Divine Rationality
Introduction
Commentaries
The man who rejects the idea of a revelation of and from God turns to reason for the solution of all his problems
During the course of history there have appeared three types of rationalism: atheistic, pantheistic, and theistic.
But while all forms of rationalism assign undue authority to reason in matters of religion, the true believer is apt to assign too little place to it. By “reason,” we here mean not simply man’s logical powers or his ability to reason, but his cognitive powers, his ability to perceive, compare, judge, and organize. God has endowed man with reason, and the thing that is wrong is not the use of it, but the abuse.
four proper uses of reason with which God has endowed man will be mentioned at this point
First, reason is the organ or capacity for knowing truth
second place, reason must judge the credibility of a representation. By “credible,” we mean believable.
That is impossible which involves p 18 a contradiction; which is inconsistent with the known character of God; which is contradictory to the laws of belief with which God has endowed us; and which contradicts some other well-authenticated truth
reason must judge the evidence of a representation. Since faith involves assent, and assent is conviction produced by evidence, it follows that faith without evidence is irrational or impossible.
Finally, reason must also organize the facts presented into a system.
The Christian places God’s authority above considerations of logical possibility or his own human use of logic; the unbeliever places abstract possibility above God