Life is simpler when the presuppositions and ideas shared within a culture are in sync with the practices and out-workings in society. Such was the case in Western culture for almost 500 years. But no more. Modernity, however, being defined as the outward practices and structures of a society, is actually still quite strong. The key to clearing up this confusion is in making a distinction between modernism and postmodernism , along with a contrast between modernity and postmodernity .
Postmodernism is just a Western phenomenon within the overall context of modernity.
It is indeed a unprecedented period in human history. The ideas that provide the underpinning for our culture are quite different than the cultural forms which Westerners adopt. Minister's, Evangelist's and Everyday Christian's dilemma. We have been trained to minister in a world that no longer exists. With faster and faster Pentium chips, Internet connections, and cheaper computers, the West appears to be as modernist as ever.