What does God look like in the new postmodern paradigm? Two terms seem to govern any discussion of the postmodern God, as well as postmodern religion: tolerance and inclusion. Intolerance has been labeled the cardinal sin by our culture. Each person's view of God must allow for every other person's understanding of the God-concept. Every view is tolerated, every deity included in the new pantheon. Because of the deconstruction of language, which allows us redefine words in terms of our own belief system, the Biblical text can now support a feminist agenda, or address racial tension, or serve as the foundation for liberation theology. The Biblical text is re-canonized to support whatever one chooses to believe.
Postmodern religion resembles a montage more than anything else. Again, we are to tolerate and include the claims or worldviews of every tribe, group, or sect. In his newest work, George Barna discusses the truth claims of what he calls the "Seven Faith Tribes" that reside within the USA. These include,
* Casual Christians
* Captive Christians
* American Jews
* Mormons
* Pantheists
* Muslims
* Spiritual Skeptics
Postmodernism teaches that each group has the right to assert its truth claims, as long as they tolerate all the others. Which, of course, is why the exclusive claims of Christianity as so repulsive. How should Captive Christians respond to the tolerance and inclusion demanded by our postmodern culture?
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