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Summary: Helpfully traces the development of postmodern thought
Review: A Primer on Postmodernism is a helpful introduction to postmo culture and some of its leading thinkers (Rorty, Derrida and Foucault). In addition, Grenz traces the development of the seeds of postmodernism from the Renaissance to its full modern flower. The author - writing for a Christian audience - neither embraces postmodernism wholesale nor shys away from incorporating any of its helpful insights into a Christian paradigm. Grenz writes so that the Christian can more thoughtfully and intelligently engage postmoderns. Worth reading.
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Summary: A must read for interpreting our culture and theology
Review: Dr. Grenz always seems to write in an enjoyable, clear fashion. He has done this again in "A Primer On Postmodernism". This book discusses the worldview that our society is has left (modernism) and then relates this to our present worldview (post-modernism). Dr. Grenz helps the reader to see how Christian thought can not only survey within this post-modern world, but actually thrive. By beinging to understand what post-modernism is we can relate the truth of the gospel to it, we merely need to consider what parts of the gospel best relate to post-modern thought and then points our good news out to the post-modern world. Dr. Grenz helps to make this possible but explaining why we should not fear post-modern thought and displaying how we can use it in benefical manners.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for interpreting our culture and theology
Review: Dr. Grenz always seems to write in an enjoyable, clear fashion. He has done this again in "A Primer On Postmodernism". This book discusses the worldview that our society is has left (modernism) and then relates this to our present worldview (post-modernism). Dr. Grenz helps the reader to see how Christian thought can not only survey within this post-modern world, but actually thrive. By beinging to understand what post-modernism is we can relate the truth of the gospel to it, we merely need to consider what parts of the gospel best relate to post-modern thought and then points our good news out to the post-modern world. Dr. Grenz helps to make this possible but explaining why we should not fear post-modern thought and displaying how we can use it in benefical manners.
Rating: 
Summary: Grappling for a Christian niche in philosophy
Review: Grenz initially usurps postmodernity as a tool to echo the death of modernism. It seems his primary purpose in this task is the conflict between modern thought and Christianity's feasibility. Once he feels he's accomplished this he goes back and asks us to, in certain instances, ignore the triumph of the postmodern over the modern he's just outlined that we may embrace those few elements of modernity that may prove useful in allowing his yearning for Christian legitimacy to continue with the least amount of resistance. Then he audaciously asks us to simultaneously ignore the nuances of postmodern thought that don't fit particularly well with Christianity.
If you are used to picking favorable parts out of texts to support your position and blatantly ignoring all points to the contrary, this book may be for you. It appears that Grenz is adeptly applying the traditional Christian technique of selectively quoting Bible passages out of context without regard for the overall message to his analysis of the modern and postmodern.
Fortunately, we don't need to perform any act of deconstruction on this text as the deconstruction is always already inherent in the text.
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Summary: But what if you're not Religious
Review: I liked his take on our age, but for my taste, it was written from too much of a religious orientation. I found Postmodernism for Beginners more entertaining, with insightful reviews of major postmodern thinkers and tinkerers and tricksters.
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Summary: This is what got me started!
Review: I think Grenz did a wonderful job in presenting postmodernism. Not only does he deal with the philosophical aspect, but also the broad cultural parts of postmodernism. This is the book that got me started on philosophy. I still agree with nearly everything in the book, and find it refreshing that an orthodox prostestant Christian can appreciate the good parts of postmodernism, while, at the same time, weeding out the improper parts. However, there was one "problem." Grenz seems to be a premillenialist. That seems to affect, most of all, his conclusion, which, I think, was not as good as the rest of the book. When one is a premillenialist, I don't think that his philosophy so naturally tries to "spoil the Egyptians."
Rating:
Summary: This is what got me started!
Review: I think Grenz did a wonderful job in presenting postmodernism. Not only does he deal with the philosophical aspect, but also the broad cultural parts of postmodernism. This is the book that got me started on philosophy. I still agree with nearly everything in the book, and find it refreshing that an orthodox prostestant Christian can appreciate the good parts of postmodernism, while, at the same time, weeding out the improper parts. However, there was one "problem." Grenz seems to be a premillenialist. That seems to affect, most of all, his conclusion, which, I think, was not as good as the rest of the book. When one is a premillenialist, I don't think that his philosophy so naturally tries to "spoil the Egyptians."
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Summary: AHHHHHH the pain!
Review: I was forced to read this book for Philosophy class and it has scarred me for life. There aren't any pictures or anything. I finished a 1,000 word paper on it too. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
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Summary: Provides a good framework for understanding the movement...
Review: Is a good book to read if you're searching to (and, I know this is ironic) nail down postmodernism to a few tenets you can understand. Provides the necessary framework to understand the topic when it comes up-- and, at the same time, Grenz does a good job of sifting out the negatives of the movement while pointing to the opporutunties it holds for Christianity to communicate to this culture.Does not contain much info at all an literature, art, and architecture, which are the main purveyors of the movement. Then, again, by the time most of us in the Church catch wind of anything like PM it's already in the rear-view mirror for most of society, anyway.
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Summary: Excellent Introduction
Review: Stanley Grenz's A primer on Postmodernism provides an overview of the socio-cultural phenomenon known as postmodernism. Although as a professor of theology and ethics Grenz has a particular interest in the religious implications of the postmodern movement, his work is an excellent well-rounded introduction to this important cultural and intellectual movement
As with other broad terms, the expression "postmodernism" is somewhat ill-defined and can be variously interpreted. Postmodernism, as the term implies, is fundamentally a move, or an attempt to move, beyond the views of modernism. The roots of what we refer to as modernism can be traced to the European Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Enlightenment is often viewed as a turning point in Western civilization where revelation was supplanted by reason as the means to knowledge and truth. The pre-modern approach to knowledge is represented by the sentiment that belief is required for understanding. Modernism's focus on verifiable truth transposes this argument and makes belief contingent upon understanding. Modernism holds several key assumptions. It postulates that epistemological and ethical truths exist, and that these truths are available to man. Postmodernism has challenged this modern faith in reason and raised questions about man's ability to understand the universe.
Grenz provides an excellent and succinct overview of modernism and postmodernism that, in my opinion, is useful to both new and advanced students of this subject. I found his discussion of the scientific and philosophical roots of postmodernism particularly clear and insightful.
A primer on Postmodernism is the best book I have read in this area. I highly recommend it to readers interested in this topic
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