Discernment, Part 2: Exposing Historicism and the Retreat to the Present
Historicism is the point of view that history is all that there is, and there is nothing external or transcendent to it. According to historian Dr. Herbert Schlossberg, historicism claims that history is "the whole show," and whatever meaning it may have is "wholly immanent," that is, of this world only. Within this system of thought, all values are reduced to facts of history, much like naturalistic science, where all values are reduced to the facts of nature. Hence, as facts change, so do values, resulting in an unavoidable relativism.
Values of a particular period in history are relative only to that period and do not carry into succeeding generations. The exception to this notion occurs only when historicists arbitrarily elevate a particular era or worldview in history as the exemplar over all others and exalt the consequent ideology as normative. As Schlossberg asserts, "Historicist fate says that whatever is is right. Unable to bring historical fact into the judgment of a transcendent principle, it can only defend the historical trend it judges to be dominant, while deprecating dissent as the voice of the past, destined for the trash can of history" (Herbert Schlossberg, Idols of Destruction, 1990, p. 287).
Practically speaking, historicism serves as a tool that enables thinkers to part with the past and to place all value in the present as the "progressive" trend that will continue inexorably into the future. Historicists look backward only to interpret the forces that have led to the present moment and to identify the trend. The past is not a repository of wisdom from which we might learn, it is only an artifact of history that signifies a stage in the deterministic unfolding of events. Persons are nothing more than tools by means of which history relentlessly realizes its predetermined destiny. We either recognize our place within this inevitable motion, or we are swallowed up by it.
There is no intelligence outside of history that works through it to accomplish purposive ends. Hence, historicism is the personification of history. It is 'History' with a capital 'H', and history is absolute, unrelentingly deterministic, and intractably immanent. Historical events and facts are meaningless except as precursors to subsequent stages in historical evolution. Therefore, history is seamless, and discontinuities or distinctions in history are only apparent. Succeeding periods in history emerge from preceding periods as stages of inevitable progress as history unremittingly carries us to its ultimate goal.
Reflecting on this notion of history, it is not difficult to discern how it has influenced the distorted ideologies that we confront today. If the only thing we value is "the way we think today," then value is not a matter of transcendent truth, but only a tool in the hands of the most powerful. "Facts" have no rational basis, and are "true" only insofar as they are valuable in supporting progressive ideologies. Dissenters are "old-fashioned" and, therefore, out of touch with this so-called progress.
Homosexuality, gay marriage, assisted suicide, abortion on demand, euthanasia, and various forms of genocide are the pragmatic results of this retreat to the present. What now is is what is right, and only the present matters to this progressive, postmodern, and post-Christian project. Looking to the past is not an aid but an obstruction to wisdom, and those who hold to tradition are dangerous to progress and must be stripped of their voice in the public square.
This is much different from a Christian view of history. The Bible sees history as the arena within which a transcendent God works out his eternal purposes of redemption and judgment. History is an artifact of time, which has in turn been created by God. Therefore, history has no power within itself, but it is yet of great value to men, since within it are recorded the acts of God from which man is to understand the nature and the aims of his Creator.The discontinuities and distinctions within history are real, and give evidence of God’s hand lifting up and bringing down individuals and civilizations as he responds to their obedience or their rebellion. History is nothing more than the period of time between the Creation of the world and its ultimate destruction and recreation by a sovereign God. The facts of history are not themselves values, but reflect the Creator’s values, and are to be studied with an eye to see and a heart to embrace his wisdom.
Therefore, the Church, among all people, must confront, condemn, and actively seek to destroy the idol of historicism, and rationally and passionately defend a biblical view of history. It is part of our mandate as a "pillar and buttress of truth" (Romans 3:15) to teach all nations and to "destroy strongholds" and "arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and to take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Blessings,
Arnie Gentile
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Categories: Cultural Apologetics
Tags: Christian Apologetics Theism God Relativism Historicism Sovereignty Church Secularism Transcendence
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