1Michael SoaresFinal Paper, English 401Debates over interpretations and tools used to interpret the Bible are nothing new. However, in the wake of postmodernism, new intensity creates new arguments, and consequently new complications arise. Although the debates seem familiar, the legitimization of plurality through postmodern theories have caused a rift among biblical scholars. The division is not clear cut; it seems that scholars are simultaneously dealing with the lack of a cohesive definition for postmodernism while at the same time attempting to reconcile the scriptures with pluralism of postmodern philosophy. At first glance, it would seem immediately apparent that biblical studies and postmodern criticism were inherently incompatible. After all, the vast majority of biblical scholars regard the scriptures as an "absolute Truth," immune from the relativism offered by postmodern theories. However, the question of the nature of truth has never ceased to be debated,and even the most conservative biblical scholars, while intolerant of many of postmodern precepts, cannot deny postmodernism's existence and considerable influence on culture and, therefore, literary interpretation. Although it seems that relatively few biblical scholars choose to explore the possible contributions or detractions of postmodern studies applied to biblical studies, there are those who focus on the phenomenon in order to fervently support or refute its influence. According to "The Postmodern Challenge: Facing the Spirit of the Age," an article published in Christian Research Journal, "At the heart of the issue is whether or not objective truth exists" and "the rhetorical power of postmodern terms like 'tolerance,' 'openness,' and 'inclusion' effectively disguises a more insidious objective--the destruction of all absolute2truth claims" (Leffel). Mazat concisely sums up the argument in the introduction to his "Apologetics in a Postmodern Age:" "For many, there is no such thing as absolute truth. Rather, there are many competing truths. The Christian Gospel is simply one truth among many 'truths.' How do we represent the Gospel in this age of relativism?" Another concern, articulated by Adams in "Toward a Theological Understanding of Postmodernism" as the "legitimation crisis," suggests that "so-called metanarratives [in this case, Christianity, through apologetics], which in the past were accepted as authoritative, are now being seriously called into question." As a result, "Interpretation is in crisis. So many questions which once seemed settled, so many foundations which once seemed secure, so many agreements which once seemed firm, have come apart. Issues which go to the bedrock of interpretation have opened deep fissures" (Clendenen 101). Therefore, in order to analyze and critique the rift among those scholars whichfall on either side of the postmodern biblical studies argument, particularly in reference to pluralism, relativism, and the myth of objectivity, it is necessary to present definitions of postmodernism and research the debate, from its origins in the transition from Modernity to Postmodernity, to its current condition. Modernists would have agreed that there is an objective truth, but postmodernists recognize, in respect to biblical studies and Christian ethics, the "limits of the fallen mind." While modernists place value in unity, postmodernists obviously value diversity, and this dynamic presents the problem, "if truth is relative, one idea is as good as the other" (Veith). Therefore, while modernist biblical scholars attempted to make the scripture relevant by appealing to the mindset of the "modern man," theology was nearly rendered irrelevant, in that if God was a symbol of modernity, a product of the modern meta-narrative, the faith and obedience3necessary to validate interpretation of the scriptures were replaced by a mere appreciation for thesymbolic values of the text. Viktor Shklovsky states in his “Art as Technique” that “an image is not a permanent referent for those mutable complexities of life which are revealed through it, its purpose is not to make us perceive meaning, but to create a special perception of the object- it creates a vision of the object instead of serving as a means of knowing it” (25). Therefore, a work, in the form of literature, art, film, and so on, while existing as a construct, is only that, and the construct should not be taken at face value. Postmodern pluralism, on the other hand, also short-circuits the need for truth in that it suggests that multiple truths need to be recognized, effectively negating the objective value required by the scriptures in order to sustain its autonomy. As a result, the tension between the autonomy of the reader and the autonomy of the text is amplified, tapping into the already fractured state of the contemporary Christianity belief community (multiple denominations, for example). The breakdown of modernity is well documented, and has been shown that "modernity didn't produce the harmony that its prophets predicted. After slavery, two world wars, communism, Nazism and nuclear bombs, people beganto question the belief that the pursuits of reason, technology, and science would make for a betterworld" (Fields). Likewise, postmodernism, with its displacement of objectivity and encouragement of plurality and relativism, has further destabilized the foundation necessary for the interpretation of scripture from an objective perspective. Fields, acknowledging the implication of such a shift, writes: "In continuing to remove the possibility of any ultimate knowledge, postmodernism confuses the traditional distinction between the subject of knowledge(the knower) and the object of knowledge (the thing being known)."4Where the dominant was once clear cut, the plurality of postmodern interpretation createsnew diversions. Pluralization has been described as "that process by which the number of options in the private sphere of modern society rapidly multiplies at all levels, especially at the level of word views, faith and ideologies" (White 171). According to McHale, “In short, different dominants emerge depending upon which questions we ask of the text, and the position from which we interrogate it” (6). However, the "challenge" of Postmodernism goes "beyond mere relativism. It impacts our literature, fashion, art, architecture, music, morality, self-identity,and theology. Postmodernism views