Worshipping at the Altar of the Bitch Goddess of Relativism
I’ve come to appreciate Christianity Today over the last few years. While in college, when doctrine was merely an abstract idea waiting to be debated, I found CT quite lacking. But as I’ve grown in the Lord and matured as a person I’ve realized there are not only excellent theological articles in CT, but there are also other wonderful articles dealing with the practice of Christian virtues and social justice.
A recent CT did not disappoint. Inside were two excellent pieces on Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, and an article written by John Piper dealing with Christians and the guilt of sexual failings.
As is often the case, CT closes with a single page write-up by Charles Colson. Now, don’t get me wrong, Colson has a lot to say to the Christian world at large. There is much value in his contributions, so the following is not borne from a desire to silence his voice. In fact, much of what he wrote, I’m in agreement with. He mourned the loss of a communal memory in the church – I mourn with him.
My disagreement with Colson, though, lies in where he places the blame. Colson, having a history of confusing Postmodernity and Relativism anyway, asks whether or not the church is still able to disciple our followers. He then goes on to site an extreme example of a church fallen to Relativism. Colson faults Relativism, and implicitly Postmodernity for the church’s inability to make disciples.
But I think he’s off base in this. Discipleship problems we face today are the excrement of Modernity, not Postmodernity. If we cannot teach our disciples truth now, it’s not because of Relativism, it’s because we lost a love for real truth under hegemonic forces of Modernity. Under Modernity we shackled Truth by only allowing it to speak through empirically demonstrable facts – as if facts and truth were the same thing.
Now we have a generation running the church who does not understand the nature of revelation because revelation is not empirically demonstrable. It’s not that people can’t be discipled because of Relativism. Sure, there are Relativists out there, but most people don’t live life that way. We simply can’t disciple because we’re a lazy group of people who don’t want to think outside of the box given to us by our modernistic culture. We’ve lost the ability to preach and teach the truth, not because Postmodernity drops meaning out of the Truth, but because Modernity redefined Truth. And a redefined Christian truth, especially one that down plays the nature of revelation, is a meaningless Christian truth.
So lets stop blaming Postmodernity (and yes, I know it has its own problems) for our problems. Colson says we’re “worshipping at the altar of the bitch goddess of relativism.” 1
But Relativism is only the symptom. Our idolatry goes much deeper.
- For some reason I find it interesting that he pitted this hated philosophy/religion as a female. [↩]
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Comments
i agree with cheapham.
patriarchy is alive and well, fear not white males of America!
Man, I really hate the idea of patriarchy being “well.” Hah.
JR, how would you compare Colson’s use of the “bitch goddess” for relativism with Revelation’s use of the “whore” for Babylon/Rome? Do they both use feminine derogatory terms to debase a perceived enemy? Is it just happenstance that it was a feminine term in either case? If it’s just part of the broader marriage metaphor between God and His people, is that terminology itself potentially harmful?
These are some of the things I’ve been wrestling with in Revelation for a bit now. It’s use of female imagery potentially isn’t always flattering, and I wonder how/if I can justify that as opposed to things like what Colson said. I don’t really have any answers yet. Any thoughts?
Schuessler-Fiorenza has written a commentary on the Revelation you might want to check out.
Given that both the Bride and the Whore are women, I think this takes at least a good deal of the sting out of the language. Men and women are understood to be a part of the Bride (or the Whore), and what’s really happening in the Revelation (and, as you pointed out, much of the Israelite prophetic tradition) is that the biblical writers are using a patriarchal institution (ancient marriage) to discuss spiritual realities. so we could as what (less oppressive) metaphor we could use today.
and really, if we’re going to continue to use the marriage metaphor, we might want to do that anyway, since at least some of us practice a somewhat less patriarchal marriage than did the ancients.
what do you think?
How, do you biforcate postmodernity and relativism? It seems to me that the two relativism is nearly synonymous with postmodernity, in that postmodernity completely envelops it. I suppose there is more to postmodernity thatn a relativistic view of truth but I am just wondering about Tom’s distinction.
So the white males get picked at again eh? I stand by my earlier statement that white males are the only ethnic/sex group that can get ripped without the ripper being seen as an a-hole. By the way I am not saying this as a white male, I suppose I am half white though…oh well.
Bob…any hegemonic group that maintains power and authority by systematic suppression of (an)other group(s) DESERVES being “picked at.” I recommend reading the the Hebrew Prophets or the Gospels for biblical examples.
Oops, double post. JR, good comments. I never got to read ESF’s commentary, but I should definitely check it out. She’s giving a talk here about her new book next week. Its called “The Power of the Word: Scripture and the Rhetoric of the Empire.” I’m pretty excited.
If old metaphors no longer hold their sway, do we need new ones? Very interesting question…talking about construction rather than just deconstruction. I’ll have to meditate on this some more.
Bob, a white male with power just ripped half the human population and you’re more ticked because we criticize him? Doesn’t make sense. I’m going to be ticked if he was a female ripping on all men. Either way, it’s violent and unnecessary, but it’s especially the case when a member of the powerful community insults those of the powerless community. Stop reacting, and try to understand.
As far as the distinction btwn postmodernity and relativism goes…I don’t feel the need to explain it. There are plenty of sources out there - in fact, any credible source will highlight the distinction. To role them up in one ball is ignorant and based on stereotype.
Ham…
so you get to go to an ESF lecture on her new book b/c you’re at harvard?!
i hate you.
quit oppressing me.
i love you… take good notes for me.
“Bob…any hegemonic group that maintains power and authority by systematic suppression of (an)other group(s) DESERVES being “picked at.” I recommend reading the the Hebrew Prophets or the Gospels for biblical examples.”
Ok…that clears things up.
I don’t see anything unclear about that statement. Looks good to me…good job Ham.
Well, on one hand I can understand the frustration - I have never had a slave, I don’t hold down my wife, etc… but I am lumped into that group.
However, my “kind” (white prod males) wield a great amount of power. I have benefited greatly from that power, real and historical. So, I don’t mind the picking as much… often “we” need it. I like criticism - where it sticks, one should change.
Tom - I don’t know if you need to defend it - but it might be helpful in people understanding your positions if the two were distinguished. In most of the discourses I have come across the two are so intertwined that they seem inseparable.
There might be some over-thinking on the “bitch goddess” line. I don’t know why Colson threw the line in there, but he didn’t come up with it. I believe George Burns did. “Show business is a hideous bitch goddess.”
It’s just an expression the way I read it.
Dan - Colson’s theology is built on a long tradition of oppressing minority groups (it’s especially misogynist). As such, and perhaps especially because he is such a public figure, there’s no such thing as "just an expression" in his mouth.
Wow, that “bitch goddess” line is quite a doozy. It both perpetuates the conservative Christian caricature of Postmodernity and debases the female/feminine at the same time. Bravo.