Skip to content

Sivin Kit's Garden

Planting Seeds for a Better World

Menu
  • About
  • Church
  • Disclaimer
  • Education
  • Writing
Menu

The Twentieth Century: A Theological Overview

Posted on 11 October, 200711 October, 2007 by Sivin Kit

The 20th Century

I find many gems at the Daughters of St. Paul Catholic bookstore along Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. At the price of RM32.50 it was hard to resist this purchase last month 🙂

I confess I have not read the whole book. I managed to scan through it here and there but I paused at the chapter 18 on “The Postmodern Debate”. First, the fact that this 1999 published book had this chapter shows how so many tiring debates on all things postmodern today is pretty dated (or the Catholics were far ahead of us Protestants in these matters). Anyway, I was a little surprised by a number of insights which warranted the use of my marker.

to start the call rolling …

“The “postmodern debate'”means that many of the ideals of modernity have become “debatable,”that is, questionable, open to debate.”(p. 228)

Interesting that the above statement is what I still think about the debate from day one I got to know the word, “postmodern”. Of course, for those who see this as a mere label either for coolness or critique often have more closed ideas of what the process of debate involves. Sadly, the closing of ones mind speeds up when one takes that kind of posture. For m, the word “postmodern” opened up conversation. How did it land up being a conversation stopper? By the way, I’m referring to both those who are either pro or anti –> postmodern. Thus, while the word might still have some value for discussion, I’m well aware of it’s limits and at times irrelevance or even distracting.

And now to one insight which has haunted me for a couple of weeks.

“In discussing postmodern critiques of modern emphases we should keep in mind Gregory Baum’s cautions about “innocent critique.” Instructed by the important themes of critical theory, developed by the Frankfurt School, Baum insists that innocent critique of culture and society must stop. A critique is innocent when it does not critically explore the range of its own implications and possible consequences. Postmodern critiques of modernity are innocent when they jettison modern concerns without remainder — without caring to salvage the grains of truth and value in those concerns.” (p. 229)

Perhaps why the idea of “innocent critique” grabbed my attention is because I seem to have seen and experienced this on turbo the past 7 years in my interaction with myself and those who perhaps deep down want to move on but still get sucked into a whirlpool of paralysis of analysis. One might feel REALLY stuck and sick of life because he or she cannot move on to what the critique of the past is supposed to have liberated us from in order to be free. In short, we still remain in prison. Ouch … not so romantic after all.

The mark of of maturity is to keep a keen eye back on ourselves on whether we have fallen into the trap of “innocent critique”, and lost the energy to actually re-look at the past which actually did bring us to where are now for better or for worse and re-chart a new course forward rather than go in circles. To do that, ironically after even the most severe damning of all that’s wrong with the past, one actually needs to pause and dig for some “grains of truth and value” in what we are reacting against.

The chapters opening discussion on “Self” was spot on …

“Theological anthropology must reject this extremely “innocent critique” in fidelity to the biblical notion of self as person, as the responsible self in relation to others.” (p. 229)

It’s probably a short sentence … but to those who are on a long-suffering journey where they might feel the lost of “self”. A pause is needed in how we view our “self” again. I think what comes up in this paragraph is a good demonstration of the best which can emerge from engagement in conversations like the “postmodern debate”.

“In a postmodern approach that refuses simply to jettison human subjectivity, the modern question, What is the self? yields to the question, Who is the self? The “what” question is the metaphysical search for the unchanging, essential core of the human being. The “who” question invites a story for an answer, a temporal narrative filled with ever-changing situations . It is a social process that is responsible for the appearance of the self as a kind of “multiple personality.” In this process the “who” emerges in its different selves” of our different involvements in language and life against the background of multiple social memories, various customs, habits, and institutional practices revolving around a “responding center,” a personal sphere of interest and concern whence things are said and done. The “who” in a shifting center of initiative and response in the ongoing human “conversation”.”(p. 230)

There’s more but I think I should keep this post short. This little distinction between the “what” and the “who” is so helpful. After listening to many complaints about everything ranging from work/life balance to the busyness trying to get our careers going, from family adjustments to parenting woes, from personal growth to public responsibilities … from quiet reflective moments to sophisticated philosophical musings … the list goes on. We might in all honesty lost asking the “who” question and again and again return to the dis-empowering “what” question.

We need to STOP…. and Stop again and again … it’s plain hard work to keep the “who” question at the forefront .. because I humbly submit when we’re spinning round and round getting nowhere, perhaps no matter what language we use to try to explain ourselves and process our thoughts we’re still in the “what” sphere of reasoning … The “who” question is more life giving to me … and I believe to many who are willing to STOP and keep the big picture before us. I’m glad one chapter from this book helped remind me of that.

For better reviews of the book,

try Clark Pinnock’s review

“…the collection documents in a persuasive manner that theologians have in fact reacted creatively to the challenges of the twentieth century. They have produced insights and have developed perspectives that will (we may be sure) continue to enlighten the churches in the coming years. Despite certain episodes of betrayal, the story of twentieth theology is one of fidelity and of anguish – fidelity to God’s revealed word under changing historical conditions and anguish over the unanswered questions and the weakness of our Christian witness in a sinful world.

A helpful feature of the book is Baum’s own reflections at the end and near (I suppose) the end of his own life. This is a man who has always kept attuned to the development of ideas and the contextual nature of our work. Thus his musings on the witness of this very volume only adds to its conviction and force as he supplies missing connections and profound interpretations to it. One can only appreciate his honesty too about what he himself has learned and how he has learned it. Of great interest to me are Baum’s own latter day thoughts about the value of Marxism for theology. Before the fall of Communism, Baum saw promise in the political left. Now we hear a more chastened witness, but one which still interacts fruitfully with what Marx did contribute, not so much in the field of economics (where he got almost everything wrong), but in the area of a hermeneutics of suspicion and moral outrage.”

or David Gushee’s review.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Sivin Kit’s Adventures …
  • Moved to Medium
  • The End | The Beginning
  • I Will be Back …
  • It’s Been a While …

Recent Comments

  • Sivin Kit on Project 365: A photo a day for 2010 – Pilot
  • Malaysia: Government Vows to Review Web Censorship Law After Protest · Global Voices on STOP 114A: INTERNET BLACKOUT DAY
  • List of Participants in Internet Blackout Day! « #Stop114A on STOP 114A: INTERNET BLACKOUT DAY
  • Join Us and Support Internet Blackout Day « #Stop114A on STOP 114A: INTERNET BLACKOUT DAY
  • JB on Imagining My PhD Journey

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

CALENDAR

October 2007
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Sep   Nov »
  • Academics
  • Bangsar Lutheran Church
  • Beyond
  • Bible
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • Christian Year – Lent
  • Church
  • Conversations
  • Emergent/Emerging Churches
  • Events
  • Family
  • Five Sentences
  • Friends in Conversation
  • Fun stuff
  • Gracious Christianity
  • Ideas
  • Images
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Lists
  • Lutheran
  • Lutheran Church in Malaysia & Singapore
  • Malaysia
  • Meditation
  • Micah Mandate
  • Mission
  • Movies
  • Music
  • New Stuff
  • Norway
  • Norwegian Notes
  • Personal
  • Philosophy
  • Podcast
  • Preaching
  • Prezi
  • Project 365
  • Random Links
  • Random Thoughts
  • Random Tweets
  • Random Utterances
  • Religion
  • Resources
  • RoH Malaysia
  • Second Thoughts
  • Seven Series
  • Simple Steps
  • Spirituality
  • Technology
  • Theology
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • World
  • Worship
  • Writing

Archives

  • November 2023
  • November 2020
  • November 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • April 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004
  • August 2004
  • July 2004
  • June 2004
  • May 2004
  • April 2004
  • March 2004
  • February 2004
  • January 2004
  • December 2003
  • November 2003
  • October 2003
  • September 2003
  • August 2003
  • July 2003
  • June 2003
  • May 2003
  • April 2003
  • February 2003
  • August 2002

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Pages

  • About
  • Church
  • Disclaimer
  • Education
  • Writing

Social Media

© 2025 Sivin Kit's Garden | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme