Abstract:
Theologians are used to pointing the finger at European continental postmodernism when
dealing with modern relativism. This article addresses a problem that is seldom highlighted
within theology: modern relativism is the result of a series of epistemological discussions that
took place during the early Enlightenment between scholars such as Rene Descartes, John
Locke and Immanuel Kant. They were reacting, in part, to Aristotle’s metaphysics and logic.
When the whole picture unravels, one immediately sees that modern relativism is deeply
ingrained in Western thought. In other words, modern relativism will not gather dust after the
demise of postmodernism. To the contrary, this article would argue that modern relativism
will continue to pose serious challenges to reformed churches in future. Pastors who want to
engage with Western audiences will benefit from being made aware of this. Hopefully this will
encourage theologians to re-evaluate the relevancy of reformed theological constructs in
societies that are deeply steeped in relativist thought.
