Postmodernity as an Epistemological Shift: Kony 2012 as a Case Study for the Global Influence of Postmodernity

ABSTRACT Participants at the 2010 Edinburgh Missionary Conference were asked to study and discuss postmodernity. In their discussion, three points found wide agreement: the difficulty in defining postmodernity, a view of postmodernity as a Western issue, and a sense that those who hold postmodern views have little hope. The present study suggests that postmodernity is best understood as an epistemological shift. Using the Kony 2012 campaign as a case study, we argue that epistemology is the best way in which to understand postmodernity, that this shift in epistemology is influencing a variety of contexts globally, and that hope can be found in the postmodern paradigm, especially if conceptualized as an epistemology.