The Church in the Postmodern Global Village

This study aims to respond to two of the major challenges which congregations face namely postmodernity and globalization. After seeking a fuller description of these two challenges, I sought a theological orientation within the context of the postmodern global village, as well as an ecclesiological praxis that could be both transformative and redemptive. The narrative orientation guides the story of this study. The climax of this journey (or story) is in the fusion between the theory-laden questions of descriptive theology and the historical texts of the Christian faith within the narrative orientation. This study discovered that truly transformative and redemptive praxis is only possible within language communities (or narrative communities). These narrative communities do not exist in isolation, but are continuously confronted by the stories of other communities in the global village. These language communities therefore need to be open to the fragmentation and pluralism of the global village, otherwise they will not be able to respond to the reality of globalization and postmodernity.

Autorentext

Nach Abschluss seines Studiums arbeitete Johann-Albrecht Meylahn in einer innerstädtischen Gemeinde, die sich auf soziale Transformation konzentrierte. Derzeit ist er hauptamtlicher Pastor einer multikulturellen lutherischen Gemeinde im Herzen der Stadt Pretoria (Tshwane) und nebenberuflicher Dozent an der Universität von Pretoria, Südafrika.