To boldly go where no one has gone before...

Stanley Grenz begins the first chapter of his book, A Primer On Postmodernism, by quoting the opening lines of the TV Series, Star Trek. Those of us who grew up watching this sci-fi series remember well the opening line, “Space – the final frontier…” [cue theme music].  Hearing those words, I’m not sure there is a final frontier, be it space, or, where we go in search of truth. However, I do believe that Grenz does well in using the Star Trek theme as a lead into a basic discussion of postmodernism. “To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before” – that’s the call and quest of the postmodernist.

This blog concerns itself with the quest for a new way in living out the Christian

faith. In this paper, I'm exploring Brian McLaren’s discussion, in his book, A New Kind of Christianity, of what he perceives to be the present quest. Using the color scheme of the macrohistorians, he takes us through the spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet zones. McLaren refers to these color as quests: the red zone represents our quest for survival; the orange zone, a quest for security; the yellow zone, a quest for power; the green zone, a quest for independence; the blue zone, our quest for individuality; the indigo zone, our quest for honesty; and the violet zone, our quest for ubuntu.[1] This blog concerns itself with the violet zone and the quest for ubuntu.

            McLaren admits, “Not everyone wants to join the quest for a new Christianity.” But, he says, “…that’s okay. Skeptics’ resistance, suspicion, and opposition are actually a gift, and through their critique we on the quest will grow wiser and stronger” (p.13). Let me admit, that I bring some skepticism, resistance, and suspicion. However, I am not opposed to joining the quest for a new Christianity.

           On page 232, McLaren states that we now face the “seventh quest, the quest to heal what we have so disastrously broken, the quest to unify and liberate what we’ve tragically divided and conquered, the quest to rediscover a larger and more beautiful whole…” These are important words. Our human tendency is too often to divide into opposing groups and declare the opposition as heretical. Rather than seeking healing, unity, liberation and new discoveries, we instead, resort to attacks and ridicule.

            Brian McLaren perceives the postmodern to be presently in the indigo zone. At this place in the postmodern journey, it is honesty that is highly valued. Rick Diamond warns us that “…native Postmoderns have no sense that certain subjects…are inappropriate.” He says, “[Postmoderns] pride themselves on being honest and open; it’s a hallmark of their worldview” (p.4). The danger with being so enamored with honesty and openness is that our interactions with others can easily devolve into rudeness, obnoxiousness and condescension.  McLaren says, “We in the indigo zone feel comfortable casually critiquing, relativizing, and deconstructing the very systems, structures, doctrines, and institutions that red through blue cultures have worked, lived, fought, and died to build and defend” (p. 234). It would seem - for the postmodern - that the present frontier is the divide between honesty and ubuntu, and to go there is “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

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[1] Chapter 20, “How Can We transform Our Quest Into Action,” pp. 229ff.