Secular, worldly unbelief. I think Christians often allow the bar to be set much too low. Much of Christian theology, for example, especially those that have taken shape in the natural theology forest, allow the skeptic’s unbelief to dictate the types of questions the theologians seek to answer. Primary of which are observed in Thomas Aquinas’ Prima Pars (first part) of his Summa Theologiae. Here, Thomas seeks to answer the questions of God’s existence, and whether or not it is coherent to believe that God exists (like a generic God; albeit, in Thomas’ context this would be applied to the Christian God simplicter, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case for him). Once Thomas felt that he had sufficiently answered the skeptic’s arguments, about what God is; he then proceeded onto other matters—which would entail the Trinity, the Church, Justification and all other theological matters. It isn’t really the order of theology, per se, that is problematic with Thomas’ method (although I would qualify and say: that the order is bereft because it starts with a Monadic conception of God; even so, it starts with God, just from the wrong place). But the fact that he feels compelled to first prove “a God’s” existence, and then only after that apply this “proven God’s” existence to some of the more Dogmatic questions of the Church has a highly disordering effect after all.
So, the above is an example of how I believe, at a high level, theology can take its cues and categories from the wrong unbelieving people; and then, of course!, end up with the wrong theological and biblical conclusions. But I think this happens to each and everyone of us, as Christians (at least those attempting to walk as intentional Christians), as we are constantly bombarded with the wares of our Secular Age. As the Apostle Paul counters, even as he is referring to the false teachings and antagonisms of the Pseudo-Apostles in Corinth:
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
I am looking at the principle embedded in the emboldened section in particular. Wherever these “speculations” are coming from, whether it be from Joe Pagan at work, or if it be Plato in the heavens, we are to discern such things for what they are, and “take it captive” unto Christ. The simple point I am drawing on is that it is a spiritual battle to ensure that the way we think God, as Christians, is only taken from, and in an immediate way, from God who has spoken to us (and speaks to us) in His Self-revelation in Jesus Christ. Even if there are hallowed traditions, some might call it the Great Tradition of the Church, without any further explication (i.e., it just is), these traditions themselves are always subservient to the reality of Holy Scripture, the theology of the Word, Jesus Christ. And this is the battle we face, on the daily, as Christians. This applies to all Christians, in one way or the other. We are faced with unbelief all around; that’s what this evil age entails. But we are to be more vigilant than theologians of glory, who seek to synthesize the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of the cross. Indeed, we are to be theologians of the cross; and by the wisdom of God, which is the cross of Christ, we are to recognize these false speculative and flighty ideas about God, even if they have many solid layerings and accretions of traditions behind them, in the name of the Church, and test them, in the face of Christ and the triune God, to see if they be so.
This is a prayerful way though.
“…it is a spiritual battle to ensure that the way we think God, as Christians, is only taken from, and in an immediate way, from God who has spoken to us (and speaks to us) in His Self-revelation in Jesus Christ.” Amen… and amen.
For… “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’ “
“But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority (the efficacy of his own power) to become children of God, who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.”
“Joe Pagan” ! (sounds like a podcast).The point you raise is so important Bobby for our witness / applogetics. God has spoken a clear and transparent Word once and for all in his Son. By his Spirit He still testifies to that Word (personally at all times through everything without exception since the world was made in and through and for him and for the purpose of redemption). When Joe Pagan asks whether there is a god he asks a question against this reality. That is from a suppression of the Spirit’s witness to Jesus that presses upon him and so he imagines an idol. We as Christians mistakenly begin inside the question with its presuppositions rather than inside the answer in Jesus Christ that Deus dixit. If we concede the ground of the very question we begin in the wrong place. There is a place for wisdom but it is the wisdom of the apparent foolishness of the cross and the theologic of God’s actions in time and space declaring what he is in himself and will be in all eternity. One God, Father Son and Holy Spirit now and forever amen.It’s a discussion with Joe Pagan, yes, but not a debate. The matter has been settled from the foundation of the World in Jesus the slain Lamb.
@RichardB, amen!
@RichardS, yes this: “When Joe Pagan asks whether there is a god he asks a question against this reality. That is from a suppression of the Spirit’s witness to Jesus that presses upon him and so he imagines an idol. We as Christians mistakenly begin inside the question with its presuppositions rather than inside the answer in Jesus Christ that Deus dixit.”
Christian Fundamentalism is one example of allowing the detractors of Christ to dictate the terms of the discussion. Hasn’t been a good footing for us evangelicals, and yet it is still pervasive.