Big Questions Answered
by Ted Slater on 12/16/2009 at 2:21 PM
So last night I went with my sister-in-law to our church's young adults meeting. I was talking with a guy, who over the course of our conversation mentioned that the guy over there was a pretty deep thinker. He read Heidegger and Kierkegaard, my new friend explained.
Suddenly, I was transported back 20 years, to when I immersed myself in philosophy, restlessly struggling to find meaningful answers to the overwhelming questions I had, and eager to explore new questions that these philosophers introduced.
It was a rich time, reading Sartre, Unamuno, Pascal, Wittgenstein, Aristotle, Plato, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, Hegel, Rousseau, Hume, Barrett, Tillich, Buber, Barth, Emerson and Thoreau, Augustine and Aquinas, Lewis and Chesterton and Schaeffer and McDowell. And Heidegger and Kierkegaard.
I remember the intense conversations I had with some of my friends, questions about what was real and what was important. I remember finding a quiet corner in one of the buildings on campus, looking through a window down on students and faculty as they made their way along the sidewalk below, thinking about the meaning of my life and theirs. I remember one night going with Rodney to a nearby church, sitting near the front of the darkened and empty sanctuary, calling out for God to reveal Himself. The cry of my heart was to know, to really know.
Over time, I found myself struggling with fewer epistemological questions. These days I don't so much care about knowing whether I really exist. I don't fret about where all this came from. I don't lose sleep pondering whether there really is such a thing as absolute truth.
My philosophical studies have been helpful. They've helped me work through significant doubts and questions, and have give me a better appreciation for God and the breadth and depth and mystery of His creation. In the end, the mental exercises have pushed me toward the Creator, and to His Son.
Now, I find that life in Christ has not merely addressed the deep questions I've had for years, but has calmed my unsettled mind. A sovereign God exists, Christ has reconciled me to Him, and my eternal destiny is determined. And such knowledge has given me a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Though I enjoy a good philosophical discussion, deep down I am no longer as driven as I once was; I'm no longer as restless. The Lord has given me a peace about who I am, what's really real, what's of significance, and where I'm going.
1. Philip said the following at 2:28 PM on Dec 16:
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If this were Facebook, I would 'Like' this.
2. BDB said the following at 2:40 PM on Dec 16:
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One my my professors, Peter F. Drucker wrote both on management and society. He was perhaps the best in the world at tying together how technological advances resulted in turning points in economic history, such as how the invention of the stirrup resulted in the military-agricultural complex that supported knights in armor, and the perfection of the steam engine in 1776 coincided with the social revolutions in the U.S. and France.
Buried in one of his books, I forget where, was a discussion about how some thinkers, like Marx, Max Weber Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky really grappled with the difficult social and economic issues.
But Drucker also suggested that one had to be a Dostoevsky or Kierkegaard to do so without going insane. I remember thinking that those two, like Drucker, were Christians, which maybe kept them from falling off the intellectual edge...
3. EKB said the following at 2:42 PM on Dec 16:
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"I'm no longer as restless. The Lord has given me a peace about who I am, what's really real, what's of significance, and where I'm going."
Sounds like Augustine: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
Not sure if that was deliberate, but nice. :)
4. beck said the following at 4:52 PM on Dec 16:
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Ted, you're my hero today for mentioning Unamuno. Mad props.
5. Emily said the following at 9:05 AM on Dec 17:
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Thanks, this was nice to read as I had just hopped over to Boundless on a study break. Today I am at my seminary library preparing for an apologetics final. I am spending the day reading Cornelius Van Til. Van Til is very philosophical and difficult to understand, but he loved Jesus. At my seminary we love to discuss the philosophical and theological issues, but I am so grateful for my professors and fellow students who strive to keep the gospel first.
6. Leah W. said the following at 10:15 AM on Dec 17:
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Questions from a non-deep-thinker,
Well, not really "non-deep-thinker" just not "as deep". :)
Do you think that a person can have a real and true depth to their faith if they have questioned that faith, but haven't read all the philosophers?
I'm not trying to be confrontational. I'm really just thinking out loud--and was kinda curious. I was raised in a Christian home, had my own "crisis of faith" around the age of 17, and believe I now have a very strong faith base--that has been shaken but not broken throughout my life. But when I've tried to read the deep thinkers of the past I'll go ahead and admit to having my mind wander more often than not. I've read Lewis and even some other more contemporary teachers and preachers, but sometimes in the older stuff I get "lost in the language" and end up not getting much out of the writings! Now, understand, I really do enjoy reading things that challenge not only my spiritual walk but my mind as well! So it's not me doubting my ability to grasp their texts--I know I can, and do... occasionally. :)
So I guess my real question is this:
If you have a good Biblical foundation, but find some commentaries and old sermons boring, are you losing out on more of Christ?
I know we build on the faith of our fathers, and those who have gone before, which I guess is why this has got me thinking--deeply again. :)
Thanks!!!! (oh, and suggestions would be appreciated. I've done the whole "random-selection" of good authors, and those are generally the ones I get lost in. :D)
I'm not restless, just wanting to push myself out of my comfort zone. :)
7. Ted Slater said the following at 11:42 AM on Dec 17:
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Leah W. (#6) -- most of Jesus' best friends were "uneducated, common men," but they were wise because they simply spent time with Him.
While I think I'm better off for having studied philosophy, I do not think it's necessary. I know a good number of people with a faith that is authentic and deep and strong who haven't read Aristotle or Sartre or Zacharias.
Philosophy is of some value, but in the end I think we should consider it all rubbish compared to knowing Christ.
8. Nicole said the following at 12:17 PM on Dec 17:
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I just took my college philosophy class about a year ago, and I loathed it.
I'm not saying it isn't important to learn, although I think many Christian college students can be led astray in secular philosophy courses. It gets them over-thinking and some of the philosophers can start to make sense to young people who are already weakened by the temptations that occur when merging into young adulthood. When we're struggling to make our faith our own, instead of our parents', etc.
I just had no patience for these philosophers. They seemed so know-it-all-ish, even though what they were trying to prove is that nobody knows anything. But what kind of life is that, I asked myself? You spend your whole life trying to figure out what life is, you don't come to any conclusion, and then you die. I know I'm oversimplifying it, and possibly being a little snarky (I apologize for that). I think the main thing that really peeved me was that my professor seemed to think that all these philosophers somehow "proved" that God doesn't exist because there's no "proof" that he does, which got on my nerves, because the philosophers spent all their time trying to figure out if you could really prove anything at all. When he would say things that implied this, the entire classroom would nod in agreement and blind trust. I'm ashamed to admit, I didn't raise my hand and stand up and defend my faith. I probably should have.
God didn't make us so that we could ponder about life, thinking that we'll start living it when we figure it out. He made us so we could live it. In fact, I just opened up my Bible's concordance to find an appropriate passage on life, and there's a whole page of the word "life" appearing in the Bible. We are alive beings. But, one I happen to really like is Luke 12:25 - "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" These words are in red in my Bible. How simple, yet how true. These philosophers seem like such empty beings to me. They are not alive, as we are.
So, while I believe that there are benefits to studying philosophers, not the least of which is apologetics, I think that it can be a waste of time, because God gave us all he thinks we need to know in the Bible. If it's not in there, we don't need to know, and if we do, he'll tell us some other way.
(P.S. You wonderful people at the Boundless blog must get annoyed at me, I always leave such long comments. Due to a timing thing, I am not able to attend a small group through my church, so I'm leaping at this chance to participate in any sort of discussion.)
9. BDB said the following at 1:06 PM on Dec 17:
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Leah W - I'm reminded of advice that Elisabeth Elliot gave to an aspiring writer who wanted to be a mom first: take time to read. She assured the future writer that it should not be a barrier that it seems like everything worth saying has already been written. What usually happens is that each generation re-discovers the same truths. Many people read in contemporary authors ideas that are really much, much older.
Not everyone has the patience to read all the old classics. For some, it is a calling, because they will then take that which is eternal and translate it into the language of their generation.
10. Matt L said the following at 1:22 PM on Dec 17:
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I happen to love deep theological conversations, but at the end of the day I think Paul said it the best:
"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1Cor 2:2)
We sould strive to get a solid grasp of that because all else is miniscule by comparison.
Thanks for the article!
11. Lizzy said the following at 5:29 PM on Dec 17:
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Those who never rebelled against God or at some point in their lives shaken their fists in the face of heaven, have never encountered God at all. ~Catherine Marshall, Christy, 1967
12. Eddie Ssemakula said the following at 6:16 AM on Dec 18:
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Am reading this on the last day of office work this year 2009.
And i can verily say it takes the award of "Best blogpost 2009".
Thanks Ted
"But they were wise because they spent time with him"
13. Ted Slater said the following at 10:09 AM on Dec 18:
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Lizzy (#11) -- that's kind of a truistic quote, in my opinion. We've *all* rebelled against God. That's our default state. And though most of us haven't *literally* shaken our fists at Him, we all have resisted Him.
I do have to say that there's nothing honorable in "shaking your first at God." I hear some people say that as though they're bragging about their being "authentic" or something.
That said, God does prefer we be either "hot" or "cold," and not lukewarm....
14. Leah W. said the following at 2:14 PM on Dec 18:
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Ted & BDB,
Thanks for the feedback. (It made me feel less like a slacker! :D) And while I'll probably try to push myself to concentrate a *lot* more the next time I'm reading a deeper thinker, I won't feel so bad when I walk away feeling like I didn't get as much out of it as I should have. :)
I just don't want to miss out on any dimension of Christ just because I didn't want to put forth the effort. :)
15. BDB said the following at 3:31 PM on Dec 18:
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Leah W - I thought of something else that addresses your question more specifically. George Müller was one man who actually believed God was directing him to set aside all the theologians and commentaries and focus on studying the Bible and praying. God used him in powerful ways, particularly in caring for orphans. You may find his autobiography worth reading. He documented many, many answers to prayer.
16. k.k. said the following at 10:44 AM on Dec 19:
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@Leah....I feel you! I have the same struggles. I try to read the deep stuff and get bored or thrown off by some big word that causes me to have to stop and look it up in the dictionary! lol So, you are not alone! I tend to lean toward reading more books on practical Christianity (how can I apply this to my life or share this with others to help them.) I sometimes feel a little out a place when I'm in a conversation with several "learned" folks who can use that type of jargon and I chime in with my one little sentence which is to the point! lol
@BDB I agree, God gives us different gifts and I appreciate those who can understand the "deep stuff" so they can help me out. But, I think sometimes people can get so caught up in it and they forget how to relate to those who don't have that type of intelligence. Or, they tend to idealize things and think people should respond in a certain way in a situation and not sympathize with how they feel.
17. BDB said the following at 2:43 PM on Dec 19:
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k.k. (#16) wrote:
>> Or, they tend to idealize things and think people should respond in a certain way in a situation and not sympathize with how they feel.<<
Well, yes. But from some perspectives, that's a good thing.
C.S. Lewis notes in a few of his books that the post-modern age we are living in tends to elevate "Sentiment" to the highest value. People are encouraged to focus on their feelings. In previous eras this was not the case - they were taught to set their feelings aside and do their duty.
Consider the case of Capt. Chesley Sullenberger who successfully landed an airliner on the Hudson river, saving the lives of all aboard.
The Ancients would look at his case and see that he spent years embracing the discipline of training, honing his craft. When the moment of decision came, he was able to demonstrate the virtue of Courage, neither becoming paralyzed by fear nor taking rash foolhardy actions. Even we post-moderns hail him as a true hero.
The Moderns of the enlightenment would point to how cooly he reacted, particularly as captured in the conversations with air traffic controllers; "We'll be in the Hudson." Here is a man who used reason to govern his emotional passions.
So, were the ancients right about virtue? Were those people on the Hudson saved because Capt. Sullenberger put his fear aside and did what needed to be done?
18. Leah W. said the following at 7:33 AM on Dec 21:
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BDB,
I never knew about Muller's theology (only about the faith.) :D. Thanks! It helps to see that he actually laid the books aside. :) (Granted he probably did so with a lot less confusion than I had; but it was comforting nonetheless.)
k.k.
I guess a lot of it does come with a passion for deeper thinking (which I give kudos to those who have that!) But like you I feel uncomfortable talking with people who are more "read up" than I am. And they usually take the conversation from theology to philosophy where I loose my footing. And it's in those times I hear a little voice (one that I think sounds like the apostle Paul :D) that says "I was all things to all men. Why aren't you?" (conviction not condemnation, mind you!) grrrr! It just irritates me that I *don't* know that stuff--and I think "I can read that, too!" Then I go break out the big books and before long start thinking, "Do I really need this?" Which was what I got to thinking when I read Ted's post. (Only in a good way! :D) And it just got me wondering what my own lack of interest was costing me.
19. BDB said the following at 2:16 PM on Dec 21:
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Leah W - you can read the classics of philosophy much easier than all the subsequent secondary works. If you start with Plato's Republic (I prefer the Allan Bloom translation) and Aristotle's Nicomachian Ethics and Politics it's amazing to see how old some of the ideas are that animate our discussions today. People don't realize that the are regurgitating ideas that are hundreds - or thousands - of years old.
I choose not to listen to the shrill radio and TV commentators of or day because their policy analysis is so terribly shallow. The biggest advantage of reading the old books is that it makes one immune to the trendy winds that blow through media today.
Of course, if the people around one are carried to and fro by the shallow tide, those who are focused on the questions of enduring significance with seem out of step. It's hard to jump on the bandwagon if the bandwagon seems to be frivolous!
20. Leah C said the following at 8:40 AM on Dec 22:
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Ted wrote "Philosophy is of some value, but in the end I think we should consider it all rubbish compared to knowing Christ."
This why I will never be a Christian. My education is ridiculed and made fun of. I have an MA in History. To a Christian that is considered a waste. I've been told it is especially terrible because I am a woman and I 'just need to know Christ'.
I guess I do not consider intelligence, learning or knowledge a waste. Clearly I am very unChristian
Thanks for pointing that out
21. Leah W. said the following at 10:33 AM on Dec 22:
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BDB,
Thanks! I think I might have these in an old philosophy text book from college. :) i'll have to see if i can delve right in! :)
I think you actually hit on my real fear: If I don't read at least *some* older stuff, will my Christianity not have depth?
I think this has actually been in the back of my mind for a while, but Ted's post *really* made it come forward!
I'm so thankful for Boundless!!!
(Viva la "iron sharpening iron"!) :D
Thanks for everything, ya'll!
:)
22. Ted Slater said the following at 1:23 PM on Dec 22:
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Leah C (#20) -- I think you're misunderstanding the point I was trying to make.
I am not ridiculing education. I've earned two bachelor's degrees and two master's degrees. During grad school, one of my professors called me an "overachiever" -- of course, that's probably the reason I completed my graduate studies with a 4.0 GPA.
Leah, I affirm learning. I affirm philosophy. I affirm mental engagement.
The thing is, compared to these wonderful things, relationship with the Lord is even more wonderful and meaningful.
23. BDB said the following at 2:13 PM on Dec 22:
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Leah C (#20) - you're saying two completely different things.
Education is not a waste.
One can argue that the humanities, such as Philosophy and History, have become so anti-Christian and liberally biased that they are not as valuable as they used to be. Many students have realized this and those majors have dwindled on some campuses to almost no students.
There was a time when the humanities were focused on honest inquiry and critical thinking. But by the time I got to college, those fields were entirely populated by professors who were hostile to any kind of Christian faith. At the undergraduate institution I attended the departments had been taken over by determinists who would grade down any student who believed in free will.
This attitude did no exist in the political science department, which recognized that there are problems in the word that are insoluable. The instead taught students to organize and present evidence for what they believed, not just regurgitate the anti-Christian bias of the professor. The secondary literature is even worse than the classics of Philosophy, which are still worth reading.
Leah W - separate from Philosophy, it's useful to read the biographies of great Christians. The decisions in life that they made are just as important as their philosphies or theologies. In fact, I think that part of the reason Philosphy and Theology seem so irrelevant is that they are so far removed from the reality of people who were experiencing the issue in the first place.
24. BI said the following at 9:34 AM on Dec 28:
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BDB, 23
That’s why in order to get a good grade, one has to find out what the teacher wants and then just do the work the teacher wants. Most of the times, this involves learning by heart the teacher’s lectures, notes, the approved textbook and other materials whether one likes them or not. Very rarely, a student will be valued for his creativity or originality in challenging the status quo and questioning what his/her teacher says. Very rarely, one will have teachers who will encourage creativity and originality in the classroom together with diversity of student’s opinions regardless of the teacher’s own opinions. After all, a teacher is there to teach students what s/he knows best – whether this means critical thinking and diversity of different points of view or it means teaching his/her own narrow approach to the subject matter. What we do then in life with the acquired knowledge in the classroom and the grades given to us is another issue.
25. BI said the following at 8:54 AM on Dec 29:
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Ted,
Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus so much? Surely, they knew the amazing things this common man was doing: healing the lepers, giving sight to the blind, making the cripple walk, saving children from death, and many other wonders. Surely, they knew the amazing way Jesus was preaching to the people about the coming of God’s kingdom drawing so masterfully quotations from the Bible (the OT). Surely, they knew everything that Jesus did and said – his miracles and wisdom. However, they were looking for a different kind of wisdom and different kind of miracles.
The Pharisees regarded the sick, the disabled, the lepers, the blind, the suffering and the poor as people who deserved their lot in life because of either their own sins or their parents’ sins. The Pharisees did not feel any compassion or empathy towards these people as they saw their struggles and suffering as a just punishment coming from God. In a similar fashion, they saw themselves as better than all other people especially these lowly people and that’s why they treated others condescendingly and presumptuously. They saw their own power and wealth as justly given to them by God because they were more deserving than others. Hence, this was the kind of God the Pharisees were actually worshipping, and around this God they were building their whole theology using parts of Scripture twisted under their own interpretations. Hence, they would focus on the verses that would boost their egos and belittle other verses which contradicted their worldview and mindset.
Hence, when Jesus came to restore the dignity of the poor, the sick and the broken by performing great miracles, this contradicted the whole theology of the Pharisees and even worse threatened their reputation. Jesus had no money or social status or power, and yet he did miracles, and he preached with great zeal and wisdom and many people followed him. Moreover, Jesus opposed the Pharisees by quoting Scripture wisely and revealed the true character of God – a compassionate and loving God who did miracles in order to help people, especially the ones who were poor and broken. However, the teachers of the Law, the Pharisees, could not see this in Scripture. They did not see the purpose of the Law for the good and benefit of all people but they saw its purpose only for their own good. Hence, they saw Jesus only as someone who was ruining their reputation and opposing their theology. However, Jesus in their eyes was a nobody, a person who did not have any education, money or social status, but he was only a troublemaker who threatened their reputation and status in society. Hence, they did not see any value in him, but hated him deep in their hearts and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Have you ever felt threatened by someone who was attacking your faith or your beliefs? Perhaps, the other person did not want to attack us but we perceived his words and actions as a personal attack on us and our reputation. And even if he did, how should we respond to him? We certainly should not defend our faith, because we and God know who we are in the faith, but we should seek to reconcile in love and truth. And I am not talking by simply pretending to be cordial and polite, but to actually feel this way inside our heart – to be full of love and forgiveness even when someone questions our own faith and beliefs. Jesus did not call us to pretend to be cordial and be polite with others, but to clean the inside of the cup first – he warned us that a murderer is a person who hates with his heart not only the one who actually commits the crime, and an adulterer is a person who lusts in his heart. Jesus knew that only God could fill the emptiness inside of us so we would not need to feel anymore animosity, hatred, envy and other negative and destructive passions towards others, as we find everything we need in God’s love. The secular society is interested only in how we appear on the outside but God is actually concerned with our heart because there only He can see us as who we are.
However, some people mistake the expressions of emotions themselves as something evil. They think that everyone should be restrained and not show much emotion. The problem, however, is not with the expression of emotions by others, but what is inside the human heart – whether it is a desire to hurt others or selfishness which only cares for pleasing itself. Destructive passions are still destructive even if they are concealed. However, without emotions, we would not be able to feel indignant at injustice, we would not be able to cry sympathetically and be broken-heartedly when we observe the suffering of others, and we would not be able to empathize even with the pain and struggles of widows and orphans as well as with little kids starving for food. Just imagine, if Jesus was a little less direct with the Pharisees and he was not that passionate when he called them “snakes and brood of vipers” and when he chased the merchants away from the temple; if Jesus could just not emphasize so blatantly that he was the Son of God, perhaps the Pharisees would not pay attention to him and not try to kill him. Perhaps, then no one would have remembered Jesus and people would quickly forget what he taught and did for them. However, Jesus chose to do the will of His Father – he had to die, as a sacrifice, without having done anything wrong, so that He can be remembered and become our Lord and Savior who would bring many, many souls to His Kingdom.