#55: Engaging Postmodernism On Your Campus (Or In Your Church)

In this edition we are discussing a very prevalent philosophy on university campuses today (as well as in many churches): Postmodernism. My guest is Dr. Scott Smith, Professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. Scott has written quite a few articles and well-received books on this topic and often speaks on postmodernism and its implications in churches, at conferences, and on podcasts like this one.

In this podcast we discuss:

• What postmodernism is, and how it developed out of modernity
• Why the theory of nominalism (the belief that there is no reality beyond the words we use for things) is the foundation of postmodernism
• Why Scott is so interested in this issue as a Christian
• Examples of where students will encounter postmodern thought
• Concerns about the rise in “expressive individualism”
• What we can learn from postmodern thought
• What we must reject in postmodern thought
• A practical suggestion for how to converse with someone who embraces postmodernism

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Scott Smith, Truth and the New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effects of Postmodernism in the Church
• Scott Smith, Authentically Emergent: In Search of a Truly Progressive Christianity
• Scott Smith, Exposing the Roots of Constructivism: Nominalism and the Ontology of Knowledge
• Carl R. Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution
• Carl R. Trueman, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution
• Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism
• Scott Smith’s Website:
  • The Dangers of Nominalism
  • Making Sense of Morality: Problems with Naturalism
  • Podcast discussing Scott’s book Exposing the Roots of Constructivism