Are Faith and Philosophy Compatible?

 

I am an instructor of Philosophy at a community college in central Kansas. I am also a lover of Christian Theology and—first and foremost—of God. In the short time that I have been teaching Philosophy, I have learned that it is not uncommon for people (Christians, mostly) to see the two disciplines as incompatible, opponents, even. I have had students question more than once how I, as a believer in Christ, can with good conscience teach Philosophy and Ethics at a secular institution.

I happen to believe that Philosophy and Theology work hand-in-hand quite beautifully (for the most part). Of course, there are times when the two must part ways, and there are certainly times when Philosophy simply runs out of logical answers. (And there are times when some philosophies seem to have abandoned logical thought altogether, but that’s another topic for another day!) Those are often the times when Theology steps in and gracefully completes the picture. Not because Theology doesn’t depend on logic—be quite assured of the opposite. Understand, however, that it is not human logic upon which Theology stands, but logic that transcends that of the human mind. And yet, because He is good and kind and merciful, and has placed Himself as one of us, God wraps His God-logic in ideas that the human mind is able to grasp if one is willing to believe that they are possible.

This is called faith.

Not blind belief or suspension of all logical thinking, but a willingness to believe that something different, something higher, is possible.

My hope with this blog is to explore some of the concepts of Philosophy from a theological perspective, looking at them through a lens of Christian faith. Philosophy as a discipline is not evil, it is not corrupt, it is simply the pursuit of wisdom. The word itself means, “the love of wisdom.” Yes, Colossians chapter two warns against allowing your mind to be taken captive by philosophy and deceitful thought. Take heed to this warning and submit each philosophical idea to the authority of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to root out true wisdom from empty ideas but also trust that God as the Giver of All that is Good has given humankind much intellectual insight that is worth exploring.

Romans chapter two tells us that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The partnering of philosophical and theological studies will allow us to do just that. It will require effort, an open mind, and a depth of humility, but in the end, I believe the pursuit will be well worth the payoff.