Post-modernism is theorized as a breaking-down of the ``master narratives' of teleological progress, a deconstruction of the metaphysics of presence, a dissolution of the coherent individual into contingent subjectivities, and an interrogation of Western white heterosexual hegemony. Like the people at the Tower of Babel, modern man has been fragmented and scattered. There is no center of discourse any longer. So exactly what is postmodernism? The situation is profoundly complex and ambiguous. But basically speaking, postmodernism is anti-foundationalism, or an anti-worldview. It denies the existence of any universal truth or standards.

The Incredulity Towards Metannarratives

Jean-Francois Lyotard, perhaps the most influential writer in postmodern thought, defines postmodernism as "incredulity towards metannarratives."For all intents and purposes, a metanarrative is a worldview: a network of elementary assumptions . . . in terms of which every aspect of our experience and knowledge is interrelated and interpreted. Metanarratives are, according to postmodernist scholar Patricia Waugh, "Large-scale theoretical interpretations purportedly of universal application."

The Arrogance of Post-Modernism

The postmodernist's, it would seem, would tolerate having a coherent worldview so long as it is kept from being asserted as universal in its application. This is not the case though. The goal, so to speak, of postmodernism is to not only reject metanarratives, but also the belief in coherence. Not only is any worldview which sees itself as foundational for all others oppressive, belief that one may even have a coherent worldview is rejected as well. Nevertheless, there are many worldviews around today, and the postmodernist finds it to be his responsibility to critique, or "deconstruct" as they call it, such worldviews and "flatten them out," so that no one particular approach or belief is more "true" than any other.

Truth or no Truth; That is the Question

What constitutes truth, then, is relative to the individual or community holding the belief. As we have seen, for the postmodern thinker, there are no absolute truths or foundations to work from. Properly speaking then, postmodernism is not a worldview per se; it does not attempt to construct a model or a paradigm that orders reality; reality alludes attempts at conformity for the postmodernist, and so he deconstructs all attempts at creating such absolute foundations. So there is no “truth” for the post-modern thinker.
Modernity and Christianity debated as to which view was true; postmodernism attacks both Christianity and modernity because they claim to be "true." Christianity affirms certain necessary beliefs that must be assumed in order to make sense out of the world (e.g., that the triune God exists, that he is both transcendent and immanent, that the Bible is his Word). Postmodernism rejects the idea that reality makes sense in any absolute fashion, and reduces any construction to personal or cultural bias.