Postmodernism: Truth, Meaning, and the World Around Us.

Postmodernism: Truth, Meaning, and the World Around Us. (S2E5)

What happens when a culture stops believing that truth is something we discover and begins believing that truth is something we create?

In this episode, we continue our conversation about the ideas that have shaped the modern and postmodern world. We explore postmodernism as a reaction to modernism, tracing the movement from the Romantic emphasis on the heart, personal experience, and individual freedom to the more radical postmodern rejection of objective truth, universal meaning, and absolute morality.

From Ralph Waldo Emerson and the idea of “following your heart,” to popular stories like Pinocchio, Titanic, and Disney’s celebration of personal dreams, we examine how these ideas have become deeply embedded in our culture.

We then take a closer look at more extreme postmodern thinking—including Nietzsche’s idea that we must make meaning—and the cultural fascination with the “transgressor as hero.” Characters like Jack Sparrow, Bart Simpson, and Wednesday Addams illustrate an interesting tension: even stories that celebrate rebellion still depend on moral standards such as loyalty, friendship, courage, and justice to tell us who the “good guys” are.

Ultimately, the question isn't simply whether we live in a modern or postmodern world.

How should Christians think about truth, meaning, morality, and identity in light of Scripture?

Our goal isn't to retreat from the world around us, but to learn to recognize the ideas shaping our culture and evaluate them through a biblical worldview.

In This Episode:

What is postmodernism?

How postmodernism developed as a reaction to modernism

Romanticism and the emphasis on emotion and personal experience