March 9, 2025

In his book “The Postmodern Condition” Jean-Francis Lyotard defined postmodernism as “incredulity toward metanarratives.” Incredulity means lack of belief or skepticism towards something. In this case the something is “Metanarratives.” A metanarrative is a big or all-encompassing story, a story which offers a unifying explanation for all human history. If there is no all-encompassing story we are left with only personal or local stories or perspectives. This rejection was motivated by the neo/ social Marxist thought that society can be broken down into classes and that these classes use metanarratives to gain and hold power over other classes. 

I bring this up to make a point and the point is that the Postmodernists threw the baby out with the bathwater. They saw some people abuse power and were right to identify that as a problem but wrong to think that the solution was to do away with universal truth. 

A studious individual will also notice that the claim that we should disbelieve metanarratives because they are all power grabs is a metanarrative and so this reasoning is self-refuting. 

One of the applications of the above faulty thinking has been to language and meaning. If there is no universal truth then there is no universal understanding and a written message may mean something totally different to everyone who reads it. 

For the Christian the problem with this is obvious because the Bible is obviously a written document and if the authority to determine meaning lies with the reader then I could decide that “stop” means “go” while you decide that it means “potato” and someone else could decide that it means “turn left.” If this is the case, repent and be baptized could mean: go out to a restaurant and order pizza or run backwards around the block. We are left in a position where none of us can know what is good or bad right or wrong outside of our own feelings. People are drawn to this idea because it puts them in a position of authority (Rom 1:25). 

What they don’t realize is that they too, like the founders of the idea, which is influencing them, have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. If we determine meaning than God’s love and compassion his justice and power can all be redefined. There is no justification in Christ and no redemption for mankind. We are all lost and hopelessly so because there are no directions. 

But of course, meaning is not defined by us, rather it is recognized. People know this which is why people stop at stop signs. So long as they do, they should also accept that they can read and understand God’s will and be expected to do it. 

~ Kevin Cleary