SHOULD WE BE TRYING SO HARD TO BE POSTMODERN - A RESPONSE

This paper explores the thesis that both modernism and postmodernism, as contemporary cultural phenomena, have been unable to come to terms with the issue of human rationality in any positive way. As a result o f this, nearly all of the stereotyped ways of relating theology and sc ience through models of conflict, independence, consonance, harmony, i ntegration, or dialogue are likely to be revealed as too simplistic ge neralizations about the relationship between these two dominant forces in our culture. What is proposed is a postfoundationalist model where theology and science can rediscover the resources of rationality shar ed by these two reasoning strategies. Postfoundationalism in theology and science wants to point creatively beyond the confines of the local community, group, or culture toward a plausible form of interdiscipli nary conversation. In taking seriously the role of local context and i nterpreted experience, postfoundationalism in theology and science sho uld enable us to reach beyond the walls of our own communities in cros s-contextual, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary conversation.