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PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS

WITH ALL YOUR MIND

PART ONE: MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE

CHAPTER ONE: KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW GOD (Part 2)

Pages 24-25

Paragraph 2 on p. 24:
According to Woodfin "truth claims are expected to meet the needs of ____________."

Think for a moment why this is true. Philosophy seeks to understand first of all ultimate reality. If I tap into ultimate reality, shouldn't it be realistic? In other words, wouldn't it work out in real life? Do you see the connection between ultimate reality (God, ultimate truth) and reality (the world as it is).

This claim is going to cut out a lot of different speculative ideas. For example, is communism the way we should live? Well, Soviet Russia practiced it for 70 years and it was an unmitigated disaster. On the other hand, U.S. capitalism has been thriving now for the past 200+ years. It's had some downturns; however, overall it's been a raging success. Whatever philosophy you adopt, you need to make sure it works out in real life.

At the top of p. 25 Woodfin says that we first come to a realization of a certain truth. Then we seek to find out what behavior or actions harmonize with that truth. According to Dewey which hypothesis is the true one?

According to Woodfin intuition is not enough. It alone cannot bear the full burden of proving whether or not a certain idea is true or not; you also need pragmatism (does it work?). On the other hand, what is the problem of taking a stictly pragmatic approach?

At the bottom of p. 25 Woodfin discusses the third element of knowing whether something or not is true, the rational/reflective experience. According to Woodfin reasoning "is capable of receiving and projecting _____________ _____________________ between _______________ and thus extending knowledge beyond the conditions of possible experience."

"Various relationship between ideas" is the key phrase here. You can come up with an idea, and it might work; HOWEVER, it totally conflicts with every other area of truth. If you have tapped into ultimate reality, it should be realistic in that it will work in real life. Not only that though, this bit of knowledge should agree with other areas of knowledge in the real world.

C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity claims that one of the reasons we know Christ rose from the dead is that nearly every ancient religion believed that God would die and rise again. The resurrection of Christ is not something we only "feel" to be true, it also produces a wonderful life in those who accept Jesus as Savior and LORD. Moreover, it agrees with other areas of knowledge: the ancient myths about the dying and rising gods (world religions), the fact that nature dies and rises from the dead every year (biology).

A CHRISTIAN THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

Pages 26-27:
According to Woodfin if we are going to know God, we are going to have to know Him like we know other truths, through the intuitive, pragmatic, and rational/reflective channels. Moreover, since God is a person, we will know Him through a manner analogous to "__________________ or ______________ among persons." Although God may be suprapersonal, what is He not?

P. 27-28:
First, we look at the way we know God intuitively. Take one of the Scripture passages Woodfin quotes and explain how it shows that we know God intuitively. (Nathan, Matt. 16; Courtney, John 20; Tim, Rom. 8; John, 1 Cor. 2).

In other words, there is this inward feeling or awareness or confidence that when Jesus claims to be God, we know it to be true. We are inwardly compelled to believe what Jesus claims about Himself.

Bottom of page 28-p. 29:
We have this inward compelling feeling that Jesus is truly God. That is the intuitive channel through which we know God. Pragmatism asks, "Does Christianity work?" First, we come to the awareness of the character of God (intuition). This "Christian experience produces ______________ people." If our knowledge of God and His character produces God-like people, then we have met the requirement of pragmatism.

John 1:1, 9, 12 refer to the pragmatic approach. What happens to those who receive Jesus?

Other verses which appeal to pragmatism as proof:

John 7:17 "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching whether it is from God or from Myself."

2 Cor. 3:3 "Since you seek for proof of the Christ who speaks within me and who is not weak toward you but mighty in you."

Heb. 11:6 "He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

Top of page 30:
One of the NT examples of pragmatism is Barnabas. How does his life show that God changed him and that the world itself is not the explanation for the way he was?

Woodfin cites 2 examples from church history to illustrate the pragmatic element in Christianity. How is this element seen in the life of Justin Martyr?

How is the pragmatic element seen in the ministry of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church?

Page 31:
Some people claim that Christians only act like Christ because they believe Christ to be truly God; HOWEVER, they also claim that this does not necessarily make Christianity true. They do have a point. HOWEVER, "reality is not merely at the disposal of of what one believes to be true, but has its own way of _______________ or __________________ various models or systems of belief." For example, so many systems rise and fall; however, Christianity keeps moving forward. Why do these other systems collapse and yet Christianity keeps growing? Could it be that ultimate reality (God) is supporting Christianity and rejecting these other systems of thought?

Bottom of p. 31:
The intuitive and pragmatic approaches are not enough. Christianity must also be rational/reflective. According to Woodfin to a certain degree revelation is an "____________ to his rational autonomy. Yet at the same time, the need which revelation has to be received ___________ is evidence not only for the value of the rational/reflective human capacity but also for the ___________ quality of God's revelation."

Page 32:
Woodfin uses Paul's sermon in Acts 17 to illustrate Paul's use of the rational/reflective approach. Paul uses reason to demonstrate that Jesus is truly God the Son. First, he shows that the Athenians are illogical in their approach to God.

Pages 32-33:
Second, Paul shows the logic of the Christian message. It is free from contradiction.

God made heaven and earth; therefore, He is lord over heaven and earth.
Therefore, God does not dwell in houses made by human hands.
God has made all mankind to seek Him.
All men are ultimately responsible for their knowledge of Him
God, therefore, is going to judge all people on the basis of what they should have known about Him.
God will use Jesus on a fixed day to judge all people. God has proved that Jesus is the Judge by raising Him from the dead.

Pages 33-34:
Now reason does not prove Christianity is true. Paul claims that God rose Jesus from the dead. If He did, then Jesus is truly the Judge. If God did not raise Jesus from the dead, is Paul's reasoning logical? But is it true?

Paul is not only confident of the historicity of Christ's resurrection, but is also convinced that the gospel possesses its own inherent ____________." I still like Lewis' argument the best. We read about the death and resurrection of Jesus and sense that it is true (intuition). (We also see historical evidence also to support it.) Next, we die to ourselves so that Christ may live a resurrected life in us (pragmatism). Third, I see death and resurrection in nature through the death and resurrection of nature each year; I also see death and resurrection play a prominent role in the ancient myths of the dying and rising gods (rational/reflective).

ESCHATOLOGICAL VERIFICATION

Page 35:
The Greek word "eschaton" means "last." Verification means proof or demonstration. Easchatological verification means that in the end it will be proved to be true. The eschatological verification of the Christian faith means that in the end Christianity will be proved to be true. How will the end prove Christianity to be true? When Jesus returns in clouds of glory, then we will know beyond all doubt that Jesus is truly God the Son.

Is all this talk about eschatological verification just merely pie in the sky? Is it irrational talk? Woodfin refers back to the story of the garden. Does the story of the garden prove that a gardener exists?

The present story of the garden does NOT prove the gardener exists. However, suppose one day the gardener showed up in the garden. Would his showing up proved that he existed?

If the gardener did show up, would it be illogical to say that the gardener DOES exist?

The bottom line is that a lot of people who claim to be Christians also claim that Jesus has entered their lives and made them more like Him. That gives us confidence in the belief that one day Jesus will return and finish in our lives what He has started.

Page 36:
What is the basic problem in epistemology?

According to Christianity we come to know God by coming to know Jesus. According to Christianity when we come to know Jesus, then we can claim we know God. Woodfin says though that Christianity produces an "epistemological __________ or inversion." In other words, to a real degree I must accept Christ before I can understand Him. First faith and then knowledge.

Page 37:
According to Woodfin I must first become like a little what before I can know God?