We Are All Heretics Now

"Peter Berger is among those who have written extensively about the possibility of Christian affirmation in the context of modern Western culture. In The Heretical Imperative he has argued that the distinctive feature of this culture is that there is no generally acknowledged 'plausibility structure,' [-footnote- A 'plausibility structure,' as Berger uses the term, is a social structure of ideas and practices that create the conditions determining what beliefs are plausible within the society in question.] acceptance of which is normally taken for granted without argument, and dissent from which is regarded as heresy, that is, according to the original meaning of hairesis - choosing for oneself, making one's own personal decision instead of accepting the given tradition. ... In modern Western culture, so Berger argues, we are all required to be heretics, for there is no accepted plausibility structure. With respect to ultimate beliefs, pluralism rules, and thus each individual has to make a personal decision about ultimate questions. In that sense, we are all now subject to the 'heretical imperative.'"

Lesslie Newbigin, Foolishness to the Greeks, p.10-11