A seismic shift has taken place on the college campus, one which our campus staff members have to face every day. And it is deeply affecting the rest of society.

This new way of thinking, called postmodernism, is reflected in questions like: "Do you mean to tell me that ALL of the Buddhists are wrong? That ALL of the Hindus are wrong? That ALL of the Muslims are wrong? How can Christians be so narrow and intolerant?"

According to Allan Bloom, author of The Closing Of The American Mind, almost every student entering the university claims to believe that truth is relative, especially as it relates to morals. This denial of objective, universal, absolute truth lies at the heart of postmodernism. "If this belief is put to the test," says Bloom, "students . . . will be uncomprehending. That anyone should regard the proposition as not self-evident astonishes them, as though we were calling in question 2+2=4."

Three postmodern precepts

First, according to postmodernism, culture shapes the person. In other words, social forces like language, values and relationships mold human thought. People do what they do because their culture made them who they are. The natural result? An attitude of "It's not my fault," and a tendency to do whatever one pleases.

Christians worry that this results in the breakdown of society, but the greatest problem, according to the postmodernist, is oppression. Because culture shapes the person, the dominant group or way of thinking-such as the Judeo-Christian heritage-tends to force those who differ to the margins of society. Postmodernists seek to equalize these relationships, giving "marginalized" groups the power to overcome oppression and live as they choose.

The desire to give everyone a voice has led to political correctness and tolerance. It's OK to criticize the dominant group, such as Christianity, because this is part of the process of taking them out of power, but to criticize the "oppressed" group is bad, for it reinforces the problem.

Thus Christianity is viewed as particularly threatening, for it asserts that some beliefs are true and others false, thus repressing those who don't agree.

The university attempts to neutralize this influence through a commitment to secularism. The aim is to ensure that public life on campus will be conducted without reference to religion. Religion must be kept a private matter while doctrines of tolerance, diversity and political correctness advance every imaginable view and lifestyle. The college campus is not always "user-friendly" for the Christian.

The second postmodern theme involves the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge about the world is not discovered, but "constructed." Our perception of reality is colored by our culture. Trapped in our own subjectivity, we cannot perceive the external world as it really is. Since we've been culturally programmed, we never "discover" anything, rather we construct knowledge--essentially making it up as we go.

To know anything objectively would require people to transcend their cultural programming and that, according to postmodernists, is impossible. Actually, there's a sliver of truth in this. Unfortunately, postmodernists make it an absolute. Rather than viewing the Bible as the only way to see life objectively, apart from cultural programming, they view the Bible as just another social construct, reflecting the "absolutist religious views" of people living 2,000 years ago. Those who believe in it are often labeled intolerant and close-minded.

The third postmodern theme flows logically from the first two. Truth is relative, and each group or individual decides for themselves what is true. What is true or right for one person or group isn't necessarily true or right for another. Something is not believed because it is true, they say, rather it is true because it is believed. For example, there is nothing "right" about monogamous heterosexual marriage apart from cultural conventions and traditions. And there is nothing "wrong" with homosexuality other than cultural prejudice. There exists no objective criteria or authority for moral judgment.

Postmodernism running rampant

Postmodernism runs rampant on the college campus and, increasingly, in our society as a whole. "No world view suffers more from the loss of truth than the Christian one," says author and lecturer Ravi Zacharias. Why? Because Christianity is built on truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6). This runs smack into the face of relativistic, postmodern thinking. Jesus, as the Son of God, spoke with authority, and He spoke truthfully about morals, meaning, our origin and destiny. This truth is not only applicable in the time of Jesus, but transcends all civilizations and cultures.

Today, however, postmodernists are "re-imagining" Jesus Christ and "deconstructing" the Bible to conform to postmodern beliefs. The very foundation of our faith is at stake. Closely held convictions are challenged as nothing more than cultural conventions. The basis upon which many students have built their lives is undermined, and few are prepared to face this wholesale attack on truth.

Martin Luther said, "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God, except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ." In view of our times, how should we profess Jesus Christ?

How to Respond

First, we must remember that the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ validates His claim to be the Son of God, the one who was "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The Son of God has spoken the truth (John 8:31,32) and we have the truth in the form of the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).

If we are to live victoriously in our time, and if we are going to touch the heart of the postmodernist, we must sensitively and boldly proclaim the truth.

A tremendous void lies in the heart of the postmodernist. They have no answers for morals, no basis for meaning in life. The evidence is all around us, from the schoolhouse to the White House. But we have the solution. The relevance and truth of the Christian message meets the deepest human needs.

Second, we must experience and live out a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Culture can and does exercise a tremendous influence on our lives, but the Scriptures hold out hope that we can be transformed (Romans 12:2). The postmodern belief that culture is absolute, and shapes us such that we have no real freedom, is a destructive lie.

Jesus confronted His culture. So did the apostle Paul, after breaking from his Hebrew heritage. And a similar break happens every time someone decides to follow Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come."

Third, we must remember that God created rationality and reason. The fathers of modern science (Bacon, Galileo, Kepler, Copernicus) held to a Christian world view. They believed in a reasonable God who created a reasonable universe. Therefore man, by virtue of his God-given reasoning powers, could discover the form of the universe. We have the capacity to discover at least some truth about some things.

This is the most rational and reasonable position, verified many times over. Postmodernists insist that truth is relative. But if truth cannot be known, then postmodernists cannot claim their own position to be true without contradicting themselves. We must lovingly and patiently bring confused people to the logical conclusions of their bankrupt world view.

Postmodern thinking has one final problem: In claiming that each person's reality is different, it destroys the basis for intimacy and meaningful relationships. For many, life is a lonely place, with no sense of certainty that what they are experiencing is real.

In short, postmodernists may appear closed to the gospel, even hostile, yet in reality they have deep needs that only Christ can meet. When believers live out a vibrant faith, clearly communicate the truth and gather in a loving and caring community, postmodern people respond.

A 22-year veteran of campus ministry, Bob Francis has extensive experience in communicating the gospel to postmodern students. He and his wife Barbara, and their two children live in Minneapolis, where Bob helps direct campus ministries in the Upper Midwest.