I have been asked to write a back-cover endorsement for a collegue’s upcoming book. I’ve never done this before and I’m looking forward to the challenge of making a helpful contribution. Besides, if I can’t get one of my own books published I can help with someone else’s publication (no I’m not bitter).
In order to do justice to the assignment, I have decided as a prerequisite to read his first book before diving into the second. He sent me that book some months ago, but, you know how it is, I’m a busy guy and I have far more than enough to read these days. So, I never got aournd to reading it, but I’m now about 100 pages into the 300 page book (does anyone need an editor?).
This has been a fruitful read with lots of ideas sparked in my brain as I work my way through. One thing that has been put on the table concerns the shift from modernism to postmodernism, observing that the shift actually hasn’t happened yet but is in process. Also, that the shift from one to the other will be subtle and gradual. This calls to mind my perspective on church lifecycles ranging from Incline, to Recline, to Decline. The shifts are subtle and gradual, almost imperceptible.
I’m only a few days into thinking this through, but here is what I’ve come up with so far:
Phase 1: Modernism
Phase 2: Postmodern Modernism
Phase 3: Modern Postmodernism
Phase 4: Postmodernism
The author of my book assignment would say that we’re somewhere in the midst of Phase 2 and Phase 3 by my construction. I’m not sure where I’m headed with this, but give it some thought and I’ll do the same.
