Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture)
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Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture)  -     By: James K.A. Smith

Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture)

Baker Books / 2006 / Paperback

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Product Description

The philosophies of French thinkers Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault form the basis for postmodern thought and are seemingly at odds with the Christian faith. However, James K. A. Smith claims that their ideas have been misinterpreted and actually have a deep affinity with central Christian claims.

Each chapter opens with an illustration from a recent movie and concludes with a case study considering recent developments in the church that have attempted to respond to the postmodern condition, such as the "emerging church" movement. These case studies provide a concrete picture of how postmodern ideas can influence the way Christians think and worship.

This significant book avoids philosophical jargon and offers fuller explanation where needed. It is the first book in the Church and Postmodern Culture series, which provides practical applications for Christians engaged in ministry in a postmodern world.

Product Information

Title: Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture)
By: James K.A. Smith
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 176
Vendor: Baker Books
Publication Date: 2006
Dimensions: 8.5 X 5.5 (inches)
Weight: 8 ounces
ISBN: 080102918X
ISBN-13: 9780801029189
Series: Church and Postmodern Culture
Stock No: WW29189

Publisher's Description

The philosophies of French thinkers Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault form the basis for postmodern thought and are seemingly at odds with the Christian faith. However, James K. A. Smith claims that their ideas have been misinterpreted and actually have a deep affinity with central Christian claims.

Each chapter opens with an illustration from a recent movie and concludes with a case study considering recent developments in the church that have attempted to respond to the postmodern condition, such as the "emerging church" movement. These case studies provide a concrete picture of how postmodern ideas can influence the way Christians think and worship.

This significant book, winner of a Christianity Today 2007 Book Award, avoids philosophical jargon and offers fuller explanation where needed. It is the first book in the Church and Postmodern Culture series, which provides practical applications for Christians engaged in ministry in a postmodern world.

Author Bio

James K. A. Smith (Ph.D., Villanova University) is the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology & Worldview at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition, he is editor of Comment magazine and a senior fellow of the Colossian Forum. He is the author of Introducing Radical Orthodoxy, coeditor of Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition, and editor of the Church and Postmodern Culture series (www.churchandpomo.org).

Library Journal

In the second century, the Christian writer Tertullian argued for the incompatibility of Athens (philosophy) and Jerusalem (Christianity). Smith (philosophy, Calvin Coll., Grand Rapids, MI; Introducing Radical Orthodoxy) is no Tertullian; in this first installment in "The Church and Postmodern Culture" series, he baptizes the thought of the three titular French philosophers "for use by the contemporary church in constructing its identity. He opens each chapter referencing a film, in one instance using One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to portray the ways in which one person can subvert an all-knowing, all-watching power, a subject about which Foucault writes. Smith believes that the church can use Derrida's notion that "there is nothing outside the text" to reinvest its focus on community, interpretation, and Scripture with new meaning. Similarly, he feels that contemporary Christianity can embrace Lyotard's emphasis on meta-narratives as an affirmation of the power of storytelling and adopt Foucault's ideas of discipline as a new way of understanding discipleship. While Smith's writing can be lively, his discussions often bog down in academic jargon. The book will find a home in seminary libraries, where these issues might be debated, but not in public libraries, where they are of little consequence. Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Lancaster, PA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publisher's Weekly

Christians who think that "Lyotard" is something worn by gymnasts ought to investigate this unusual book, which aims to make accessible the philosophical and religious contributions of three postmodern thinkers: Jacques Derrida, Jean-Fran ois Lyotard and Michel Foucault. Smith, a philosophy professor at Calvin College, does this cleverly by employing illustrations and examples from such films as The Matrix; Memento; One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; and, surprisingly but successfully, The Little Mermaid. Along the way, Smith also dissects the popular teachings of postmodern writers like Brian McLaren (reviewed and interviewed in this issue), Leonard Sweet and Robert Webber. At times, the language is decidedly academic ("heuristic," "metanarrative" and "epistemology" make routine appearances), and the book tends to assume a basic familiarity with philosophical debates. Still, it's one of the most accessible introductions to postmodern thought to date, and its concluding chapter-in which Smith brilliantly employs the movie Whale Rider to explore how Christianity might be simultaneously faithful to tradition and open to change-is alone worth the price of admission. Ironically but persuasively, Smith argues that postmodern Christianity's most powerful contribution could be a return to ancient, premodern church traditions and liturgy. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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