I had heard of premodernism, modernism and postmodernism. I even had a working understanding of paramodernism (See Archer’s A Pentecostal Hermeneutic). Seán M.W. McGuire’s work has introduced me to another variation: metamodernism. As you’d expect from a philosophical cultural descriptor, each theorist has their own take on the term. Here’s McGuire’s definition:

While metamodernism describes the oscillation between the latent sensibilities of modernism and postmodernism, metamodernity describes the constructive integration of values and systems of meaning of (seemingly) all past cultures. (20–1)

In Biblical Hermeneutics in the Metamodern Mood, McGuire develops a revised version of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (scripture, tradition, reason, experience) that suits metamodern sensibilities. Unlike the typical foursquare presentation, McGuire argues that each quadrant of the matrix should be sized according the hermeneutical perspective of the interpreting community. Thus, for example, Catholics could emphasize tradition while pentecostals could emphasize experience. Further, each quadrant has two poles, reflecting modern v. postmodern emphases. Thus the metamodern mood.

With revised hermeneutical tool in hand, McGuire uses it to explore how people interpret one hot-button topic: Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec (CBOQ) theological perspectives on LGBTQ engagement. This test run of the interpretive tool shows its strength in identifying how the CBOQ’s positions are formed. Hopefully, recognizing how decisions are made will enable a deeper understanding of each other.

McGuire concludes the book with a full-blown interpretive model beginning with discerning ourselves, scripture, then our theological understanding via the revised quadrilateral. McGuire boldly places the discerning of scripture as a key step ahead of the quadrilateral which also includes scripture. From a pentecostal perspective, I wonder where the Spirit blows through this process. More work could be done here to integrate McGuire’s insight with a pentecostal hermeneutic of Spirit, scripture, and community.

This book accomplishes at least three tasks. The reader is instructed in metamodernism and Gadamer’s hermeneutics, provided with an interpretive tool to discern how decisions are made, and given a perspective on how the CBOQ interprets a contemporary issue.

McGuire, Seán M.W. Biblical Hermeneutics in the Metamodern Mood: Understanding Differences in Interpretation and Theological Integration in Practice. Eugene: Pickwick, 2024.