involved, I use both developmental stages and structure states of consciousness to offset the limitations of the other.
Like stages of development and structures of consciousness themselves, churches and belief systems as well as individuals are complicated and do not lend themselves to just a few words of description or a simple linear timeline. However, by using some oversimplified general descriptions, we can provide a helpful framework to see where we personally are now in our level of development, where we have been, and where we may choose to go in the future.
Since the prospective ICN audience is primarily postmodern and those leaving postmodern for integral, I am taking two articles to describe both the richness and the limitations of postmodernism. Hopefully, I will entice some of these wonderful postmodern spiritual adventurers to explore integral Christianity with us!
I continue here where I left off in my last essay in describing the postmodern approach to Christianity.
Prayer
Prayer for the postmodernist may take many different forms, from ancient to contemporary. Many see it is best to avoid praying to God as a person since that’s too traditional. Better to just think good thoughts and go with the power of positivity.
Sin and Salvation
The word sin is usually banned by postmodernists. Too much baggage. For this station, sin is not living up to our potential. At the systemic level, it is the domination systems that oppress others. Human folly is described by postmodernist Eckhart Tolle in this way: “If the history of humanity were the clinical case history of a single human being, the diagnosis would have to be: chronic paranoid delusions, a pathological propensity to commit murder, and acts of extreme violence and cruelty.”
The postmodern church has moved away from the idea that only they have the truth. At the modern church level, other religions are tolerated. At postmodern, they are warmly embraced. Not only are they welcomed, but all spiritual paths lead equally to God, however that God is defined. Everyone is correct within the worldview they inhabit. In extreme postmodern thought, terrorists are just operating within their worldview, which is not to be devalued. This creates no small degree of angst and consternation among other postmodernists.
Even the Roman Catholic Church has recently evolved. Jesuit priest William Johnston explains how it happened: “Then came the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Overnight the Catholic Church which had been a Western institution exporting its wares to the East became a world community. Asian and African bishops and theologians assembled in Rome and, with their European and American confreres, acknowledged that the Spirit of God is at work in all peoples and all religions. Since then, most theologians recognize non-Christian religions as ‘valid ways.’”
The postmodern Christian usually understands that everyone is already included in God’s love. No one will be left behind.
Heaven and Hell
Heaven may be renamed nirvana, enlightenment, or internal peace. It is an inner experience. Death is a mystery, and there is much speculation about life after death, especially from New Age writers. Some concept of reincarnation may replace the idea of resurrection. Our essence, our Authentic Self, is eternal and never dies but continues to emerge from ego constraints in new forms.
The word “hell” would not be used in a postmodern church, but the idea might be framed in terms of alienation. It is psychic estrangement from God and others.
Postmodernism is not enamored with theology and beliefs as the traditional is. Its focus is on doing and experience. As Robin Meyers says in Saving God from Religion, “Consider this remarkable fact: In the sermon on the mount, there is a not a single word about what to believe, only words about what to do and how to be. By the time the Nicene Creed is written only three centuries later, there is not a single word in it about what to do and how to be—only words about what to believe.”
Kingdom of Heaven
The Kingdom of Heaven in the postmodern church, as with the modern church, is where God’s will is done in the here and now as it is in Heaven. Doing God’s will here on Earth is the preferred goal of life rather than being saved from our sins. We may not need saving individually, but we do need to save the world and release the Kingdom of God into all of creation.
Ever wonder what spirituality looks like? It looks like this. The part under the water is the mystical.
The Mystical
Even in the most elevated mystical experiences of Jesus and others, the modern stage often sees the mystical as merely mythical. However, postmodernism thrives on spiritual experiences and embraces the mystical. Borg considers Jesus, first of all, a spirit person.
Postmodernists do not always distinguish between prerational magical and post-rational mystical. Everything is okay in postmodern theology. If traditional consciousness is black and white, then postmodern is more comfortable in the gray. Since the prerational magical stage and the post-rational mystical stage are both nonrational, they sometimes seem to be confused at the postmodern stage.
The deficient magical is elevated to the mystical stage when early tribal societies, profound as they are, are romantically seen as paragons of advanced stages of spiritual growth. The mystical holds possibilities for our own growth, and there is more to come in the mysteries of spirit.
Limitations
All stages have limitations. If they did not, there would be no need for further evolution. It is helpful to see the weaknesses of each stage so we can know where the next is going in addressing those limitations.
Postmodernism has such a pluralistic worldview that an anti-intellectual bias often emerges that refuses to distinguish between competing truths. Hierarchies, natural or otherwise, are such an abomination to this level that they refuse to see that some truth may be “higher” or “more true” than others. Therefore, Jesus’ teaching is just one among the many other viewpoints, all of which have equal standing and are equally true. All sacred writings contain the truth, even if they are contradictory or prerational. This flys in the face of obvious qualities of evolution in higher stages.
The primary weakness of the postmodern church is resistance to any kind of hierarchy. Jesus certainly resisted dominator hierarchies. However, in his teaching, he affirmed the natural hierarchies that evolution brings to all areas of life — some things are better, more complex, more inclusive, more loving than others. Molecules are more complex and able to function at a higher level than atoms. Humans are more complex and able to function at a higher level than monkeys. Loving is better than hating.
When Jesus said that “you have heard, but I say to you,” he was pointing out a natural hierarchy in the spiritual realm. The new was fuller and more loving than the old. Resisting natural hierarchies can lead to extreme relativism and a refusal to make value judgments. We feel guilty if we openly say this is better than that. Or, this viewpoint is more advanced. The postmodern view can leave one very uncomfortable making those distinctions because they appear to be judgmental. However, if we are simply discerning what is true with no implications of judgmentalism or elitism, then we are coming from an integral viewpoint.
Ken Wilber explored 100 models of evolutionary development in his book Integral Psychology, giving charts of all 100 of them. All 100 of them had stages, levels of existence. He says that we can clearly see levels of development occurring throughout these waves and streams in all areas of life.
No judging allowed
We rightly do not want to judge others. Nor do we like to say that one person or church is superior or inferior to another. This is particularly true of those at the postmodern stage.
However, we are not ranking people or churches here. We are discerning the differences in worldviews or ways of approaching the spiritual life. Jesus asked us to have this kind of awareness when he said,“ by their fruits you shall know them.” It is essential to not only know “them” but to know ourselves. Jesus taught us that the way to “know,” or have discerning awareness is to look at what is produced from a particular point of view. We are not called to be people inspectors. But we are called to be produce inspectors.
Dustin DiPerna says it well, “It is not our intention for the stages of religious orientation to be used to pigeonhole an individual to a particular altitude. Nor should lower altitudes be looked down upon in any sort of condescending fashion. As Wilber emphasizes, it is the right of every individual to stop at any level of development they choose. Outlining each rung on the ladder can help individuals become as healthy as possible at whatever stage they might currently rest.”
Strengths
Vast inclusiveness is a great strength of the postmodern church. It embraces the marginalized, diversity, feminism, personal growth, justice issues, eco-friendliness, spirituality, creativity, sensitivity, and altered states of consciousness. Postmodernism favors exploring the inner self, community, and world compassion. This makes it quite fulfilling in many essential areas.
Given the “culture wars” and many unhealthy ways postmodern expressions can be attacked (and attack others), it’s crucial for us to embrace this stage and go through it rather than get stuck in parts or caught up in reaction against it. For it is also the beautiful and glorious launching place for the next stage, the integral worldview.