Why Philosophy is Significant to the Christian Faith

Philosophy has nothing to do with Christianity does it? Many claim that the two have no connection. I have heard it said that as Christians, our sole ambition should be to preach the gospel; or in other words, such subjects as philosophy should not be studied because it does not aid in the gospel. However, in this essay, I will prove that philosophy is vital to Christianity, that Christians use it on a daily basis in their walk with God, and that even a “basic” thing as sharing the gospel is dependent on philosophy. I will show the significance of philosophy by revealing that God commands us in the Bible to be philosophical, that philosophy is a necessary component to both theology and apologetics, and that philosophy can be used on a daily basis in the Christian’s life.

The Bible will be our starting place in finding whether philosophy should be part of Christianity. In the Old Testament, Moses gave the second generation of Israel various laws that required obedience in the Promised Land. One of those commands was this: “ Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:4-5) In the New Testament, Jesus responds to a lawyer’s question, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” by saying, “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”( Matthew 22:36-37). In order to be obedient to Christ, a Christian must love God with his mind.

God focuses on the mind here because it is his gift to humanity. In creating humans, God made them in his image; therefore, he gave them something that set them apart from all other creations: the intellect. Human beings can be said to be rational animals because of this. One definition of philosophy corresponds with this description exactly: the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct(emphasis added). Because humans are rational which comes from the intellect or mind, philosophy by definition also comes from the intellect or mind. It follows then that by loving God with our mind, we are loving God through philosophy.

In addition to these scriptures, other portions of the scripture emphasize using the mind by testing things and examining things before accepting things to be truth. Examples are the following: Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (emphasis added). Having a sharp mind is necessary to understand what God’s perfect plan is. Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” In order to obtain good things, everything must be questioned carefully by the mind. Another critical scripture is Colossians 2:8, which says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Now, many take this verse to mean that we should avoid all philosophies. But this cannot be true, because Paul uses philosophy constantly by arguing for the gospel. What Paul means is that n order to not be taken captive by deceptive worldviews, a philosophy that corresponds with the truth that Christ presented is vital for the Christian. By using our minds critically, testing and examining everything, an adequate worldview can be obtained.

Next, we will tackle the issue of theology and how it relates to philosophy. Although at first glance it may not seem like it, theology is laced with philosophical implications.

First of all, certain theological doctrines use philosophy first hand. For example, when discussing the trinity, we use the words “essence” and “subsistences” to formulate the theory of God being three in one. Both of those words are philosophical terms used to describe being and persons.

Secondly, philosophy is necessary to complete a systematic theology. Before systematizing, an inductive study of the Bible must be done. Induction relies on logic which comes from the intellect and is a branch of philosophy.. In addition to induction, the biblical data relating to God must be connected. This connection is dependant on formulating logical premises. Those premises must follow to make a logical conclusion. This method of philosophy within theology is called a positive construction of Christian doctrine. Third, a negative method in formulating a doctrine also relies on philosophy. The theologian must prove that things that seem like contradictions in the Bible are actually not contradictions. Examples of these contradictions that seem apparent are God being a rock(Psalm 18:2) or Jesus being a door(John 10:7). The theologian must know how to explain these difficulties to those who question them, but this cannot be done without thinking critically and developing logical arguments, both of which are dependent on philosophy.

A warning must be mentioned here when talking about using philosophy to help interpret God’s word. Reason should never take the place of God’s authority. As mentioned before, reason is a gift from God and we are to glorify him by using it. Philosophy is called the handmaiden of theology for that very reason because philosophy is used as a tool to interpret the Bible, not to replace the Bible.

Because philosophy aids theology, it must aid in apologetics since apologetics is a branch of theology. Apologetics defends the Christian faith from attacks from the world. In a sense, it is the Christian worldview against all other worldviews. Apologetics has a basis in the Bible found in 1 Peter 3. There the author calls us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”(1 Peter 3:15-16). The Bible calls Christians to be apologists, to defend the faith against the many attacks from the world.

In order to give a defense for that faith, philosophy is required. C.S. Lewis supports this by saying that, “Good philosophy must exist if only for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” This “good” philosophy focuses on developing solid, reasonable arguments by thinking critically, analyzing, and questioning other arguments. The reasonable arguments will provide concise evidence for the Christian worldview that is more plausible than any other worldview if understood correctly.

Usually when we hear the word “argue”, we think of petty squabbles where no one listens to the other side. However, the type of argument that philosophy focuses on is one that brings logical reasons for the claim which is being supported. Such an argument is not and should not be a petty squabble, which is why Peter calls us to use reason in a gentle and respectful way. By doing this, we can show those who are maliciously attacking the faith without reason and respect that we have presented our argument with honor and respect, and thus they will be or should be distraught over their slander of the faith in Jesus Christ.

Although many Christians may have the belief that theology and apologetics are too lofty of subjects for a layman(although I have shown in the previous arguments that such a belief is not necessarily true since each of us have a theology and use apologetics in some way), philosophy can still be used every day in a dedicated life unto God. Such examples are the following: critical thinking is necessary for weighing the accuracy in sermons, books, songs, and discussions. One must have a correct Christian philosophy if they are to communicate the gospel in Sunday school classes and youth groups. Correct reasoning is needed for interpreting the scriptures as they are to be interpreted. As you can see, in addition to being used in seminaries with theology and apologetics, philosophy can also be used daily in the life of the Christian as he learns, teaches, and studies. One can further such a philosophy by reading books, questioning ideas, and discussing important concepts.

In conclusion, I have shown that against popular belief, philosophy is incredibly significant for the Christian faith because God has commanded us to love him with our philosophically-made minds; because it is the handmaiden of theology which in turn affects apologetics, a branch of theology; and last, but not least, philosophy is referenced daily in the journey of walking as disciples of Christ. Socrates sums it up well, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Without an emphasis on philosophy, the Christian life loses great significance and is not worth pursuing.

These are the resources I used:
Genesis 1:26-27
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophy?s=t
http://www.reasons.org/articles/why-christians-should-value-philosophy-part-1-of-3
http://www.reasons.org/articles/why-christians-should-value-philosophy-part-2-of-3
Norman Geisler's "Introduction to Philosophy"
C.S. Lewis' "The Weight of Glory"
Plato's "Apology, 38a"
This paper was written for my final philosophy paper at Rivendell.