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***New for high school and college students of all ages... refute your professors with irrefutable arguments! Here. ***Possibly the most important article for the survival of Western civilization... here! ***The unity and coherence of science, theology, and philosophy... here. ***Science is faith-based, as much as any other epistemological system... here. ***Medical ethics... here. False ideas (being spoken in the public arena) are the greatest obstacles to the gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there., if we permit the whole collective thought of the nation or of the world to be controlled by ideas which, by the resistless force of logic, prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion.” (J. Gresham Machen quoted in Moreland’s Christianity and the Nature of Science, p. 11.) Welcome to the website that is committed to the inerrancy of the Bible and its total sufficiency within a philosophical discussion of Christianity. “In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” wrote the Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:3). On the one hand, many Christians see philosophy (etymology, “love of wisdom”) as a discipline that attacks our Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible, and His people. On the other hand, many Christian philosophers see philosophy as more important than the Scriptures. So, what about a Christian philosophy or Biblical philosophy? Could either of these be consistent with Biblical teaching and with scholarly philosophy? (If you want to
continue to read about this website, continue with the next paragraph.
If you want to look at specific topics, look to your left or
click here for
more topics.) I want to
challenge you that knowing some
simple basics of philosophy can enhance
your understanding of Scripture, your Christian life, your witnessing,
and the power of God in your life and in the My goals for this
site are (1) to present simple, but profound principles towards a basic
foundation for the thinking Christian and (2) to challenge some
Christian philosophers on positions that are inconsistent with a truly
Biblical philosophy.
“The philosopher does not
differ from the common man, except in the degree of self-conscious
reflection upon, and hard work given to, philosophical questions (that
is, those which are … basic to all other thinking, but not settled by a
specialized science).” (Greg Bahnsen, Van Til’s Apologetics, page
51)
Is this challenge
an idle boast? Let us try an example of simplifying by a philosophical
approach. Answer this question, “How many religions or belief systems
are there in the world? Tens, hundreds, thousands? There are only two religions
and belief systems that exist in the world: Biblical Christianity and all
others. Simple. Or, one could say that it is the only True Religion, and
all others are counterfeit. As a Christian, you do not need to know
other religions; you just need to know your own quite well and be able
to defend it (apologetics). Further, answer this
question, “How did Doubting Thomas conclude that Jesus was his “Lord and
God” from seeing His wounds?” Thomas used a logical syllogism—can you construct it? At this point, you
may want to review some “quick hitters,” or what I am calling
Ed’s
Pensees. These short aphorisms will give you the flavor of
what this website is about and some its content. Over time, I hope to
discuss each Penseé in greater breadth and depth. Those who work in
Christian philosophy, or even Biblical philosophy, often make mountains
out of molehills, the simple into the complex, and a few pages into a
lengthy book! That is, they try to cover every point over which anyone
could possibly differ with them. There is a place for that!
However, to get the thinking Christian and the busy pastor interested in
philosophy, and more importantly, to empower them with what philosophy
has to offer, it needs to be made simple. What is interesting and
fascinating is that so much of it can be simplified without compromising
its validity! Actually, just the opposite can occur. Simplifying
philosophy can make it more powerful! One of the great
divisions among Christians who work in philosophy, Biblical philosophy,
or Christian apologetics is over presuppositionalism and evidentialism
(see below). It will not take much reading on this site to know that I
am a convinced presuppositionalist. Simply, one must assume something to
have anywhere concrete to begin. René Descartes said, “I think,
therefore I am.” Augustine of Hippo said, “I believe in order to
understand.” Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Or, one can say, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” Or, you can choose your own place to
start. I have reviewed what some of these
starting points might be. Thus, I prefer
“Biblical philosophy,” rather than “Christian philosophy.” My most basic
presupposition is that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of
God, that it is the only source of truth that anyone will know in this
earthly life, and that it is sufficient for everything that anyone needs
to know. I posit that
“Christian” as an adjective (for example, “Christian philosophy”) is
misleading. To call anything “Christian” is to associate whatever
Christians say or how they act with God Himself. Many Christians,
especially those of mainstream denominations, believe little, if anything of
historic orthodoxy and Biblical ethics (worldview). Their “Christian”
philosophy, as thinking and behavior, would be little or no different
from atheists and humanists. The question is,
“What makes a philosophy specifically Christian?” Does one take a poll
and state what the majority of Christians believe? Does one poll the
majority of beliefs of the churches for 2000 years? Surely, you can see
the problem here: What is
Christian? The basic
presupposition of this website is that the great division of Christian
philosophy from Biblical philosophy is a Christian’s or a church’s
belief about the Bible. Logically,
there can be no other division. There are only three possible sources of
authority. (1) A vote of the majority of Christians in a church or
denomination. This authority is found in church councils where
there is one or more dissenting minorities. (2) The acceptance of one’s own
or another person’s authority as final and totally authoritative. The
Roman Catholic Church is an example of a total authority whose sources
are the Bible, church tradition, the magisterium, and the Pope
speaking ex cathedra. No member of the church is allowed to
differ from the Church’s official dogma or they are declared "anathema."
A Protestant example would be those ministries centered around a person
to the extent that everything produced by that ministry carries the
label and approval of that person. (3) The evangelical view is
that of the
Bible’s inerrancy and sufficiency or "sola
Scriptura." This website and all those committed
to infallible and inerrant authority would fall into this category. One of the
principles that I will develop is that Christian philosophers have to
decide to whom they are speaking or writing. If the presuppositions of
their audiences do not differ, then why even call it Christian
philosophy? If the Bible is not at least some authority that has special
status for those doing Christian philosophy, then how do their efforts
differ from secular, atheistic, or humanistic philosophy? Again,
logically, by exclusion, the only source of division can be an absolute
authority. Only the Bible meets that criterion. Hence, Biblical
philosophy stands against Christian philosophy. There is also the issue
of
regeneration
which separates everyone in the world So you may
challenge, “All Bible-believers do not agree on many, many
interpretations!” I grant you that. But, they are all going to the one
and same authority—the 66 books of the Protestant Bible. We do not have
to figure out our final and ultimate authority for those conclusions—we
only have to interpret and apply its contents.
Thus, while those who are doing Biblical philosophy may differ, they do
not differ over the source of greatest authority.
What Is the Relationship between Biblical
Apologetics and Biblical Philosophy Biblical
apologetics is the defense of Christianity (I Peter 3:15). As mentioned
above, apologetics falls primarily into two categories: presuppositional
and evidential. Presuppositionalism states that one cannot begin without
first principles, and that these determine all reasoning that is
determined thereafter. Evidentialism begins with “facts,” that is, what
the eye can see, the ear can hear, or the touch can feel.
(Actually, this empirical position is itself a presupposition, a
concept that I will develop on this website.) But, even in both
areas, philosophy is valuable to apologetics. Epistemology has rules
about what is valid and invalid knowledge. Logic determines valid
reasoning, even true conclusions that can be deduced from true
propositions. Ethics is the outcome of these processes that determine
what behavior is “good” and what is “bad.” These same ethics flow into
politic, social action and all other areas of worldview. Philosophy is the
center of Christian apologetics because its basic issues determine how
the mind and body relate to each other and to the universe in which a
person finds himself. Is the universe totally mind without matter, as in
idealism? Or, is the mind an epiphenomenon of the physical brain, as in
philosophical materialism? Similarly,
philosophy speaks to the issue of faith and reason in apologetics. Is
faith a leap into the unknown or is it a reasonable faith? (It is
actually the most certain knowledge ever available to man!) Is
faith prior to reason? And, does man have free will or is he
predetermined to do all that he does? Is the sinner free to choose in evangelism, or is he
predestined to either heaven or hell? It could be argued that the tasks and methods of philosophy and Christian apologetics are the same, only the motives differ. Apologetics defends the faith against unbelievers by whatever method that they attack. Biblical or Christian philosophy assists the believer and theologian to think clearly, to be thorough in their work, and to be sound in their arguments and conclusions. The tools of philosophy are valuable to both. For questions, comments, or errors on this site, contact Ed Payne at epayne7@comcast.net
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