Epistemological Precondition

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to defend the Epistemological Precondition as it relates to Evangelical Theology and to assess its reasonableness and credibility. It will also look at what some consider the irreconcilable difference between faith and reason. One of the most difficult tasks we undertake in life is not physical at all but rather is that of the act of thinking about what we think, how we think, and why we think what we think. These philosophical questions are epistemological in nature. Epistemology asks the question, “How do we know what we know?” It is the question of what knowledge is and how we gain knowledge.

Epistemology can be summed up in the concept of “truth” and how we know it. As such, it is an essential precondition of evangelical theology. After all, why bother to believe that which is not true. Christianity, not unlike other religions or philosophical positions, is predicated on a unique set of beliefs that form the basis of its epistemological foundation. Those beliefs, among others, include faith, reason, knowledge, and understanding.

Bernard Wuellner’s “Dictionary of Scholastic Philosophy” defines epistemology as “the theory of knowledge”, and epistemological as “pertaining to the critical evaluation of knowledge.” Alan Padgett said that “The study of the nature, possibility and limits of knowledge is the task of epistemology, one of the central elements of philosophy”[1]

I think it is fair to say that knowledge presupposes truth, and truth is based on the principle of correspondence. Therefore, the first question we must ask is, “What is truth?” The second, “Why does it matter?” Prior to modern times, Orthodox theology held sway in its position that not only does truth exist, but that absolute truth exists. Truth, of necessity, is exclusive and verified by the law of noncontradiction. In logic, the law of non-contradiction states that two antithetical propositions cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. For instance, it could not be true that a woman is pregnant and not pregnant simultaneously. As Norman Geisler explains, While God is prior to logic in the order of being (ontologically), nevertheless, logic is prior to God in the order of knowing (epistemologically). No knowledge is possible without the laws of thought; if this is not true, then nothing else follows. Even the statement “God is God” makes no sense unless the law of identity holds (A is A). Likewise, the affirmation that “God exists” cannot be true if the law of noncontradiction is not binding, otherwise God could exist and not exist at the same time and in the same sense.

Is God subject to something beyond Himself? No. When God is subject to good reason (logic), He is subject to His own nature (see Clark, CVMT), since He is the ultimate Reason or Logos(John 1:1). Likewise, when God is subject to the law of justice, He is not bound by something beyond Himself but to something within Himself, namely, to His own unchangeable nature. Technically speaking, in theology it is not God who is subject to logic; it is our statementsabout God that are subject to logic. Systematic theology is a series of statements about God that, if true, inform us about Him. No statement about God can make any sense, to say nothing of being true, unless it abides by the undeniable rules of reason.[2]

When we say “the correspondence theory of truth”, we mean that the thing claimed not only corresponds to the way things actually are, but also applies to all people in all places and at all times. Dr. Geisler further explains, The truth of the matter is that all truthis absolute—there are no relative truths. If something really is true, then it really is true everywhere and for everyone. After all, 7+3=10, and it’s not just true for mathematics majors. It’s true everywhere, not just in math class but in your workplace and at home as well.[3]

Where Truth Is Found and How It Was Lost

From an Evangelical, Orthodox, position, faith is foundational. For some, this position is not only problematic but troublesome. However, faith is an essential aspect of our combined human experience. For instance, scientific inquiry depends upon the belief in the uniformity of nature. It was Einstein who said, “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” The truths of the Christian faith correspond to, and are supported by, such things as evidence, facts, and reasons. Biblical faith (Greek: pisteuō, the verb “believe,” and pistis, the noun “faith”) can be defined as confident trust in a reliable, reasonable, and viable source (God or Christ). Christian faith is not mere belief but intricately woven into the fabric of trust and relationship that finds its authority in the authority of God.

A central tenet of the Christian faith is the understanding of how God has revealed himself. There are two “types” of Revelation in Christian thought: general and special. General revelation is the understanding that God has made himself accessible to all people through what is seen in creation. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Likewise, Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Aquinas appeals to this verse, not just as confirmation of reason’s ability to discern God’s existence, but also as an indicator of the way natural theology works. Reason does not have access to divine realities directly. Instead, we discern truths about the Creator indirectly through our observation of creation.[4] General revelation points to both the order and complexity of the world that we live in and the necessity for an intelligent creator, albeit not necessarily the God of the Bible. On the other hand, special revelation points to God’s unique and intentional communication with mankind as recorded in the Bible and demonstrated in Jesus Christ. It is here that we find insights into God’s character, man’s sinful condition, and the means of reconciliation through Jesus Christ. The question of when Christianity began to lose sway in the West is multi-faceted. Some of the key factors include the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Rise of secularism, and two World Wars which challenged traditional beliefs. Further erosion occurred in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond with the cultural changes, including the sexual revolution, increased individualism, and the decline in the influence of traditional moral values. It should also be noted that the Western world has become increasingly diverse with the rise of pluralism, agnosticism, and atheism, further eroding the influence of orthodox theology. Finally, in large part due to these influences, enemies of orthodox beliefs have sprung up in the form of Liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, and neo-evangelicals, who deny both the inerrancy and the inspiration of the Scriptures.

Faith and Reason

Christianity commonly finds itself in the crosshairs of those whose primary complaint has been a misunderstood and misguided assumption that faith requires a suspension of reason and that it is by consequence “blind” and therefore considered by some, as is the case with Richard Dawkins, to not just to be blind but evil and dangerous being worse than the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate.[5]While on the other side, we find Christians who have no respect for and often speak disparagingly of reason, logic, and philosophy. To the contrary, what we find in God’s Word is a robust challenge for believers to not only believe well (see Hebrews 10:19 – 12:29 and Romans 12:3-8) but to think critically and engage intellectually (see Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 43:26, Acts 17:1-3, 17, 18:4, 19, 26:25, and I Corinthians 13:11). In all three of the synoptic Gospels, Jesus quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy 6, which states that we are to, Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Historical theologians such as Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas, all made important and significant contributions to the compatibility of faith and reason. As C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity, “If God’s moral judgment differs from ours so that our “black” may be His “white,” we can mean nothing by calling Him good; for to say “God is good,” while asserting that His goodness is wholly other than ours, is really only to say “God is we know not what.” And an utterly unknown quality in God cannot give us moral grounds for loving or obeying Him. If He is not (in our sense) “good” we shall obey, if at all, only through fear—and should be equally ready to obey an omnipotent Fiend. The doctrine of Total Depravity—when the consequence is drawn that, since we are totally depraved, our idea of good is worth simply nothing—may thus turn Christianity into a form of devil-worship.”[6]

Christianity acknowledges both the essential nature and limitations of reason. If reason is not inherent in our understanding of God, how can we expect to know who He is or what He requires of us. Yet at the same time it is understood that reason alone is not capable of providing answers to ultimate questions such as: the meaning of life, the existence of God, and the nature of the soul. It is in these and other areas were faith completes the picture by offering insights into the meaning and purpose of life.

While not popular to quote from Ravi Zacharias, due to the way that he was discredited at the end of his life, I think this quote aptly sums up what we are saying, “God has put enough into the world to make faith in Him a most reasonable thing. But He has left enough out to make it impossible to live by sheer reason or observation alone.”[7]

[1] Padgett, Alan G. 2014. “Chapter 2: Faith Seeking Understanding: Collegiality and Difference in Theology and Philosophy.” In Faith and Reason: Three Views, edited by Steve Wilkens, 91. Spectrum Multiview Books. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. [2] Geisler, Norman L. 2002. Systematic Theology, Volume One: Introduction, Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers. [3] Geisler, Norman L. 2002. Systematic Theology, Volume One: Introduction, Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers. [4] Wilkens, Steve. 2014. “Introduction.” In Faith and Reason: Three Views, edited by Steve Wilkens, 29. Spectrum Multiview Books. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. For Example see Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae 1.84.a.7 [5] Richard Dawkins, The selfish Gene, new ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989); Edward O. Wilson, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (London: Little, Brown, 1998). [6] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York Macmillan, 1952) p.17. [7] The Logic of God (Zondervan, 2019), page 13