Mary DeMuth’s admission that she struggled with grasping the definitions and differences between modernity and postmodernity helped me not feel so old and inept. I’m at least fifteen years her senior and it’s encouraging to know that the fears, struggles, and joys of parenting are the same no matter the time era. In this book, Mary points out the different ways postmodernists view the world and offers practical, enlightening ways to parent through changing world views.

My kids group up in the ‘80’s “it’s all about me” modern world. The scare among Christians then was the influences of the New Age “movement.” I recall our “dinner table parenting,” as Mary calls it, including discussions about some of these philosophies. We role played and reasoned with our children allowing them to come up with ways to share their faith in light of such ideas. The thing that always amazed us, and Mary also brings this out in regards to postmodernism, is how Christians can be so frightened about such things when we supposedly know truth.

My husband Tim wrote a tract in the late 80’s titled, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad New Age?” pointing out that it’s really an old age philosophy. After reading Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture I realized that like the modern new age thinking, postmodernism is simply an extension of Satan’s lie “you can become as god” that he whispered to Eve in the garden. Whether it’s the modern idea that you’re in control of your life or the postmodern thinking that you determine your own truth, it’s the same lie that wants to overthrow Christ.

What I found the most intriguing after reading this book, is that it confirms that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Many of the experiences of Mary’s family, our family went through in the “modern age.” Mary reminds readers that as Christians we make Christ our absolute Truth. When we do so, of course he gives us his mind, so naturally wisdom, experiences, and ideas would be similar throughout the ages. We follow Jesus Christ—The Truth—who remains the same no matter the time period or culture. But at the same time it’s important to understand the culture we live in. The solution to facing any philosophy is obedience to the Truth. As Mary states:

“Seeing truth in the context of simple obedience to Jesus transcends both postmodernity and modernity. Regardless of the culture we find ourselves in, Jesus’ mandate is always the same, ‘Follow me’ (page 50).”