Reading Assignment Number 3
(Edited)
@mariamaryann5 @ivan51204 @eonniechan23 @bordagul @moris1 @matthewice @cooperpilgrim
Reading assignment number 3 has two parts:
A Case for a Christian Theology in a Postmodern World
Certainty of Theological Knowledge
As for the first topic, please read Diogenes Allen's Introduction: The End of the Modern World: A New Openness for Faith from pages 1 to 19. That's the original material. Read also this article and use the guide questions to help you digest the content of the article.
In the second topic, you can check Herman Bavinck's book, pages 76 to 82. Be guided also by the questions in this article.
After reading, post your comments here.
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A very good assignment
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STOPThere are many ideologies circulating in society, and it can be difficult when one does not have a firm foundation or does not fully believe in anything. Despite the numerous views and perspectives on truth, especially regarding religion, I firmly believe in the supremacy of the Bible. It remains the revealed Word of God and continues to guide us in truth.
I also agree with Allen that Christianity is relevant because it brings transformation. But its relevance is not merely intellectual but holistic, extending beyond a specific time and remaining significant for generations to come.
However, I find Allen’s approach—to "develop a theology in which the reality of other religions is taken into account, a Christian theology of other faiths"—to be unrealistic. Given the fundamental differences between various faith systems, it is difficult to establish a universally accepted truth. Moreover, we cannot compromise our own truth for the sake of achieving this goal.
I find it reassuring that religion is not only subjective. As discussed last week, religion also has an objective aspect, where we are founded on the revelation of God. We can confidently attest to the supreme authority of the Word—not based on our feelings, but because it is God’s revelation.
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I am glad that you are able to identify the distinction that exists between diverse faiths. The trend these days is to emphasize the similarities and take the differences for granted.
The identification of the objective and subjective sides of religion is relevant as a corrective to giving too much emphasis on one side at the expense of the other.
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In my reading for "A Case for a Christian Theology in a Postmodern World", according to Allen, it is difficult to maintain certainty of conviction in Christianity in a postmodern age due to the existence of multiple beliefs and perspectives in the world makes it challenging to affirm one particular belief as true and the view that all beliefs are equally valid that there is no absolute truth makes it difficult to affirm Christianity as the true belief. In addition that lack of authority, declining the traditional institutions and leaders in society makes it challenging to affirm Christianity as a trustworthy belief. And by acknowledging these challenges, according to Allen, we can better develop ways to defend and present Christianity in a postmodern age.
That is Allen's goal - to develop a better approach to defending and presenting the Christian faith in the modern era. The question remains whether he is successful or faithful to what he claims to be the implementation of the Pauline vision.
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... religious certainty. He highlights the intellectual captivity that modernism imposed on Christianity. However, he risks doing too much by embracing postmodern openness too eagerly. True Christian
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confidence does not come from satisfying postmodern critics, but from resting in the revealed truth of God. In a postmodern world, where all foundations are questioned, perhaps the most absolute and relevant thing the church can do is to stand firmly on the foundation that cannot
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be shaken, the Word of God. Instead of defensiveness, the church needs boldness, not arrogance, but Spirit-filled confidence in the power of the gospel to address all of life’s question.
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In the context of Diogenes Allen's exploration of the decline of modernism and its implications for Christian theology, how does he reconcile the need for a reevaluation of traditional theological perspectives with the challenge of fostering a relevant and intellectually credible Christian theology in a postmodern age characterized by pluralism and relativism?
Not an easy question. We will discuss that in the class.
Your question is loaded.
As I observe on the article, Diogenes Allen’s attempt to develop a Christian theology of other faithsrepresents a dangerous compromise with the spirit of the age, an unnecessary concession to the relativism and pluralism that have infected modern intellectual life. Allen’s entire framework, with its emphasis on best "estimates," dialogue with other religions, and reliance on empirical and academic domains of knowledge, reveals a deep departure from biblical authority.
I would argue that Christian theology does not need to be re-engineered to accommodate postmodern sensitivities or the academic respectability that Allen seems so eager to attain. Instead, I would insist that the clarity, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture must stand as the foundation for Christian theology. Faithfulness to biblical truth, not intellectual appeasemen is the church’s calling. Allen’s suspicion toward historic Protestant confidence in divine revelation is precisely the kind of theological drift that weaken the power of the gospel itself.
Concerning about Allen’s project, on my view, mistakenly treats Christianity as if it is one voice among many in a religious marketplace. The Bible does not present Christianity as merely "our best estimate" of truth, but as the revealed truth of God, against which all other claims must be measured and rejected if they contradict Scripture.
I would also critique Allen’s handling of faith and reason. Biblical faith is not irrational fideism, but neither is it a philosophical construction derived from human reasoning and academic consensus. True faith rests in the self-authenticating authority of God’s Word — what the Reformers rightly called sola Scriptura. So for me the proper respond to postmodernism is not theological accommodation, but biblical proclamation, being bold, confident, and unapologetic.