"Gach smuain a-chum ùmhlachd Chrìosd" (2 Corintianaich 10:5)

Faith and Reason: The Relationship Between Theology and Philosophy: Where does one begin a discussion about such things? 

As you consider the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, the sea, what have you concluded? As you consider your own existence, what assumptions have you made? Do you believe that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”?

Did God put you, and everything else there is, there? Or, did it all come into being by some other means? Is reality perhaps all just a projection of your own mind, or a projection of someone else’s mind for that matter? 

To ponder these kinds of subjects is to enter into the sciences of Theology and Philosophy. Therefore every thinking rational being is a theologian and a philosopher - after a fashion.

The crucial question we need to answer is this: Are Faith and Reason mutually exclusive? Are Theology and Philosophy autonomous exercises? Or is there a unifying factor – something that unites Theology, Philosophy, Faith, and Reason? 

In the following we shall seek to demonstrate that whilst it is healthy to make distinctions between the disciplines of Theology and Philosophy, both are dependent upon revelation of and from the Triune God. 

Defining Terms

The Christian Theologian, Philosopher, and Apologist Cornelius Van Til says: 

Philosophy, as usually defined, deals with a theory of reality, with a theory of knowledge, and with a theory of ethics. That is to say philosophies usually undertake to present a life and world view. They deal not only with that which man can directly experience by means of his senses but also, and ofttimes especially, with the presuppositions of experience. In short, they deal with that which Christian theology speaks of as God. On the other hand Christian theology deals not only with God; it deals also with the world. (“Apologetics,” p. 23).

If we have understood Van Til correctly, Philosophy seeks to present a philosophy of life, i.e., a “life and world view.” And to do this Philosophy needs to deal with at least three main issues: a) Reality or the Metaphysical, (i.e., the “What is?”) b) Knowledge or the Epistemological, (i.e., the “How do we know what is?”) and c) The Ethical, (i.e., How should we then live in light of a and b?”)

Philosophy, then, as Van Til has alerted us, in a nutshell deals with how we should live our lives according to what we know about reality. Thus we acknowledge that there is a practical aspect to Philosophy. Philosophy is not all thinking and knowing. It is also doing. Thus men tend to behave according to their philosophies, i.e., according to their life and world views.

Again, thinking of what Van Til has already said, that which man experiences through his senses necessarily includes what he presupposes about these experiences. Thus Philosophy builds its world and life view upon knowledge gained from information received by and through the senses. But the subtlety is that man has prior assumptions about the information he is receiving.

Theology, i.e., Christian theology, holds that that which the Philosopher is directly experiencing through his senses is revelation of God. Therefore, as far as Christian Theology is concerned, man experiencing the five senses - seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting –– is man experiencing God. Thus, if there is a difference between Theology and Philosophy it is that Christian Theology is the science that works to produce Christian concepts, whilst Christian Philosophy is the science that reflects upon these Christian foundations and applies them. 

The point being made is that there is a sense in which both sciences (Christian Theology and Christian Philosophy) are dealing with the same thing. Both are working with revelation of God. Christian Theology seeks to categorize and systematize that revelation. Christian Philosophy seeks to ponder it and apply it.

Thus we see that Christian Theology and Christian Philosophy are two distinct but related disciplines. They are distinct in that Theology produces and categorizes concepts, and Philosophy thinks these concepts through, and builds a life and world view upon them. Theology and Philosophy are related because each is dealing with revelation of God. Yet, importantly, neither one is subordinate to the other because both are equally valid ways of dealing with revelation. Indeed, they compliment each other, and of necessity, must borrow from each other. Whereas Theology deals with man’s scientific knowledge of the Creator, Philosophy deals with man’s scientific knowledge of creation.

Thus, though Theology and Philosophy have their own distinct spheres, they interpenetrate and overlap each other. Van Til notes the distinction and the relationship where he says:

Philosophy and science deal more especially with man in his relation to the cosmos and theology deals more especially with man in his relation to God. But this is only a matter of degree. (“Apologetics,” p. 27)

The theologian is simply a specialist in the field of biblical interpretation taken in the more restricted sense. The philosopher is directly subject to the Bible and must in the last analysis rest upon his own interpretation of the Word. But he may accept the help of those who are more constantly and more exclusively engaged in biblical study than he himself can be. (“Apologetics,” p. 37)

C. Stephen Evans also notes the intimate relationship between the sciences of Theology and Philosophy thus: 

Although some would make a sharp distinction between philosophy and theology, there is substantial overlap in the questions each treats. One way to distinguish between the two is in terms of their audiences: A thinker who is speaking to a religious community and can presuppose the authorities recognized by that community is doing theology. The same thinker addressing a broader community may be doing philosophy. (Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion p. 92)

Though we believe in a ‘practical theology’ we believe John M Frame goes a tad too far in the following statement:

The best way to define theology, in my view, is as the application of the whole Bible to the whole of human life. Theology is not an attempt to articulate our feelings about God (Schleiermacher), but neither is it merely an attempt to state the objective truth, or to put the truth in “proper order” (Hodge), for Scripture already does those things perfectly well. Theology is, rather, teaching the Bible for the purpose of meeting human needs. It answers human questions, tries to relieve doubts, applies texts to life-situations. (Studying Theology as a Servant of Jesus, see internet). 

In this view the hippopotamus of Theology has swallowed the camel of Philosophy. But we hold that the application of the whole Bible to the whole of human life belongs to the sphere of Philosophy and not Theology. For Philosophy, as our definition has already noted, deals with life and world views. Therefore, Christian Philosophy is the thought-through application of Christian Theology. However, we wholeheartedly agree with Dr Frame that the whole Bible needs to be applied to the whole of human life.

As already alluded to, there is also an added and real danger that if we adopt the view of Theology as stated by Dr Frame we will have subordinated and subsumed Philosophy to Theology. Thus Philosophy simply becomes Jonah reflecting in the belly of the great fish of Theology. The flaw in this view is that it implies that we are to build our world and life view solely upon God’s written revelation. 

Though at first blush this sounds noble and pious, the subtlety is that it would seem to ignore and discard the revelation of God He supplies to all men through the things He has made. Man experiences this revelation of God through his senses. This is what Calvin calls man’s ‘sense of deity.’ To be sure, God’s Word is the spectacles through which man needs to look in order to clearly see God in nature (to use another of Calvin’s terms). Yet men do know and do learn about God through the things God has made (Psalm 19; Romans 1:20&21). 

The Bible, for example, mentions the rainbow, but does not explain what colours to mix to make green. The Bible mentions bronze, but not what metals to mix to make bronze. To talk of mixing colours to paint and mixing metals to sculpt is to talk about art and metallurgy. Aesthetics and engineering are just two areas cultural man needs to continue to explore. And as he explores these and other areas, he will be confronted with revelation of God at every turn.  

Thus empirical knowledge is still revelation of God needing to be philosophically pondered. Theology does the cataloguing, putting it, as Hodge says, in its “proper order,” and Philosophy does the pondering and applying. They must work together. The reason being is that, if you separate them or subordinate or subsume one to the other, Christian man runs the risk of granting non-Christian man autonomy from God. For fallen men readily uncouple Philosophy from Theology and discard the latter. 

We see this in our own age in the way that Faith has been separated from and even divorced by Reason. 

Faith & Reason

We have seen what Theology and Philosophy have to do with each other. They are distinct but interconnected. But what do Theology and Philosophy have to do with Faith and Reason? It is commonly thought that Faith and Theology are on one hand, and Reason and Philosophy are on another hand, but that these two hands can never shake. 

This is to say that Faith, as viewed by some, involves itself only in the supernatural, whilst Reason encounters only the natural. And, it is not an overstatement to note that Faith and Theology are, derogatorily, seen by some as dealing in fiction, whilst Philosophy and Reason deals only with fact.

Science today has come to mean that which deals only with the natural, that which deals only in fact. Therefore modern ‘science’ is thought of as that which deals only with physical things. Thus modern ‘science’ is equated with Reason, and religion, regardless of whether it is Christian religion or not, is equated in the modern mind with Faith.

It is widely believed that Faith and Reason are incompatible in that they are thought to deal with different things. However, we have already taken note that both Theology and Philosophy are dealing with revelation of God whether that revelation comes written in a Book or through the things God has made. Faith and Reason deal with the same revelation of God. 

Here is the rub: All men reason according to presupposition. Which is to say that even those who engage themselves in scientific study base their results on assumptions. Their conceptions are based upon their preconceptions. Assumption is simply Faith by another name. Thus all men conduct their scientific study according to Faith. 

Greg Bahnsen was a disciple of Cornelius Van Til, father of what has come to be known as Presuppositional Apologetics. Dr Bahnsen says, ‘For Van Til, like Augustine, reason is not the platform (precondition) for faith, but vice versa.’ (Greg L Bahnsen ‘Van Til’s Apologetic’, p. 54) Van Til, therefore, like Augustine before him, pulls the rug of Reason out from beneath the feet of those who believe in neutrality in scientific study.

If Faith were built upon Reason, and not the other way round, then man would be autonomous and Reason would be the measure of all things. This is, of course, the prevalent Philosophy in today’s West. Reason has become estranged from Faith and has filed for divorce. If this divorce is permitted to come through man will effectively set up himself as his own god. 

It should be clear by now that unbelievers’ Philosophy, (i.e., their life and world view) is built upon their Faith and not upon their Reason. Reason is simply the foxhole from which fallen man attacks the revelation of God, which constantly bombards him on all fronts.

Getting Ready To Give A Defence

In order to function, man must operate upon presuppositions. Hence it is Faith not Reason that undergirds all of man’s thinking. It is Augustine’s “I believe so that I can know.” and not Thomas Aquinas’ “I know so that I can believe.”

Ralph Allan Smith, utilizing a quote from the philosopher Bertrand Russell, spells it out in clear terms, “[René] Descartes apparently forgot the obvious: ‘The child learns by believing the adult. Doubt comes after belief.’ Faith is the real starting point for thinking, the question is, which faith is true?” (The Harmony of Faith & Reason: Why Believe the Bible? berith.org) 

Whereas the Christian presupposes God, and has faith that God is the measure of all things, the non-Christian presupposes man, and has faith that man is the measure of all things. Thus the Christian’s Faith is in God and the non-Christians’ Faith is in man. But for man to function properly, he must begin with the God of Scripture. Even God begins with God in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. Whether they are Christian or not, Theology and Philosophy are two mirrors held up to catch the light of God. 

Take the ancient Greek philosophers. Take Plato and Aristotle, for instance. Did they begin with God? They spoke about a “first cause” and a “prime mover” which they referred to as a god. But they didn’t start with the Triune God of Genesis 1:1. And what about those other non-Christian philosophers such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant? Did they start with the God of Genesis 1:1? Again, we have to put them into the same room as Plato and Aristotle. We shall call the room the “reason” room. All these great thinkers began with the human mind. When they asked the questions: What is knowledge? What is reality? What is good? They all began with themselves instead of the God who was staring them in the face.

So, are we saying that the reasoning of all these men is man-centred reasoning? Yes!  But this is not to say that they were not great thinkers. Neither is it to suggest that we cannot learn a great deal from them. For that would be to deny Common Grace. 

There is God’s Special Grace to God’s elect and there is God’s Common Grace to all mankind. Likewise, there is Saving Faith, and there is General Faith. Saving Faith comes through the written revelation of God, and General Faith comes through the things God has made, including man himself.

Without the written revelation of God man would ever only remain like the man who tried to pull himself up by his own bootstraps. “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity.’” Futility! For man cannot reason beyond himself. He cannot reason beyond his own mind. He can only imagine what his own mind imagines. Man cannot imagine the unimaginable.

Some would say that this is where Faith comes in. That Faith is Reason extended. That Reason is the submarine and Faith is its periscope extended. They would say that Faith helps us see beyond ourselves. But does Faith pick up where Reason leaves off? Apparently this was the reasoning of Joseph Butler and René Descartes. However, this is to suggest that Faith upholds reality. Do the heavens and the earth really exist only because man thinks?

May the rationalism of Butler and Descartes be supplemented by the empiricism of Hume and Kant? Is man able to use an empirical telescopic arm to probe beyond his own rational mind? Alas! When man is presupposed to be the measure of all things, all things are then made to fit man. But the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Therefore if all things begin with God, man too needs to begin with God, and Faith and Reason need to begin with God. The God who has revealed Himself in Scripture is the meeting place of Faith and Reason, Theology and Philosophy. True Christian philosophy begins with the Triune God who reveals Himself through the things He has made, and verbally by His Scriptures.

A Calvinistic Life & World View

The only safe and sure defence against the onslaught of man-centred theologies and philosophies is God-centred Calvinism. Semi-Pelagian Roman Catholicism and Arminian Protestantism have granted fallen man his much sought after autonomy from God. They have done so by removing the sovereignty of God in man’s salvation.

In this the well-meaning Roman Catholic and Arminian have granted fallen man a solid platform of neutrality upon which he can stand and from which he can quietly cast his line into the ocean of reality and catch whatever fish or god he so chooses to land. 

The answer to this is the sovereignty of God in every sphere. Every sphere of every mans’ endeavour must have the Triune God as its sovereign. This is the Calvinistic life and world view. This is the Philosophy of Calvin. Abraham Kuyper’s famous line: “Oh, no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry ‘Mine.’” (James D Bratt “Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader” p. 488) This needs to be applied by all Christians in all spheres of life. 

Indeed, the Calvinist Abraham Kuyper developed “Sphere Sovereignty” to apply the claims of the sovereign Christ in every sphere, be it Family, Church, State, Politics, Education, Art, Science, Theology, Philosophy, etc. etc. BB Warfield puts it this way, “[Calvinism] begins, it centers, it ends with the vision of God in His glory: and it sets itself before all things to render to God His rights in every sphere of life-activity.” (“Calvin & Augustine” p. 292)

Man is not autonomous and there is not a square inch of neutral ground upon which he can stand and hurl abuse at God. He must be given no excuse for denying the God who made him. He suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness by denying the revelation coming to him through all his senses.

There are only two types of men: Covenant keepers and Covenant breakers. Romish and Arminian Theology erroneously allows for a third category – ‘the undecided’ (i.e., the ‘Agnostic’). Thus they have opened up the floodgates and deep dark waters are filling the land. Only consistent Calvinism can reclaim the land by draining the swamps of neutrality and filling in the mudflats of autonomy. Indeed, BB Warfield boldly asserts, “It may be contended that the future, as the past, of Christianity itself is bound up with the fortune of Calvinism.” (“Calvin & Augustine” p. 300)

Have we any reason to believe that Christianity can be ‘Calvinized’? And has Christianity therefore any reason for optimism that God will in time Christianize and ‘Calvinize’ the whole world? Theologically we know that God bombards all men everywhere with revelation of Himself. Philosophically we need to ponder this concept and apply it. 

The late great Calvinist Christian Apologist Cornelius Van Til has already done this for us by consistently basing his apologetic upon the Calvinist life and world view. Presuppositional Apologetics is simply Biblical Faith defending Biblical Faith against humanist Faith. Van Til’s reasoning is firmly grounded in the reality of the Trinity. Being three Persons in One God the Triune God is the original One and Many. 

Unity and Diversity are in perfect harmony in the Trinity. And since all creation, especially man, reflects its Maker all diversity is harmonized by acknowledging it as a reflection of the equal ultimacy in the Godhead. Each Person in the ontological Trinity is sovereign in His own sphere. None is subordinate or subsumed by any of the Others. Neither is the One subordinated to the Many, or vice versa.

Apply this principle to Theology and Philosophy and you will be able to see why we do not wish Theology to swallow up Philosophy, or Faith Reason. Each must remain sovereign in its own sphere. None are to be neutral or autonomous.  Like the Trinity, each must interpenetrate the others and borrow from them.

Conclusion

The late Greg Bahnsen has done the Christian Church a great service by collating the writings and clarifying the teaching of Cornelius Van Til. The Church would do well to continue to further develop, i.e., cultivate and apply the groundbreaking labours of Dr Van Til. Let us conclude with a quote from Bahnsen:

         It could be said that Van Til has labored to rid our thinking about apologetics, theology, philosophy, and evangelism of misleading dichotomies between them - polarizations that serve to overlook the ethically qualified character of man's every intellectual ability and effort.  There are to be no other gods before the face of the Lord (according to the first commandment, Ex. 20:3), no other authorities over our thinking that detract from submission to the revealed word of God.  The Lord's claim upon us, even upon our thinking and reasoning, is absolute and unchallengeable - just because He is the Lord (Rom. 3:4; 9:20; 11:33-34). Therefore, "take heed lest there shall be anyone who robs you by means of his philosophy, even vain deceit, which is after the tradition of men, after the rudimentary principles of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8). In that light, we must not artificially separate positive statement (theology) from its defense (apologetics), or separate the appeal for mental change (evangelism) from the intellectual reason for such change (apologetics), or separate general reflection upon conceptual foundations, (philosophy) from the particular content of Christian concepts (theology, apologetics). Van Til rejects each of these dichotomies in order that our thinking and scholarship will not be divided into two phases, the first being autonomous and religiously neutral, and the second being submissive to Christ and biblically faithful.  For Van Til, like Augustine, reason is not the platform (precondition) for faith, but vice versa." (Greg L. Bahnsen "Van Til's Apologetic: Readings & Analysis", P & R publishing, 1998, p 54)