Apologetics.com Radio Show

Interpreting Meaning - Deconstructing Postmodern Deconstructionism


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Postmodernism and Deconstructionism have been very influential in academic thought, namely the philosophy of hermeneutics. Consequently, Deconstructionist theories have contributed to historical interpretations, current anthropological concerns, and even theology. One Postmodernist philosopher, John Caputo (academic heir to Jacques Derrida), wants to Deconstruct and Reconstruct Christianity. Accordingly, whatever interpretation one has of the Bible is not any more meaningful than the original meaning. Deconstructionism doesn’t mean you can’t understand the original intent/meaning, rather the original intent/meaning is not more valid than the reader’s intent/meaning. For the Deconstructionist, we can’t know God’s intent, but only attempt to understand the human author’s meaning with which we can construct our own meaning. So Deconstructionism yields a plethora of valid alternatives to Reconstruct with. Is any one interpretation of a text (sacred and not) better than another? Are differing interpretations equally valid? Is there a “correct” interpretation? Join Jeremy, Bruce, Sam, and Harry as we clarify Deconstructionism, reveal appropriate criticisms, and show a few helpful features of this brand of Postmodernism that every Christian needs to know.
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Apologetics.com Radio ShowBy Harry Edwards, Jason Gallagher, Jonathan Noyes and Leslie Wickman

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