quaerentes.net

Just an interesting point to ponder: what is the relationship between scripture and reason in christian doctrine?  Many would simply say that scripture takes precidence over our own understanding always.  Unfortunately this presupposes an understanding of scripture in the first place and proper interpretation.  Ought our understanding, then, of scripture necessarily agree with our understanding of the world in general, and of the things that science and philosophy can speak to?  If there is a contradiction between how we understand the Bible and what our reason says logically must be true or false, ought we to throw out reason and logic?  I would have to suggest that our interpretation of scripture, and indeed of any book of wisdom, must be consistent logically with itself and the external world.  There are two ways to make mistakes here, however.  One is an incorrect understanding of the world or logic, and the other is an incorrect understanding and interpretation of scripture.  Sad as it is, most Christians do not really understand much about their own scriptures, much less about logic and philosophy.  The argument is that theology and philosophy kills the “heart” in favour of the “head.”  The question must be asked, however, how would one know what action to take without using reason in some capacity?  Really it boils down to the same idea as the hedonists: do whatever our desires tell us to do.  This is what the philosophers call the “animal life.”  We become less human by this since it is our special ability to reason abstractly that is what separates us from the animals in the first place(ie. the image of God).  I have heard it said, in fact, that if we desire something then it must be good since scripture says all desires come from God, or something to that effect.  This is clearly preposterous since we regularly desire things which end up not being good for us, or we desire to have to much of something, etc.  Proper scriptural interpretation must focus primarily on reason, logic and language, not on a vague notion of “heart.”  I hink it also means that if there is something that we can see is proven in science or logic, and our interpretation of some passage in scripture does not agree with this, then we must reexamine our interpreatation of that passage, not simply reject what science or logic says on the grounds that it contradicts with scripture.  Most of the time it doesn’t, it only contradicts with out limited understanding of it.  If there is a true contradiction then that would mean that there are either two modes of truth(ie. that truth in scripture need not make sense) or one or the other is not true.  Realistically very few Christians today have the ability to make this judgement, and that is a failure of education I believe.