In Truth Decay, Groothuis criticizes postmodernism. This book is written primarily for Christians, but Groothuis said that “it should be of interest to anyone who is concerned about the nature of truth and its implications in postmodernity” (13). The aim of this book is to present a critique from a biblical and logical perspective so that both Christian and non-Christians will be able to read and profit from it. This book consists of well-structured and intertwined chapters.
Overall, his work accomplishes its stated goal by presenting arguments both biblically and logically. However, we can find some Scriptural references that are wrongly cited, which could diminish the argument in the book and create confusion for the non-Christian readers.
Groothuis starts with a brief explanation of the nature of the truth and how it has been under attack throughout the culture. He traces its roots to pre-modern, modern, and postmodern. He also explains the distinctions between the three. Although he faces difficulty in identifying the transition from modernism to postmodernism, Groothuis notices the great influence Nietzsche had on the development of postmodernism. He sees that modernism laid the foundation for postmodernism, and calls postmodernism an exaggeration of the false elements in modernism. He further explains the conflicts between these two. Despite all the conflicts he analyzed, Groothuis views that modernism and postmodernism are in the same boat of denying the objective truth of God’s existence.
He further outlines the biblical view of truth. His arguments that truth is objective and absolute might need further exploration and explanation. He argues that “The biblical emphasis on objective truth does not minimize the imperative to make God’s truth subjectively or existentially one’s own…” (68). There is a danger of relativism here. As he aims to reach non-Christian readers, further clarification is needed to show the distinction.
In his argument that to confess the absolute truth of Christ does not mean we claim our human knowledge as absolute. It does not entail that one must provide an absolute defense for it. He uses this argument to also criticize Christians who confess Christ’s absoluteness yet refuse to engage in any apologetic discussion. He asserts that a solid conviction of truth should lead to intellectual satisfaction and contentment, as well as the willingness to dialogue. He references Harry Blamires; “If one is conscious of drawing one’s convictions from a solid, deep-rooted tradition, one inevitably has a sense of quiet assurance in one’s beliefs and feeling that is the reverse of touchy defensiveness” (71). However, he did not build up his case from this quote. Even though this reference implies what Groothuis is trying to say, the use of ‘deep-rooted tradition’ might not be the best phrase to be equated with the truth. This phrase could diminish Groothuis argument that truth is a gift from God and not constructed.
Groothuis’ philosophical argument of the notion of truth is well-written in Chapter 4. As he opposes postmodernism’s view of language, he argues that although communicating truth across languages has been difficult, it is possible. He uses Christian mission as a counterexample and further argues that people with different cultures and languages can grasp the same message (97). The claim that language is a social construction -therefore cannot connect us to reality must be false, because the claim itself “cannot accurately depict the reality it purportedly describes” (106).
What comes next is Groothuis’ appeal for Christian to defend the truth, yet he does not ignore the challenge between being faithful to Scripture and savvy to postmodern realities. He agrees with Pascal to show that religion is not contrary to reason (160).
Truth Decay is a great book for anyone who is concerned about objective truth. It is not just giving us an understanding of the challenges we face, but also provides practical ways of dealing with those challenges. It is valuable for helping Christians to understand the importance of having a strong, Biblical understanding of objective truth, and the ability to defend it apologetically to post-modern people, in order to be able to share the Gospel with them.