The current state of our society where multiple worldviews co-exist, side by side, each making specific and contrary truth claims.
What is pluralism?
100
The trait of modernism where the physical world is all that exists; supernatural spiritual explanations are excluded. There is no afterlife.
What is materialism?
100
Three ways that a postmodern person is different from a modern person. (characteristics)
What is uncertain, pessimistic, pluralistic, relativistic, subjective, spiritual, disillusioned, confused...
100
Some people have rejected the Bible as a source for truth because it contains some premodern ideas like this.
What is the firmament, the sun standing still, the ascension, Abraham's genetic manipulation...
100
Modern science fails to offer Andrew life and meaning because his father tries to fix his problem in this way, which fails to recognize his core humanity.
What is medication?
200
An early scientific event that caused many theists to question the bible and the church?
What is the Copernican Revolution?
200
A summary of modernism--faith in these two ways of knowing.
What is science and rationality?
200
Extreme skepticism, maintaining that nothing in the world really exists. Life is meaningless.
What is nihilism?
200
The difference between an objective and subjective path to faith.
Objective path: can be proven.
Subjective: can't be proven, may be true nonetheless.
200
Through various scenes where animals act in violent, disgusting, and embarrassing ways, this worldview is shown to be empty of meaning for any self-respecting human being.
What is survival of the fittest? What is animal-like behavior? What are "primal instincts"?
300
The study of how we come to know things.
What is epistemology?
300
The anticipated goal of modernism.
What is progress?
300
An alternate response to postmodernism which tries to "move beyond" meaninglessness.
What is existentialism?
300
This interpretation of the Infinite Abyss scene from Garden State helps us picture what life is/could be like for a postmodern person trying to move beyond nihilism.
the ark... rain... exploring deep endless questions, yet safety in the ark--love family, etc.
300
In this scene, we see a visual representation of how Andrew has lost a sense of personal identity.
What is the bathroom scene where his shirt blends in with the wallpaper?
400
A grand "story" that is supposed to tell the truth about life for all people.
What is a metanarrative?
400
A historical event that caused moderns to lose hope in progress.
What is WWI?
400
When a person believes that ALL truth is totally subjective and is different for everyone. It all depends on the situation so nothing is objectively true at all.
What is relativism?
400
This description of the Bible is very modern in character and could lead to a "flattening out" of the meaning.
Objective, literal level of understanding (historical or scientific) without any larger meaning.
400
In addition to death in general, Andrew's life seems absurd and meaningless as evidenced by this scene. (answers may vary) Lines between reality and illusion are blurred.
What is... airplane scene?
500
The term for a materialist that is usually applied to writers.
What is a naturalist?
500
Garden State pokes fun at the modernist confidence in human reason, science, and achievement in this scene.
What is the scene with Dr. Coen and all his certificates of achievement?
500
What is globalism and how has it contributed to a breakdown in modernism?
good answer.
500
It seems transparent that religion fails to reach people on a daily basis in this little story about architecture, told by Andrew. (hint: Judiasm)
What is the story about Yom Kippur and the walls of the synagogue that move to accommodate people who otherwise never go to church.