Did God Want a Metanarrative?
September 5, 2003
Metanarrative :: “Any founding or overarching story that gives rationale and legitimation for a particular worldview, perspective, or value system…The postmodern critique of metanarratives is but an echo of the biblical warning against idolatry and, by implication, the totalizing of any theory or narrative other than God’s story…” (A Is For Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church. Sweet, Leonard and Brian McLaren and Jerry Haselmayer. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003)
So, where does that leave us? It seems that even by saying “warning against the totalizing of any…narrative other than God’s story” we are still saying that God’s Story is THE Story. And on that point, I would have to agree. I see inherent value and truth in PoMo (let me just say that I know PoMo is the trendy way of writing postmodernism, but I simply do it because it’s shorter…well, and it’s trendier) for followers of Christ, especially those who have been disenchanted with organized religion, traditional church and Modern Christianity as a whole.
But I have a hard time figuring out this “metanarrative” thing. After I returned from the Emergent Convention where I had talked to Brian McLaren a few times (he wrote A New Kind of Christian, The Story We Find Ourselves In, More Ready Than You Realize and others), I emailed Brian and others and asked them about this question. This was Brian’s response:
Adam — Thanks for your note, brother. I have a chapter in a book coming out this September (I think) called “Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives” or something like that which addresses this question. Short summary — metanarrative is a term that describes a big story that distorts, wipes out, replaces, coopts, or otherwise destroys all other stories. I don’t think our story does that. I think it redeems all other stories … Plus, if you say “our” story is THE story, one might ask which version of it do you mean - health&wealth, Calvinist, Arminian, young earth, old earth, religious right, religious left, etc., etc.? That’s why I don’t like to use the word metanarrative for the gospel. HTH — Brian
Yet, it still seems like we’re playing language games. Brian’s last sentence: That’s why I don’t like to use the word metanarrative for the gospel. But…just because you are changing the wording of what you are calling it — you are viewing it as a metanarrative.
I guess I don’t really have any answers…I think we begin to get on some shaky ground when we say that God’s Story is as equally true as any other story. I’ve heard some people differentiate between a story being “true” and a story being “valid.” I think I can see the difference, but I’m not sure that answers this question. I do believe that God’s Story, the Story we see from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, is the Ultimate Story. So I guess I still am holding on to a metanarrative.
And I guess that makes me a PoMo runt (see Matthew 16.8 in The Message). Any thoughts? I’m open.
Tags: Metanarratives, Philosophy, Postmodern
Posted in Theology
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
September 6th, 2003 at 2:56 pm
Adam,
I appreciate your comments re: meta-narratives.
I think we are on modern grounds when we are so sure of our own story that we are not willing to see its arbitrariness.
In the Bible for instance, according to Walter B and others, there are competing meta-narratives. One need only read the first chapters of the first book of the bible to see what I am getting at.
I liked Brian’s comments—what are you talking about when you speak of God’s story? When I hear people say God’s story or biblical—I hear “my story,” “my view.”
I also think the definition put forward re: meta-narratives is, well, just that, a definition. It’s a weird play in that quote—I don’t think the Christian story overtakes others—just redeems them? That is in keeping with what he writes in New Kind of Christian—he is simply condescending. No other story is right until Christianity gets in on it. That’s, well, simply modern—in my view.
I for one simply acknowledge that my story is connected with “the Christian story” and so I will deal with that story, while at the same time not viewing other stories as not not valid and true.
I suppose I am asking: What causes such a firm commitment to one story for you? Can you make a case as to why you believe the stor(ies) found in the Bible are in fact THE STORY? Where do you see a claim in the Bible saying this is the only true story?
Is it not that your personal experience confirms your convictions? What makes others “wrong”? And is not the right/wrong dualism a modern deal?
And what about simply inviting others to take a look at “the Christian story” without all the stuff about it being THE Story?
Just some initial thoughts. You are very thought provoking.
September 6th, 2003 at 7:29 pm
I began reading McLaren on 1999 with Reinventing Your Church later call The Church in the Postmodern Matrix, later with Finding Faith which to me is a classic of simple “postmodern” apologetic. Later His NKOC and TSWFOI
were a good companion in the journey -even though The Story We Find Ourselves In was a little drag, not so awakening as I expected. Also enjoyed More Ready Than You Realize.
Grenz is a favorite, Beyond Foundationalism is one you may find an interesting read before you write your book. It proposes a new hermeutic - pomo - if you like - decentralize, non-linear and web like. But still authoritative. This is not bubble-gum book. It is deep and hard to read at times, but definetly worth it. This is my second time over it.
My wife and I enjoy Lammot since her time at Salon. We have most of her novels also.
I serve as a missionary in Puerto Rico, I do some local (sometimes abroad too) consulting on creative ministries ( yes… postmodernism is big
part of it) Even when I am not running around calling everything postmodern, there is a lot of hypermodernity, antimidernity and just simply cool -jeans & latte - going around as postmodern or emergent (which is the new world - see it used to be contemporary-mid 80’s-
Gen X -early to mid 90’s- then postmodern -mid 90’s up to 2 years ago- now is emerging. Too many names. Too many gurus. Too many goatees and blogs. That is one of the reasons my blog is not a “God-blog” ok… enough rambling. Blessings.