Much hand wringing and pessimism — maybe fatigue? — is evident as we seek to engage our congregations in vital, faithful, effective Adult Christian Education. Also evident are the attempts to understand how and why things are different. Contributions from those versed in demographics and sociological realities have been useful. People who study leadership and systems theories have provided keen insights into our current situation and challenges. Generational theory has been a powerful lens through which to evaluate our context and relationships. Examining postmodernity and its effects on educational ministry can be helpful as well.
Postmodernism is not easy to define. Postmodernism refers to ways of understanding a change in the way we think, the way we process information, and the way we experience the world in which we live and relate. To begin to understand postmodernism perhaps it is best to begin with a few reflections on what modern might mean.
The modern period of history is often described as the time from the Enlightenment until the early/mid-twentieth century. We are able to look back and describe what the modern period was like concerning the ways we understood our world, processed information, and related to others. Some characteristics that appear common for describing the period include: rationality, progress, scientific method, individual autonomy, order, clear boundaries, systems, Meta narratives, and the power of words/print.
We are products of the modern period. We were educated in systems that assumed the importance and pre-eminence of scientific method. We relied heavily on words and print medium — and placed a high amount of value and trust in what is printed. Rational thinking and being a rational person were highly valued. We are products of a period that also placed high value on individual autonomy. Additionally, we were shaped under the banner of Meta narratives that gave our life some sense of inherent meaning. The narratives also created clear expectations and boundaries that governed our interactions with one another and the world.
To consider what it means to live in a postmodern period first means we realize that we do not simply shed the vestiges of the modern period. Many of the characteristics of the modern period are still very much in evidence. They continue to shape us to some degree. We continue to value some of the characteristics that define the period. At the same time, we also realize that the effects of modernity have some limitations.
Take individual autonomy. Too much individual autonomy can lead to isolation from others, a lack of collaboration, and a resistance to deep, intimate, long-term relationships.
Take rationality and the scientific method. Both are important ways of relating to and understanding the world. They have been responsible for amazing advances in a variety of fields as well as in our ways of thinking. At the same time, over-reliance on rationality and scientific method can lead to an existence that leaves little or no room for paradox or mystery. Life can become flat and calculated.
How about Meta-narratives? Living under an overarching Meta-narrative gives life meaning and coherence. When one views the world exclusively through the lens and experience of one Meta-narrative, however, relationships with those who are live under another Meta-narrative (or narratives) are often misunderstood, devalued, or ignored.
You can begin to see the limitations of the modern world even as they can describe much of our own experience. Postmodernism does not deny the on-going and inherited characteristics of this period. Postmodernism does, however, present us with other characteristics that may describe the new period in which we live.
If modernism values rationality and scientific method, postmodernism seems more open to mystery and paradox. In fact, much that is labeled rational is deemed illusion. If modernity functions within Meta narratives, systems, and clear boundaries, postmodernism is suspicious of Meta narratives, distrustful of systems, and blurry with boundaries. Individual autonomy hasn’t disappeared; rather there is the renewed sense of being part of a larger whole that is diverse and interconnected.
Terms that have become common in postmodern writing and understanding include: clutter, chaos, pluralism, deconstruction, and decentering. They begin to describe how the world is viewed, how we think and understand, and how we relate to others.
Relating with one another and our world is a major theme that needs exploration. Postmoderns hunger for deep relationships. This relates to postmoderns and the Christian faith in this way: Perhaps the issue is not so much understanding Christianity as it is having a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian tradition in ways that can transform our lives and give them meaning.
Because people experience postmodern life as a series of choices, we must be careful not to treat our ministries with a “one size fits all” mentality. Adult Education in these years must be adaptable and fluid. Classes, small groups, home studies, coffee house conversations, retreats, and peer/mentoring relationships all need to become venues for Adult Education. Opportunities for engagement in these venues need to be available at a variety of times and for a variety of durations. Engagement levels need to range from introductory and basic to advanced. Adult Education must move from program to ministry.
Planning for Adult Christian Education needs to take seriously the people with whom we minister. Clergy, lay leaders, and church members need to get to know one another in more than polite or superficial ways. The value of deepening relationships and strengthening community cannot be overlooked. Adult Education must foster relationships and community.
While the modern period may have measured educational program success by bigger is better, the postmodern experience will be deemed more successful if relationships are nurtured. As mentioned above, small groups, home studies, coffee house conversations, etc. often provide settings that more naturally nurture relationships.
It is also clear that one-on-one relationships, while more time intensive, may also be a significant and crucial part of our educational ministry. Individual members and staff need to be willing to take the time to engage in mentoring relationships with other Christians — particularly those new to the faith.
Adult Education needs to include several components in order to be relevant for postmodernity.
One component is Fostering Christian Identity. The formation of Christian identity occurs in the living out of our faith in the context of a Christian community. Adult Education is dependent upon the larger life and ministry of the church. Worship, mission, study, prayer, fellowship, and pastoral care are all part of forming Christian identity. Adult Education treated as a program somehow separate from the full life of the community of faith cannot form a vibrant, holistic Christian identity.
Spiritual Formation is another essential component. Particularly transforming and powerful are the historic spiritual practices of the church. Contemplative prayer, lectio divina, daily offices, journaling, fasting, acts of compassion, and others from throughout the ages can be powerful experiences. In addition to the practices, spiritual formation is enhanced by engaging, and being engaged by, the wisdom of our mothers and fathers in faith as they continue to journey with us.
Study of the Bible remains an essential component of Adult Education. The challenge we face is to be increasingly engaging and appropriate in our study of Scripture. In addition to learning the content of the Bible, we must be more intentional about teaching skills for interpreting the Bible. Historical-Critical, Literary, and Reader-Response methods for interpreting Scripture should be utilized. Denominational understandings of interpretation should be woven into the experience of Bible study. Application of the Bible to daily life must be practiced. Bible study should be engaging, challenging, and transformative.
A final component that is crucial is Critical Theological Reflection. Every adult needs to become a theologian. Living out a life of faith in our day demands that from us. We need to be able to be in dialogue with Christian tradition, personal experience and our culture on a daily basis. When our nation goes to war, when a denomination studies human sexuality, when our local school board reviews science curriculum, and when our congregation plans an after-school program with at-risk children, we need to make informed, thoughtful, faithful responses.
The times have changed. One size won’t fit all. Adult Education must move creatively and passionately into the present and future reality. Pastors, educators, and lay leaders must work together in new and important ways in order to be relevant and meaningful in the lives of those God has placed, and will place, in our midst.
We live in postmodern times. They are exciting times, full of opportunity.
Michael Waschevski is an associate pastor of First Church in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to his ministry in Fort Worth, he serves as a frequent teacher and workshop leader for the larger church. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member of both Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Brite Divinity School.
