NOTE: Tim Challies has written a related blog, “Blogging and Accountability,” that provides another perspective and suggests possible ways of addressing the problem.

This post is about postmodernism (PoMo) and its presence in that corner of the evangelical subculture often referred to as Godblogs. It is not meant to be a definitive treatment of the philosophy of postmodernism or of the exploding phenomenon of blogging in the Christian community. It is, rather, a plea for caution and reason, a cry for all of us to stop and examine what we are doing and why we are doing it.

Others are far better equipped than me to examine and explain the meaning of postmodernism for the church. Albert Mohler did a three-part series, “Truth-Telling is Stranger Than It Used to Be,” at his site on March 1-3 of this year. It is a good introduction to the subject for those of us who may have been late catching the bus the day it was covered in class.

For a more thorough, in-depth look at PoMo, seek an assessment from those who understand philosophy well and also are serious about their Christianity. Jeremy Pierce at Parablemania is a good place to start when looking for Christian philosophers in the blogdom, along with other sites like Prosblogion and Fides Quaerens Intellectum. To know more about blogging, read Hugh Hewitt’s book, Blog.

Keep all of that in mind as you read this. My areas of expertise are to be found elsewhere: in theology, discipleship, and biblical anthropology. Maybe in writing and journalism, too, since I was a reporter for more than a decade from the late ’60s into the early ’80s.

Perhaps more importantly I have been walking with Christ for 30+ years. I have been told that I have the spiritual gifts of teaching and wisdom, but I don’t know that with any certainty. So read what follows with some discernment, please.

PoMo is insidious: it spreads like a virus throughout the body of Christ, invading reasonably healthy cells here and there. It changes the internal structure of the infected cell and begins to replicate itself. Often the cell has no idea of what has happened, only that some change has occurred and things seem to be different now.

It is also an evolving, somewhat-nebulous philosophy. Of the many heads on this ear-tickling Hydra, one in particular has triggered the present post: PoMo is characterized by an erosion of authority. Mohler has written,

Since postmodern culture is committed to a radical vision of liberation, all authorities must be overthrown. Among the dethroned authorities are texts, authors, traditions, metanarratives, the Bible, God, and all powers on heaven and earth . . .

“Ultimately, the authority of God is rejected as totalitarian and autocratic. Christians–especially Christian ministers–are seen as representatives of this autocratic deity, and are to be resisted as authorities as well.”

Nowhere, it seems to me, is this minimizing of authority and leveling of the value of opinions more apparent than among Godblogs. We are blessed, to be sure, by the presence of experts in a variety of disciplines but, for every William Dembski or John Mark Reynolds, there are hundreds and thousands of untrained and unqualified bloggers willing to pontificate on subject matters and issues that they only marginally comprehend.

Certainly everyone is entitled to an opinion but not all opinions are of equal value or should be given equal weight in determining biblical matters and Christian living. Too many bloggers are unwilling to post their qualifications and expertise, thus providing their readers with insufficient information to assess the merit of what is being said. Those more gifted in writing clearly or compellingly can give the appearance of knowledge without substance truly being present. Reasons that sound good, the adage warns us, are not the same as good, sound reasons.

This post was prompted specifically by a post regarding the problem of pornography and men, including Christian men. A cause was pronounced and a cure announced; the support in both cases was anecdotal, lacking in either biblical support, research, or even surveys to back up the claims. The article was well written, however, and the strength of the author’s belief in his position was evident. Spiritual language was sprinkled throughout the post and the solution was simple: be more spiritual. It was persuasive, perhaps, to many; some have indeed cited it and praised it on their own blogs. Plus, it’s the kind of answer we want to hear.

I am not unqualified to speak about such matters. I have trained in this area, have researched and written about biblical anthropology/psychology (albeit unpublished), and have worked and continue to work with men addicted to pornography. What was being offerred as a solution in the aforementioned post is rarely the cause of the addiction and the solution, while correct, was so general as to be useless. The cause of addiction or indulgence in pornography is multifaceted; healing cannot be reduced to a simple formula or a single prescription.

Nevertheless, a lot of people will be affected directly and indirectly by what was written. I have no doubt that the author loves Christ, seeks to glorify God, and desires to help others. But – and this is where PoMo crashes the party – he appears to believe that his opinion is as valid as anyone else’s in this matter. He disagrees with published authors, rejects their conclusions, and presents his own diagnosis and cure in its place. This is the decline and dismantling of authority about which Mohler warned.

I have been called an elitist before because I have questioned the equal value of all opinions; it is likely I will be called that again. If that is what I am, so be it. But is such “elitism” a bad thing? Let me posit the following in conclusion.

If your child were desperately ill and in need of immediate medical care, to whom would you turn and whose advice would you heed? Would you go to a physician who was a specialist in such matters or would you ask one of the Geek Squad members at Best Buy? Or a veterinarian? Chemist?

If you suddenly inherited a substantial amount of money and wished to invest it wisely in kingdom initiatives, would you seek counsel from a psychologist? An auto mechanic? Bank teller? Or would you find a Christian financial planner/adviser to help you make a wise decision?

In matters of biblical truth, spiritual issues, and eternal consequences, to whom should you turn? Is the opinion of a new believer as valuable as that of an older Christian who has walked consistently with Christ for perhaps longer than you have been alive? Is the conclusion of someone who dabbles in Hebrew and Greek after work or on the weekends of equal worth as that of a genuine exegete? Is the leader of a Bible study or Sunday school class as qualified as a professor at a seminary or Bible college?

We are careful about our physical health and money, as well we should be. But such things pale in significance to the importance of eternal truth and biblical living. The Bible and the Christian life are not things to be taken lightly or to be treated as common. As mentioned previously, we all have our own opinions – and we will be held accountable for those positions and teachings we proclaim to others. Jas 3:1 is but one of many verses that reflect the importance of “accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).

If we are as serious about our faith and our beliefs as we say we are, then we must exercise great care and caution in listening and reading one another. We cannot allow others to make decisions for us. We absolutely must model ourselves after the Bereans (Ac 17:10-11) who, upon hearing the preaching of Paul, studied the Scriptures for themselves to make sure that what was being said was according to the word of God. We can afford to do no less.


2 Cor 1:13