If authority is necessary to community and if it can function properly in community, then contra the postmodern critique, metanarratives are not essentially evil. Further, while postmodernism embraces local narratives as the antidote to oppression by metanarratives, it overlooks the oppressive potential of minority stories. The tribal conflicts in central Africa, Northern Ireland, and southern Europe indicate that minority voices can equally lead to violence. Postmodernism is also simplistic in failing to see its own interpretation of the world (that all metanarratives are evil tools of oppression that must be ddeconstructed) as an alternative metanarrative. Metanarratives are necessary and not necessarily evil; local narratives are hlepful but not necessarily good. . . . It is precisely the proper exercise of duly consituted authority, constrained by truth and love, not the rebellious rejection of all authority whatever, that safeguards against abusive authoritarianism.
- DK Clark, To Know and Love God: Method for Theology (Illinois: Crossway Books, 2003) 78-79.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
We like some metanarratives
In this quote, Clark succinctly exposes some contemporary flawed thinking. He does back up his first point with some earlier argument, but I can only quote so much. It's a good book.
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4 comments:
That is a book I really want to read. Do you think it's worth the money?
It's an excellent book which goes through various things in some depth . . . you may have already thought through this stuff though . . . I disagree/am unconvinced by it in places, but that's how it goes eh. So all in all I'd suggest buying it.
I just realised that in that comment I wrote three similar-looking words, all of which have "ou" in the middle - which is pronounced differently in each word!?! What a crazy language.
Thanks Fiona. I will definitely get it one day.
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