In Defense of Christian Philosophy

Philosophy is a dangerous word in many Christian communities. Among believers, it can bring up thoughts of atheism, humanism, naturalism, and nihilism. If a young Christian decides to study philosophy in college, he is likely to worry his family and church. They are likely to fear that he will become an atheist with no hope of ever returning to the faith. While perhaps there is some justification for these fears, philosophy is a valuable field that Christians ought not surrender, but rather encourage, exhort, and advance.

What is philosophy? Unfortunately, no consensus exists among philosophers as to how philosophy ought to be defined. Alvin Plantinga has said it can be defined as simply critical thinking. Almost all philosophers would agree that philosophy involves thinking long and hard about deep issues. Norman Geisler has defined it as the search for truth. That is, of course, the purpose of hard thinking. A philosopher is seeking to avoid error and discover truth by critically examining competing truth claims. Nothing is beyond questioning in philosophy. General rules for good philosophy exist, but these rules themselves have arguments for them. In short, philosophy is searching for truth by means of critical examination often in the abstract. Philosophy literally translates to “the love of wisdom.”

Should Christians fear philosophy? Given the above definition of philosophy, this question is equivalent to asking, “Should Christians be afraid of the truth?” Surely the answer is no. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Furthermore, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The reason Christians believe someone ought to become a Christian is because it is true. To be sure, there have been a number of prominent non-Christian philosophers. Examples include Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell, and Thomas Nagel. However, C. S. Lewis put it well when he said, “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” The Bible says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). If Christians perceive these philosophers as being a challenge to the knowledge of God, then they have reason to pursue philosophy. Indeed, it is mandated by the Bible.

Some may say the Bible warns believers against philosophy. To support this claim they point to Colossians 2:8 which says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  Paul is not warning the church at Colosse against philosophy. Rather, he is warning them about being spoiled through philosophy that is not after Christ. Now if there can be philosophy that is not after Christ, then it is possible for there to be philosophy that is after Christ. This verse should encourage believers interested in philosophy to pursue that desire. If one is not to be spoiled through philosophy, then he had better know proper philosophy so as to discern erroneous philosophy. Others may also point out verses such as 1 Cornithians 2:4-5, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” At first glance it may seem God may not want us to pursue wisdom. If only the people who use this verse would read the rest of Paul’s epistles. Paul is a master of logic and debate (Acts 17:2, Acts 18:28). “Therefore” is a word that means something follows logically from what was previously stated. Paul uses the word “therefore” one hundred and twenty times in his letters. Paul reasoned with the philosophers in Athens, and he even convinced some of them to consider Christianity. (Acts 17:22-32) In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul makes a rational case for the resurrection of Jesus. Clearly Paul understood the value of philosophy and argumentation.

What about the all-important role of faith? Christians need to understand the difference between blind faith and reasonable faith. They need to see the problems with unsupported trust in what someone has been taught, and the benefits to a rational, evidence-based belief. The general public already has enough skeptics and atheists telling them that Christians have no basis for their beliefs and that they are simply “faith heads.” Advocates of a blind faith position with regards to Christianity will bring up Hebrews 11:6. The verse says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” They conclude that the more blind and irrational ones’ faith is, the more he pleases God. However, faith in the context of Hebrews 11 is not talking about faith that God exists, miracles happen, or Jesus rose from the dead. Rather, faith is talking about faith in God for salvation and on a day-to-day basis. It is one thing to believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, that He died for the sins of the world, and that He rose from the dead. Many unsaved people believe that these things happened. However, it is quite another thing to personally accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for oneself. A difference exists between a person putting his faith in Christ, and acknowledging the facts about His life. Christians need to understand the difference between faith that and faith in.

Does one really have faith if he understands deep things about God? Do reason and evidence diminish the role of faith in the Christian’s life? When faced with questions such as this, it is helpful to remember the difference between faith that, and faith in. Faith is equivalent to belief or trust. People believe things for good reasons, and other people believe for poor reasons. Reason does not seek to remove faith. Reason seeks to show that faith is properly grounded. It attempts to show that there is a sufficient platform for intelligently exercising faith. Faith and reason have always been meant to work together. They are not antithetical.

Is there a danger of Christians becoming overconfident in themselves? With any profession comes a certain degree of risk. Bankers can become greedy and make money into their god. Celebrities can become vain and make their own reputation into a god. Philosophy is no exception, and knowledge can become the philosopher’s god. A danger of idolatry does exists. This fact should not dissuade the Christian from pursuing philosophy because this is a danger in every field, professional or otherwise. The Christian philosopher must put his relationship with God first as all Christians must.

Some may wonder, “Is philosophy found in the Bible?” The answer is yes. Remember, philosophy literally means “loving wisdom.” When God gave king Solomon a choice of whatever he wanted, Solomon chose wisdom.(1 Kings 3:5-14). God was pleased with this choice, and He blessed Solomon with riches, power, and a long life because of his decision. Would the same God object to someone desiring wisdom today? Solomon would go on to write the book of Ecclesiastes - the Bible’s most philosophical book. In the book of Hosea, God would sadly say “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.” Does this sound like God wants His people to be ignorant and unlearned? Surely not! Obviously, this does not mean that every follower of Christ must become a professional philosopher. God has different tasks for people with different abilities. God has created some people with an inclination to academics. This gift should not be discouraged by a believers’ family or church. How many young men and women have been deterred from using the great minds God gave them for Christ, because their church family dampened their enthusiasm? How many others grew cold towards the things of God because their church family acted ignorantly? What about intelligent people interested in Christianity? What will they think if no Christians have adult answers to their questions? The fact of the matter is that some of the most brilliant minds in western history have been Christian philosophers. Thomas Aquinas, René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Samuel Clarke, John Locke, Edmund Burke, and C. S. Lewis were all philosophers. Faith and reason are not at odds. Christians have traditionally understood that they need reasons to support their beliefs. The problem may be that Christians are afraid to look hard at the evidence for fear of having their childhood faith snatched away. Yet, if one believes Christianity is true, then he should expect that the evidence will support it, and indeed the case for Christianity is a strong one.

Why should someone study philosophy? Philosophy, as an academic discipline, has frequently been reviled for being impractical. Scoffers have noted that philosophy neither puts bread on the table nor clothes on the body. Thus, many practically minded people view philosophy as a waste of time. The value of this discipline depends on how much one values truth. If all one cares about is food and clothing then he would do well to avoid philosophy. However, most philosophers concur with Aristotle who he said, “All men by nature desire to know.” Even the person who views philosophy as useless believes that it is true that philosophy is useless. The conclusion is unavoidable. Truth is intrinsically valuable to human beings. While studying philosophy does not guarantee that a person will reach the truth, it builds a mental framework that is conducive to that end. Philosophy helps people be analytical in the way they think. It also makes people consider the reasons why they hold what they hold to be true. Philosophy is a very practical aid to evangelism. Imagine what would happen if believers employed it. Philosophy would help believers to understand the people they are witnessing to. Evangelism would become comprised of fewer verbal assaults about hell-fire and damnation, and more of carefully planned presentations of the faith.

Could philosophy enhance one’s knowledge and understanding of God? The answer is absolutely yes. Many believers feel their worship has been greatly benefited by studying philosophy of religion. These believers say they have a clearer understanding of who God is. God has revealed things about Himself so that humans may know Him better. Many Christians believe the doctrine of the trinity cannot be understood, and that it must be accepted on faith alone. Surely God wants Christians to know the basics about Him. Most Christians who say such things about the trinity have never even attempted to understand it. While these believers’ hearts are right, they are ignoring Jesus’ commandment in Matthew 22:37. In this verse, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Note that He said this was the greatest commandment. While man may never understand every facet of the trinity, he can understand enough to see that it is coherent. Unfortunately, due to lazy theologians, this beautiful part of God’s nature has been neglected. Additionally, philosophy can be used to correct false doctrine. Of course, the Scripture is where Christians must draw their theology, yet well-meaning believers disagree on points of theology that are less clear in the Bible. Open Theism, the belief that God is blind to the future, can have a biblical case made for it. Open theists will use passages such as Exod. 32:14, Num. 14:12–20, and Deut. 9:13–14 to show that God changes His mind. Classical theists will respond with clear verses, which affirm God knows all things, such as Isaiah 46:9-10, Hebrews 4:13, and Psalm 139:4. In a debate like this, no one is denying the Bible’s authority. Rather, people are focusing on different passages to make their case. Philosophy can aid scripture in such a debate. If one believes, for example, the Ontological argument for God’s existence is valid, then he agrees God must be maximally great. Therefore God must know everything, or else He would not be God. This is one of countless examples where philosophy can aid theology. The point must be stressed that in Christian theology, philosophy can never override the teachings of the Bible, but it can certainly help with problematic passages.

As with everything else, philosophy is tool that can be used for good or evil. The mere fact that some people have abused philosophy for evil purposes should not dissuade Christians from using it for good. Philosophy is an important field of study in which Christians are currently making an unexpected comeback. It would be unfortunate indeed if Christians were to short-circuit their last remaining fortress in academia.

Bibliography

 William Edgar, and K. Scott Oliphint, “An Introduction to the Thought of Alvin Plantinga,” Last edited April 25, 2017, https://www.crossway.org/articles/an-introduction-to-the-thought-of-alvin-plantinga/

 Norman Geisler, Christian Apologetics, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013) p. 133  

C. S. Lewis, “Learning in War-Time,” in The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (Orlando, FL: Macmillan, 1980, rev. and exp. ed.), 28.

Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998) p. 228

 J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with all Your Mind, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1997) p. 35-37

 Paul Copan, A Little Book For New Philosophers, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016) p. 20

 Aristotle. (350 BC) Metaphysics. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/metaphysics.1.i.html

Paul Copan, That’s Just Your Interpretation, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001) p. 122 Quentin Smith, “The Metaphilosophy of Naturalism,” Philo, 4:2 (2001); available from http://www.philoonline.org/library/smith_4_2.htm; Internet; accessed 03 March 2018.