Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?

I recently enjoyed James K.A. Smith's latest release from Baker Academic entitled Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? This is another one that goes under the "should-have-been-studying-for-finals-but-was-reading-my-own-stuff-instead" file (which, incidentally, always turnout to be the best ones). Smith's book serves as a primer on the thought of the major continental philosophers whose work laid the foundation of postmodern thought. While the theories of such French philosophers as Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault are generally considered to be antithetical to historic Christianity, Smith contends that this view is due in part to a shallow reading and "bumpersticker" understanding of some of the key phrases that these thinkers employ. He thinks a deeper understanding of postmodern thought can not only show that the thought of these men in not in conflict with Christianity, but that, in fact, postmodern theory can go along way in informing the Church on how to develop an "ancient-future faith."

While I'm wary of much of the current literature that seems want an uncritical acceptance of all things postmodern for the sake of being "relevant," I found Smith's discussion of the subject to be very thoughtful and well reasoned. Smith's expertise is in the area of Continental philosophy, which allows him to discuss the themes of postmodernism is far more thorough manner than most. His task is not to in some way to make the Church more postmodern but rather to find the ways in which postmodernism can help the Church be the fulfill her task. As Smith states it:

On the level of practice, a more persistent postmodernism will engender not quite a postmodern church but rather a postmodern catalyst for the church to be the church.

This does not happen simply through a postmodern makeover which appeals to the sensibilities of a particular generation. Rather, postmodernism, according to Smith, reaffirms and restates some of the things that Christianity (and especially Reformed Christianity of a presuppositional persuasion) has always said. For instance, the emphasis postmodernity places on context and its role in creating meaning can find a parallel in presuppositional apologetics, which takes very seriously the role of presuppositions brought into any discussion of Christianity. While Smith shows great skill in drawing these sort of parallels, he is far from uncritical of postmodern thought in general. His ability to discern the good and the bad in postmodernism separates him form the pack on this subject.