The Only Truth

By the Rev. Doug Douma

Originally published at https://www.douglasdouma.com/2021/01/01/the-only-truth/

One of Francis Schaeffer’s greatest contributions was to warn Christians about what we now call Postmodernism, that truth-denying relativistic philosophy which in the last fifty years has had considerable and increasing sway over society. Schaeffer did well to warn us of it.

For at least two hundred years the rationalistic philosophy of Modernism plagued the world and fought against Christianity before it began to fade in influence with the rise of Postmodernism. Now, the beginning of the end of Postmodernism has come after a far shorter reign and much more abruptly. Pastors who warn about Postmodernism are, in many ways, behind the times. In just a few short years Postmodernism has given way to Wokeism and its affiliates, Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality.

While Postmodernists saw truth as relative (and therefore non-existent), the new philosophy ranks a person’s truth claims relative to the amount of oppression they perceive to be upon the group or groups that the individual is a member of. Truth is not so much based on violence, but violence is justified through “truth.” Many of the same Postmodernists who told us for decades that there was no truth, are now the advocates of the new philosophy suddenly willing to fight for certain truths, all of which are lies: sodomy, bodily mutilation, and their own form of racism.

While Modernism, Postmodernism, and yes, even Wokeism, will come and go, Christianity is here to stay. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We should warn Christians against the new philosophy, and preach the comfort of the truth of Gospel of Christ to those ensnared by the world’s confusion.

Problems always start with epistemology. The solution does too. No human attempt, no human philosophy, as learned as they may be, will ever come to a knowledge of the truth. We are incredibly fortunate as Christian to know the only truth, Jesus Christ. The God of the Bible has revealed himself in His word so that truth can be known.

Doug Douma writes:

“I am married to my beautiful wife Priscilla and we have one awesome daughter Maple. I’m a Presbyterian minister and the founder of Sola – Appalachian Christian Retreat (www.discoversola.com), a ministry to hikers on the Appalachian Trail. I’m also the author of The Presbyterian Philosopher – The Authorized Biography of Gordon H. Clark (Wipf&Stock, 2017) and compiling editor of Clark and His Correspondents: Selected Letters of Gordon H. Clark (Trinity Foundation, 2017). I’m an alum of the University of Michigan, Wake Forest University, and Sangre de Cristo Seminary. I’m an avid hiker having completed a northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian trail in 2013 and the first 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016.”