Let’s Think

Too busy to blog.  Not that big a deal, really.  I’ve had so much going on and so little time to collect my thoughts, I haven’t even desired logging in here to stare at the screen with few words coming to mind worthy enough to put on the page.

I’m in my second week of school, taking Systematic Theology and Christian Philosophy.  The reading and lecture content is intellectually stimulating and, thankfully, edifying spiritually.  Bruce Ware has a passion about him that bleeds through his lectures and while watching him it would be impossible to argue that this man does not truly believe what he’s teaching.

Ted Cabal is the philosophy professor and I do believe this is the course I will likely enjoy the most.  While Systematic Theology is itself challenging and rewarding, there is much about the course, in terms of the categories and concepts discussed, that I already understand, have studied, or simply considered without putting into words.  (I don’t mean to say that this makes the course boring or that the course will be a breeze – far from it.)  There are nuances to the subject matter that I’ve never considered and this course will assist me in thinking about deep truths of the Christian faith that were developed in the history of the church but are often overlooked.  The philosophy course, on the other hand, is full of material I’ve only ever read about superficially.  The terminology is familiar but now I’m getting into the meat of the history of Christian philosophy and thinking that directly impacts in many ways how we live out our personal relationships with Jesus Christ.

One of my assignments for this course in Christian philosophy is to read and critique various philosophical essays, some Christian, some atheistic, and others that equivocally acknowledge deity but do so in postmodern terms.  I may post small portions of my responses to these essays, or perhaps present the arguments laid out in them and see what you think about them.  What’s important to me is not that anyone responding to them would provide a “right” answer, but that Christians might develop more critical thinking skills and recognize that Christians need not fear using the mind to analyze philosophical and theological arguments – of course, doing so prayerfully.  We stand on the bedrock of truths that correspond with reality – God exists – and no argument, however cleverly crafted, will negate their veracity.

Of course, the danger in studying Christian philosophy, which is oftentimes incorrectly re-termed simply as “apologetics”, is to think that to know answers to tough arguments against the Christian faith is a sure fire method of winning converts to Christ.  Don’t fall into that trap.  The regeneration of souls is solely the work of God.  If he so chooses to use such a means of bringing someone to Christ as your conversation, praise him for giving you that privilege, yet do not think for one moment that it was simply your astute refutation that brought about such a result.  It is no guarantee.  We are commanded to be faithful and be ready.

…but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.