Postmodernism 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian

While not among the first titles to present a Christian perspective on postmodern thought, this is among the best. White, who teaches philosophy at the University of North Carolina, offers an astute and highly readable analysis that demystifies without oversimplifying. As he escorts readers through characteristic postmodern perspectives on authority, the self, language, morality and history, White undertakes "to address these concerns with postmodernism in a faithful and loving way rather than a smug or defensive or panic-stricken one." The resulting discussion is well balanced between appreciation and criticism, or in White's terms, between conservatives who "get vertigo" when confronted by postmodern irony and "embracers" who adopt a "mix-and-match mentality" that fails to recognize the wider meaning of their choices. Unlike some of his fellow evangelicals, White does not view postmodernism principally as a threat; however, he is profoundly skeptical about the prospects of achieving "community without authority" or "seeking human freedom by eliminating constraints, whether the constraints are political, social, intellectual, or moral." Instead of engaging postmodernism as an opponent, White invites readers to consider how postmodernism might present "an opportunity to rethink both the presentation and the content of the good news about Christ." (July)