Friday, November 17, 2006
Whose Afraid of Postmodernism? Part 3
THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL 5 CHAPTERS.
Chapter Three
Lyotard “…defines metanarratives as universal discourses of legitimation that mask their own particularity.” Put another way, “metanarratives deny their narrative ground even as they proceed on it as a basis.” In short, postmodernity and the push against metanarritives is simply a rally cry to being authentic. It is a plea for Enlightenment to recognize itself as the story that it is.
With this definition of metanarrative we see that Scripture, when correctly defined, does not fall into this category. As stated in the previous chapter, we must embrace the reality that we are telling one of many interpretations to life’s stories. That being said, we still are capable to view our story as truth.
Ultimately for Lyotard the rejection of metanarratives is not a rejection of “…grand stories in terms of scope or in the sense of epic claims, but rather an unveiling of the fact that all knowledge is rooted in some narrative or myth.”
Our purpose and call then as Christians is not to present propositional truth claims but to present our incarnational, narrative lives. We tell and retell our stories not only orally but by also living them out. Thus, “…postmodernism signals the recovery of narrative knowledge and should entail a more robust, unapologetic proclamation of the story of God in Christ.”
