DB_Faith and Reason

docx

School

Arkansas Tech University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

515

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by jschalow

Modern psychology has helped us to understand that the values and beliefs, or presuppositions of an individual, drive the behavior or actions of that individual. Therefore, in order to make genuine and lasting changes to behaviors and actions, the thought process based on presuppositions must be addressed. For example, if said individual begins to take on a posture of obedience, this would indicate that they have adopted a belief system that has affected their presuppositions in a way that influences this obedience. Therein lies the importance of the relationship of faith and reason. Faith is one of the most important concepts in the whole New Testament and encompasses an abandonment of trust in one’s own abilities and a complete reliance on the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. It requires a complete reliance upon and obedience to God. 1 However, this understanding does not address how to engage the logical part of human existence with reasoning. In fact, it could be argued that in recent times, the two have been separated in order to encourage the thought that when faith is chosen, it is in spite of reasoning, therefore producing a heart or emotionally led, anti-intellectual approach to spiritual encounters. However, we understand this type of thinking as a fallacy contrary to human design and contrary to the design of the Christian faith. According to Moreland, the problem within the local American church can be mitigated through faith and reason based apologetics. He goes on to assert, “Apologetics is a New Testament ministry of helping people overcome intellectual obstacles that block them from coming to or growing in the faith by giving reasons for why one should believe Christianity is true and by responding to objections raised against it.” 2 However, intellect alone is incapable of saving anyone. Nevertheless, intellectual understanding, measured by what an individual knows about Christianity, God, and the Bible, is the foundation of saving faith, rather than human will or emotions. 3 In the book of Romans, Paul issues several challenges to believers to engage their faith with their intellect, including when he taught “for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom 8:5). We see clearly here that the mind is the gateway to our faith, and where it is set, there we will follow. 1 Leon L. Morris, “Faith” in The New Bible Dictionary , ed J.D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962), 291. 2 J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2012), 20. 3 Elmer Towns, Theology for Today , eds Michele Baird, Maureen Staudt, and Michael Stranz (Mason: Cengage, 2008), 455-456.

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