on philosophy and theology

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (NIV)

holding a worldview which accords with the christian faith isn't the reason why someone is a christian. the reason why someone is a christian is the 'message of the cross' and the 'power of God'. having said that, holding a worldview which does not accord with the christian faith isn't an excuse for why someone isn't a christian either.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 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 men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." - Romans 1:18-23 (NIV)

whether someone is a christian has nothing to do with the worldview he or she holds, but with whether he or she freely chooses to believe. of course, a christian necessarily holds a worldview which accords with the christian faith and a non-christian necessarily holds a worldview which does not accord with the christian faith.

Paul's example

"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others." - Acts 17:16-34 (NIV)

we bring people to Christ not by speaking in philosophical terms but by 'preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection', proclaiming the 'message of the cross' and the 'power of God'.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." - Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

true christians will never fall away on account of 'hollow and deceptive philosophy'. indeed, true christians will never fall away.

on philosophy and theology

while at first glance not everything that is philosophically sound accords with the christian faith, everything that accords with the christian faith is philosophically sound. nevertheless, given that whether someone is a christian has nothing to do with the worldview he or she holds but with whether he or she freely chooses to believe, the christian faith should be examined not on a philosophical but on a theological level. in other words, the christian faith should be examined from a christian perspective.

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test." - 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 (NIV)

the genuine test of a worldview is not how well it is able to stand up to other worldviews, but how well it is able to support itself. to wit, the christian faith is false from a non-christian perspective. obviously the christian faith is false from a non-christian perspective. that is what makes a non-christian perspective a non-christian perspective. the real question is whether the christian faith is true from a christian perspective, which it is. in contrast, other worldviews are neither true from a christian perspective nor a non-christian perspective.

the difference between the christian faith and other worldviews on a philosophical level is that the christian faith is able to support itself, while other worldviews go round in circles, tie themselves up in knots and ultimately collapse upon themselves. furthermore, the difference between the christian faith and other worldviews on a theological level is the 'message of the cross' and the 'power of God'.

the philosophy of philosophy

philosophy neither causes a non-christian to become a christian nor a christian to become a non-christian. rather, it strengthens believers in their belief and comforts unbelievers in their unbelief. ironically, philosophy reinforces the christian faith by providing the christian faith (which is philosophically sound) with the philosophical tools to demonstrate the very futility of philosophy.

at the end of the day, philosophy is the handmaiden of theology. if what is false could be made to sound true, how much more could what is true be said to be true!