A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview

The theme of this article has to do with the identification of distinctive features that need emphasis in a biblical worldview attuned to the postmodern world of the 21st century. The first of these features is the embrace of difference as non-oppositional, as challenge to meet, rather than a threat...

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Main Author: James H. Olthuis
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: Scriber Editorial Systems 2012-10-01
Series:Koers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Online Access:https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/28
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author James H. Olthuis
author_facet James H. Olthuis
author_sort James H. Olthuis
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description The theme of this article has to do with the identification of distinctive features that need emphasis in a biblical worldview attuned to the postmodern world of the 21st century. The first of these features is the embrace of difference as non-oppositional, as challenge to meet, rather than a threat to resist. The second is that with a postmodern understanding of the existence of limited rational knowledge (Reason and Science) and of the crucial role of faith, worldviews need to be seen, not in the first place as conceptual systems, but as faith-oriented, sensory expectancy filters, operating implicitly and largely beneath our conscious awareness. The third is the recognition that responsibility-to the other rather than freedom-from the other needs to be emphasised. Such responsibility involves recognising that voluntary suffering-with the other is crucial to a post-postmodern biblical worldview. Indeed, the final feature proposes that such a worldview needs to be rooted and grounded as a vision of and for Love. As God is Compassionate Love, and as God is with us (Emmanuel), so we, image-bearers of God, are to embody love and resist evil, living out our confession that we live by Grace and not by Blind Chance.
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spelling doaj.art-eb83696171b44213a34048ed82cd99652022-12-22T03:48:41ZafrScriber Editorial SystemsKoers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship0023-270X2304-85572012-10-0177110.4102/koers.v77i1.28A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldviewJames H. Olthuis0Philosophical Theology, Institute for Christian StudiesThe theme of this article has to do with the identification of distinctive features that need emphasis in a biblical worldview attuned to the postmodern world of the 21st century. The first of these features is the embrace of difference as non-oppositional, as challenge to meet, rather than a threat to resist. The second is that with a postmodern understanding of the existence of limited rational knowledge (Reason and Science) and of the crucial role of faith, worldviews need to be seen, not in the first place as conceptual systems, but as faith-oriented, sensory expectancy filters, operating implicitly and largely beneath our conscious awareness. The third is the recognition that responsibility-to the other rather than freedom-from the other needs to be emphasised. Such responsibility involves recognising that voluntary suffering-with the other is crucial to a post-postmodern biblical worldview. Indeed, the final feature proposes that such a worldview needs to be rooted and grounded as a vision of and for Love. As God is Compassionate Love, and as God is with us (Emmanuel), so we, image-bearers of God, are to embody love and resist evil, living out our confession that we live by Grace and not by Blind Chance.https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/28
spellingShingle James H. Olthuis
A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
Koers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
title A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
title_full A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
title_fullStr A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
title_full_unstemmed A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
title_short A vision of and for love: Towards a Christian post-postmodern worldview
title_sort vision of and for love towards a christian post postmodern worldview
url https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/28
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