Date

1-13-2023

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Micheal Pardue

Keywords

gospel, postmodernism, secularism, Southern Baptist, social gospel, worldview

Disciplines

Leadership Studies | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

Absolute truth has been denied within the current philosophical ideals as post-modern thought has sought to alter that concept by denying its existence (Siniscalchi, 2011). Post-modern thinking and philosophy have entered and influenced how some churches and denominations are teaching biblical truths and principles (Enns, 2008). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore how Southern Baptist pastors perceive any post-modern influences in their churches and its effect on how the church presents and teaches biblical truth. This study looks at post-modern thinking, how it has infiltrated the church, and how it has influenced how the church presents biblical truths. This study will discover why so many churches have accepted this post-modern philosophy as seen in the presentation of a social gospel over the biblical Gospel while ignoring the sinful side of human nature (Enns, 2008). It looks briefly at the impact post-modern philosophy has on church attendance and retention and how it leads to the secularization of some churches (Enns, 2008; Erickson, 2013). The research conducted was through an e-mail survey sent to select participants. The participants’ answers to the questions were categorized according to their perception of the effects of postmodernism on the church. Survey results were utilized to determine the relevance of post-modern influence on Southern Baptist churches.

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