Worldview Analysis. How Philosophy Aids Christians Research Paper

For centuries, perhaps even dating to the original compilation of the Bible, it has been recognized that the Good Book has a number of inconsistencies and ambiguities. This introduces the element of uncertainty into any interpretation and forces faithful and unfaithful alike to seek another means of bringing their lives into sharper definition.

This sharper definition is essential to truly live the enlightened life of the faithful, as one must have a clear idea of one’s beliefs and their basis if one is to live in harmony with them, but the problem remains how to attain the necessary clarity. Philosophy has arisen as the answer. In their book, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, JP Moreland and William Lane Craig outline the various ways in which philosophy has helped bolster the Christian worldview.

To start, the authors illustrate how philosophy provides doubting hearts with better ‘proof’ of God’s existence than that offered by the assertions made in the Bible itself. While many Christians tend to look upon philosophy as a practice that attacks the faith and is thus an enemy, Moreland and Craig suggest that it is only through philosophy that the questions thrown up against Christianity can be answered. Understanding the Christian perspective from a philosophical point of view not only helps the Christian understand his own faith better, but enables him to engage in thoughtful conversation with others, believers or non-believers, on a more intellectual and therefore supported level. “Make no mistake about it. Ideas matter.

The ideas one really believes largely determine the kind of person one becomes. Everyone has a philosophy of life. That is not optional. What is optional and, thus, of extreme importance is the adequacy of one’s philosophy of life” (11). Although the authors admit that the use of philosophy has tapered off in recent years as the church continuously backs away from it, they offer up several historical references in which philosophy has been actively employed by leaders of the church, including John Wesley, as a means of supporting their doctrine.

Each of the six parts of the book explores how some element of philosophy affects or supports the Christian worldview. The first segment is epistemology. Basically, epistemology refers to the study of knowledge. As they discuss the seeming contention between science, which depends upon certain logical proofs, and religion, which operates almost exclusively on faith, Moreland and Craig illustrate the need for a more scientific or ‘proved’ consideration of the basic tenets of faith in an increasingly globalized world in which many faiths must co-exist.

One the primary stumbling blocks in attempting to come to an intellectual understanding of faith remains lodged in the realm of skepticism. As the authors launch into a more detailed discussion of this, they offer foundationalism as a possible solution and illustrate verificationism as merely a self-refuting logical loop.

Rather than deny the fascinating possibilities of metaphysics, Moreland and Craig embrace the study of the inner essence of things through another entire segment. This branch of philosophy considers such ideas as the dualism between mind and body suggested by Descartes and the more recent ideas that have been brought forward as a response to increased scientific understanding. For example, physicalism, the idea that the soul cannot exist because the individual is actually a sum of its physical parts and the impressions they receive, is presented and rejected with metaphysical ‘evidence’ regarding what happens after death.

This discussion also explores the concepts of determinism and free will that eventually works its way around to proving that life after death is a distinct possibility as much of the human personality is not actually based upon the physical sensations, but instead on the metaphysical impressions, thus housing the soul somewhere independent from physical extinction.

Moving from the world of pure thought into more active science, the authors also bring forward the scientific method as it applies to defining the Christian worldview. The philosophy of science is highly concerned with the question of realism/anti-realism, but the authors point out that the elements measurable by science are not necessarily all of the elements that must be considered in determining the truth.

Because these elements, as has already been shown, exist within the metaphysical and therefore immeasurable realm, this method cannot offer the types of irrefutable proof that it promises either. The only two things that the authors hold as constant are time and space, but the fact that they are not able to convincingly argue their support for their particular theories highlights the difficulty of attempting to develop a hard and solid scientific understanding and reinforces the authors’ contention that only philosophy is capable of addressing the questions of the modern age.

The book ends with a consideration of ethics and theology. Although the opposite has been argued by scholars everywhere, Moreland and Craig assert that there are some universal ethical and moral absolutes. They point out how numerous cultures have certain taboos against unwarranted killing, even though the rules regarding what constitutes warranted killing are sometimes flexible. They reject the concepts of utilitarianism, in which ethical decisions are made based upon the end consequences alone rather than the means taken to get there.

Although the end goal of this approach is to bring about the greatest good for the largest number of individuals, the authors suggest the only true path is to adopt the deontological point of view in which each action is judged in and of itself as they are tempered by virtue ethics, in which people make decisions based on what a virtuous person would do. The final discussion regarding theology is then an attempt to bring all of these ideas together into a coherent message of having logically proved in the probability of God.

Throughout their discussion, Moreland and Craig present compelling reasons why philosophy should not be considered the enemy of Christianity, but rather its buttress in the modern age of skepticism, cynicism and widespread intellectualism. The old excuses of ‘the Bible tells me so’ are no longer sufficient reasons for a thinking public to believe in something they cannot see, feel, hear, touch, taste, smell or even fully be proved to exist at all. However, philosophy, in all its branches, continues to point out those areas in which belief in God is not only possible, but can emerge as the most logical and probable response. By studying philosophy, then, the true Christian can gain a more complete understanding of his or her own faith and have a better chance of helping others understand it as well.

References

Moreland, J.P. & William Lane Craig. (2003). Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downer Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.