a christians view on epistemology

a christians view on epistemology插图

For the Christian,truthis not simply a list of material laws guiding the universe,or of morals and values informing the conscience of man,but truth is a person,who is the embodiment of all truth and life. Epistemology is an area of philosophy examining how we arrive at truth and exploring the nature of truth itself.

What questions does epistemology ask?

Epistemology is the study of knowledge, asking questions such as: “what is knowledge?” and “how do we know something?”. For human geographers, an appreciation of epistemology is important in order to critically assess the reliability of knowledge developed in the discipline, but also in understanding how knowledge plays an active role …

Is faith an epistemology?

In fact faith as an epistemology hardly enters in here; it’s an attitude of trust, not a method of gaining knowledge. The vast majority of the epistemic work is done in the realm of ordinary knowledge. Faith comes in only as a conclusion drawn out of the result of that kind of epistemic work.

What are epistemological questions?

Some questions frequently discussed by epistemologists include:What can we know?How can we know it?Why do we know some things,but not others?How do we acquire knowledge?Is knowledge possible?Can knowledge be certain?Why do we believe certain claims and not others?

What is Christian ontology?

Christian Wolff defines ontology as the science of being in general. He sees it as a part of metaphysics besides cosmology, psychology and natural theology. According to Wolff, it is a deductive science, knowable a priori and based on two fundamental principles: the principle of non-contradiction (“it cannot happen that the same thing is and …

How many prophecies did Jesus of Nazareth fulfill?

Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled over 300 messianic biblical prophecies (including 62 major prophecies) in His first coming. These prophecies that predicted details of the life of Christ were written in the Old Testament hundreds of years before His birth.

What did the proofs of the Gospel give the disciples?

These proofs gave the disciples a strong epistemological basis for belief in Christ. They would go on to spread the message of the Gospel at great personal sacrifice and many of them were eventually tortured to death for their faith. Sacred writings of other faiths have very few or no predictive prophecies at all.

What is the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge?

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy which deals with knowledge. Epistemology is the analysis of the certainty of what we claim as truth. Many brilliant philosophers have spent lengthy careers defining knowledge and certainty.

What does Psalm 118:22-23 say about the Messiah?

Psalm 118:22-23 predicted that the elders (builders) of Israel would reject Him. Zechariah 12:10 describes how Israel shall look at the one “whom they have pierced” and will mourn for Him and there will be a national embrace of the Messiah by Israel at His second coming.

Which religion has the strongest supernatural witness?

In short, the biblical Christian faith has better fulfilled prophecies than any other of the world’s religions. The religion with the best supernatural witness is the religion with the strongest truth claim.

Is the Bible a predictive book?

The Bible, by contrast, contains thousands of predictive prophecies that have been fulfilled down through history and some are being fulfilled in our own day. The prophecies and their fulfillments prove that God inspired the writing of the Bible. The prophecies are like God’s signature on His holy book.

Do Hindu scriptures contain predictive prophecies?

The Koran’s prophecies are very few in number and vague in content. The Hindu Vedas contain no predictive prophecies at all to my knowledge.

What is the significance of epistemology in Christianity?

What Is the Meaning and Significance of Epistemology in Christianity? For the Christian, truth is not simply a list of material laws guiding the universe, or of morals and values informing the conscience of man, but truth is a person, who is the embodiment of all truth and life. Epistemology is an area of philosophy examining how we arrive …

What is the truth of the postmodern worldview?

That is an objective and absolute truth. In the post-modernist’s worldview, it can’t be an objective truth.

What Is the Meaning of Post-Modern Concepts?

The post-modern world we live in makes discerning truth from falsehood difficult for many. Not because truth is elusive, but because post-modern thinkers have changed the parameters of what truth is.

Why Does This Matter?

Our duty as creatures of intellect and reason is to search out truth, and once it is discovered, to give it intellectual assent, as well spiritual assent when applicable. For Christians, truth is very important.

What does the postmodernist claim about truth?

While the postmodernist would claim that truth is invented by men, the fact of the matter is that truth is external to man and is something that is discovered, not made by the whims of individuals.

What is the conundrum of postmodernism?

The conundrum this presents for the postmodernist is that, if indeed there are no objective moral values, and we can’t critique the morals of other people or nations, then the post-modern has no basis for offering an opinion on such things as the Holocaust, human trafficking, slavery, racism, or any of the multitude of atrocities nations have committed against subjugated people groups.

What is the postmodernist view of morality?

In the area of morality, the post-modernist insists that morals are mere cultural constructs or personal opinions, and therefore lack any objective character, so people are free to reject any moral code they see fit. In fact, we also can’t be critical of the morals, or lack thereof, of other people or nations.

What is the foundation of epistemology?

What is the foundation for epistemology? Science and deductive reason, by which means one may acquire knowledge, presupposes that the universe be logical and orderly and that it obeys mathematical laws consistent over time and space. Even though conditions in different regions of space can be radically diverse, there nonetheless exists an underlying uniformity.

What is epistemology in mathematics?

In mathematics, for instance, it is knowledge that 1 + 1 = 2, but there is also knowledge of how to perform mathematics. The second is personal knowledge.

What is epistemology in philosophy?

Epistemology deals with the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge. It addresses the questions, "What is knowledge?" "How is knowledge acquired?" "What do people know?" "How do we know what we know?" "Why do we know what we know?"

Does epistemology deal with belief?

Epistemology also deals with statements of belief. Knowledge entails belief, and so one’s statement of belief cannot conflict with one’s knowledge. Conversely, knowledge about a belief does not necessarily entail an endorsement of its truth.

Is personal knowledge experiential?

Personal knowledge is gained experientially. For example, the theoretical knowledge of the physics involved in maintaining a state of balance when riding a bicycle cannot be substituted for the practical (personal) knowledge gained when practicing cycling. Epistemology also deals with statements of belief. Knowledge entails belief, and so one’s …

Is "I know about Islam but I do not believe in it" a coherent statement?

For example, "I know about the religion of Islam, but I do not believe in it," is a coherent statement. Belief is regarded as subjective, while truth is regarded as an objective reality, independent of the individual’s beliefs or experience.

How do unbelievers learn?

Unbelievers learn things through sensory experience and rational reasoning just like believers. But in order for their beliefs to be justified, they would require some reason to trust their sensory organs, and their thinking process. If the Bible were not true, there would be no reason to trust in such things. [4] .

What is the truth of God?

But unbelievers sometimes scoff at this definition and attempt to refute it by asking, “How can you possibly know what God thinks?” But, of course, this question is easy to answer: revelation. God has revealed some of His thoughts to us and He has done this in numerous ways. Most specifically, God used men to write a book that expresses His thoughts, namely, the Bible. Do you want to know what God thinks about something? Read the Bible!

What would happen if the Bible was not true?

God, as revealed in the Bible, is the ultimate foundation for all human knowledge. If the Bible were not true, we could know nothing . We might have beliefs, and some of them might even be true, but they could never be justified apart from the biblical worldview. Many beliefs are justified only after the fact.

What is the definition of truth?

Truth is not only those things spoken by God, but anything that corresponds to God’s mind. Something is true if it is something that God would say. Anything that God affirms or would agree with is true. This definition of truth is no doubt bothersome to those with a secular worldview.

What is the meaning of the Logos?

The Logos (Word) of God is the expression of His mind. And since Jesus identifies God’s Logos as truth we have a non-circular, biblically-based definition of truth: truth is that which corresponds to the mind of God. This applies to the person of Jesus who, as God, corresponds perfectly to the mind of God.

What does the Greek word "logos" mean?

The Greek word translated “word” in these passages is “logos” which means the expression, utterance, or voice of a conception or idea.

What is the study of knowledge and how we know what we know called?

The study of knowledge and how we know what we know is called epistemology . People know lots of things. But what exactly is knowledge and how does it relate to truth? Suppose Kelly says, “ I know the Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic Ocean.” In saying this, Kelly is affirming something. First, her opinion regarding the claim is positive. She believes that it is indeed the case that the Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic. So knowledge is a type of belief – a positive mental attitude toward a proposition.