Throughout human history, the question of truth has served as a central axis of both philosophical and theological inquiry. From the Socratic dialogues of ancient Greece to the theological treatises of medieval scholastics, truth was considered a fundamental and fixed reality, frequently intertwined with divine revelation. However, in the contemporary era, this long-standing understanding has been increasingly destabilized, primarily due to the influence of postmodernism and its associated deconstructionist approaches. These paradigms have redefined the concept of truth, rejecting its objective, universal, and absolute dimensions, thus presenting a radical challenge to Christian theology and its proclamation of the gospel as a claim to eternal, divine truth. This essay critically engages with this philosophical and theological shift, examining the implications of postmodernism on the Christian understanding of truth, the authority of Scripture, and the erosion of moral foundations in contemporary society.
The Nature of Truth: Christian and Modernist Perspectives
Christian theology traditionally grounds truth in the self-revelation of God, a reality that is eternally fixed, universal, and accessible through Scripture. In this view, truth is not an abstract concept but is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, who declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Therefore, truth is inseparable from the divine nature, and Christians are not tasked with constructing or discovering truth autonomously through human reason but rather aligning themselves with the truth that God has revealed. This is not only an epistemological stance but a salvific one; to encounter truth is to encounter the divine and participate in God’s redemptive purposes.1
Modernist perspectives, emerging primarily from the Enlightenment, sought to place human reason and scientific inquiry as the central means of discovering truth. Truth, in the modernist framework, was seen as something accessible through empirical investigation, and the scientific method was posited as the ultimate pathway to objective and universal truths.2 While modernist thought maintained an optimism about human reason, it often neglected to account for its fallibility and potential biases, ultimately establishing a fragile epistemological foundation. Despite its attempt to dismiss theological claims, modernism itself rested on a belief in the human capacity to arrive at a universally valid understanding of reality.
Postmodernism and the Deconstruction of Truth
Postmodernism fundamentally challenges both the Christian and modernist paradigms by asserting that truth is not universal, objective, or absolute but socially constructed, contingent, and inherently fragmented. In this view, as famously asserted by Richard Rorty, truth is “made rather than found.”3 The radical relativism of postmodernism suggests that all claims to truth are mere constructs shaped by the power dynamics of particular social groups. Michel Foucault’s work further underscores this by arguing that knowledge, rather than being a neutral discovery of truth, is embedded within power structures and is used to perpetuate specific social orders.4 Thus, for postmodernism, the very concept of a universal truth becomes suspect, and instead, truth is seen as pluralistic and context-dependent.
This deconstructionist framework directly confronts Christian theology, which asserts the existence of a singular, universal truth that transcends cultural, temporal, and social boundaries. Christianity, by its very nature, offers a metanarrative—a grand, overarching story that accounts for the nature of existence, human sin, divine redemption, and the ultimate destiny of creation. Jean-François Lyotard described postmodernism as marked by “incredulity toward metanarratives,” a skepticism that rejects any claim to a universal or totalizing truth as inherently oppressive and hegemonic.5 In this light, Christianity’s claim to an objective and universal gospel truth is perceived as an imposition of intellectual and cultural authority.
The Death of the Text and the Authority of Scripture
Postmodernism’s critique of metanarratives naturally extends to its treatment of texts. Jacques Derrida, a seminal figure in deconstructionist thought, articulated the idea of the “death of the author,” positing that the meaning of a text is not rooted in the author’s intentions but in the interpretations brought by the reader.6 This interpretative shift has profound implications for the authority of Scripture within Christian theology. If the reader constructs meaning, then the Bible ceases to function as an authoritative divine revelation and instead becomes a text open to infinite interpretations, each shaped by the reader’s ideological position or social context.
This hermeneutical approach has led to a proliferation of interpretative communities—feminist, liberationist, queer, and others—that read Scripture through the lens of their respective social and political commitments. Such approaches frequently disregard the plain meaning of the text, as well as its historical and theological context, resulting in interpretations that serve contemporary ideological concerns rather than preserving the intended message of the biblical authors or the divine inspiration claimed by the Christian tradition. For Christian theology, this trend represents a significant challenge, as it undermines the foundational belief in Scripture as the living Word of God, divinely inspired and authoritative for faith and practice.
The Therapeutic Turn and the Erosion of Morality
The cultural impact of postmodernism is further evidenced in the shift from a concern for truth to a preoccupation with therapy. In a society where objective truth is denied, the pursuit of personal well-being and self-actualization becomes paramount. Philip Rieff, in his seminal work The Triumph of the Therapeutic, observes that moral questions have been replaced by psychological concerns, and the dominant cultural narrative has shifted from “What is true?” to “What makes me feel good?”7 This therapeutic turn is particularly evident in the rise of theologies that prioritize self-affirmation over repentance and redemption, diluting traditional doctrines of sin, judgment, and salvation in favor of vague notions of acceptance and self-fulfillment.
Nowhere is this erosion of moral authority more evident than in the realm of sexual ethics. Michel Foucault, one of the most influential postmodern thinkers, argued that traditional sexual morality was simply an instrument of power, used to control individuals. He called for the celebration of sexual diversity as a form of liberation from oppressive moral structures.8 His ideas have profoundly influenced contemporary attitudes toward sexuality, particularly in the normalization of behaviors that Christian ethics has traditionally condemned. The biblical moral framework, which once governed Western ethical norms, is now largely rejected in favor of a therapeutic ethic that prioritizes individual autonomy over any absolute moral standard.
Christian Ministry in a Postmodern Age
The challenges postmodernism presents to Christian ministry are multifaceted. Not only must the church contend with a culture that denies the existence of objective truth, but it must also address the spiritual and intellectual needs of individuals who have been formed by postmodern assumptions about self-construction, relativism, and the rejection of authority. Research indicates that even among self-identified Christians, there is growing skepticism regarding the existence of absolute truth.9 This raises profound questions about the church’s ability to effectively proclaim the gospel in a cultural milieu that is increasingly resistant to the notion of eternal, divinely revealed truth.
Nevertheless, the church also faces an opportunity. As postmodernism’s critique of truth leaves individuals and societies with little moral or intellectual coherence, there is a growing openness to the Christian message of hope, redemption, and ultimate truth. The failure of postmodernism to provide a satisfying framework for meaning and coherence opens the door for the church to engage in thoughtful apologetics and to bear witness to the eternal truth of God’s Word.
Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of Truth
Postmodernism’s critique of truth, while offering valuable insights into the ways power can distort knowledge, ultimately leads to an intellectual and moral impasse. By rejecting the possibility of objective and universal truth, postmodernism leaves individuals and societies without a stable foundation upon which to build coherent moral or intellectual frameworks. Christian theology, in contrast, holds to the conviction that truth is not a socially constructed narrative but is grounded in the self-revelation of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ remains the definitive and eternal truth, offering hope and redemption in a world increasingly disillusioned with the ephemeral promises of relativism.
As the church seeks to minister in this postmodern age, it must hold fast to the proclamation of the gospel as “true truth,” to use the words of Francis Schaeffer.10 This is not merely an intellectual task but a spiritual one, as the church must trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the minds of those steeped in the darkness of relativism. The mission of the church is to bear witness to the truth with both humility and boldness, offering a compelling vision of reality that ultimately points to the redemptive work of God in Christ.
Footnotes
1. John Frame, The Doctrine of the Word of God (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2010), 32.
2. Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007), 89.
3. Richard Rorty, Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1979), 132.
4. Michel Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge and the Discourse on Language, trans. A.M. Sheridan Smith (New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1972), 45.
5. Jean-François Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, trans. Geoff Bennington and Brian Massumi (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1984), xxiv.
6. Jacques Derrida, Of Grammatology, trans. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997), 158.
7. Philip Rieff, The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith after Freud (New York, NY:
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