Aftershocks of Postmodernism

The Aftershocks of Postmodernism in Our Leadership
By Dr. John C. Maxwell

I think about that as I look at what’s happened in the church. I think there are some aftershocks of the Postmodern movement that we need to be aware of. But before I take you into some of these aftershocks, let me go back to the “earthquake” itself: the shift from Modernism to Postmodernism. A lot changed in our culture and in the church during that shift:

1. We went from humanism, where we’re the masters of our fate, to fatalism, wherein we have no control over what happens.


2. We went from rationalism to relativism—a movement from truth as absolute to truth is relative, and we each have our own realities.


3. We went from science being the ultimate that will deliver us, to technology, where applications exist to serve our needs.


4. We went from enlightenment to narrative. It’s a shift from, “I want the facts,” to “Give me a story; paint a picture for me.”


5. We went from universal right and wrong, what I call “self evident ethics,” to tolerance, in which everyone is tolerant of everyone else’s values.


6. We went from materialism to spiritualism, from a mindset of believing only in what we can see, to a sense of mysticism in which we believe in invisible realities.


7. We went from individualism, that self-made man persona, to community, being focused more on teamwork and family.

Aftershock #1: We’ve gone from Duplication to Integration.

Aftershock #2: We have gone from Achievement to Learning.

Aftershock #3: We moved from Industry to Individuals.

Aftershock #4: We have gone from Scarcity to Abundance.

Aftershock #5: We’ve had a shift from Consumerism to Stewardship.

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