The Path To God, Part IV

Conclusion: Finding God in Philosophy

We can thus see the steady development of man’s philosophical understanding of God and whether He does in fact exist. There is an instinctive characteristic of man that wants to know something that is beyond, not only himself, but all that his senses perceive. Like Aristotle, we all desire an account of reality that is consistent with logic and order. Like Augustine, we all must find the belief in this Being to truly begin to understand that reality. Like Aquinas, we can reason out our faith and have confidence in the revelation that is known by it.

The Path To God, Part III

Thomas Aquinas: Finding God in Reason

The Augustinian legacy continued on in the Church – impacting the educational curricula of Europe in addition to the way theologians approached the Scriptures.  Yet, by the middle of the 13^th Century, with the re-introduction of Aristotelian philosophy via Arabic scholars, Europe was in need for a change and one ox of a man appeared to have the depth of thought and resources to do it: Thomas Aquinas.  Commonly called “the dumb ox,” this brilliant scholar and philosopher had a profound impact on the course of Western philosophy. 

The Path To God, Part II

Augustine: Finding God in Belief

Centuries later, a North African from the city of Hippo arrived in Milan. He was a teacher of rhetoric and, upon hearing the preaching of Ambrose, the city’s bishop, was convicted of his sinfulness and became a Christian shortly after. Thus began the spiritual walk of one of the Church’s greatest philosophers and theologians. Such is his depth of insight and understanding of the world that the Roman Catholic Church calls him a “Doctor of the Church.” His works – The City of God and The Confessions – have profoundly impacted the Western mind. In many ways, it is his history that defines his philosophy.

The Path To God, Part I

This is a series on the philosophical development of the idea of God in Western Philosophy - particularly pertaining to Aristotle, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. The first part deals with Aristotle.

In the history of Western Philosophy, there are few who stand in such a prominent place as men like Aristotle, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. It can be allowed that Plato, Plotinus, and Philo Judaeus played an equal, if not greater role in its development. In terms of discovering the nature and Being of the One True God, however, these three philosophers stand above the rest. They come from different backgrounds – geographically, theologically, and culturally – and, yet, there is a commonality in their search for the Ultimate Reality that carries a common thread through the history of Western Civilization. It is this search for the One True God and how that impacted their philosophies that set these great minds together.

Never

Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.  Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.  Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.  Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself.  Never." (Wiesel, 44)

Repost: The Meaning of Life

We are everyday surrounded by life. But each and every day, we are also reminded of the painful existence of death. In the wake of one highly-publicized death - Terri Schindler Schiavo - I thought that this topic would be particular appropriate.

Philosophers have tangled with the question, “What is the meaning of life” for hundreds of years, little knowing that the answer had been given in the beginning of time. Genesis 2:7 says, “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

It’s clearly evident the life of a human being is of great value. Not only did God form mankind in a very personal manner (everything else was spoken into existence); not only did He make mankind in His very image; He breathed “the breath of life” into his nostrils. It is important to note here that this indicates that man was given an eternal soul.

The result is also important: “and man became a living being.” This phrase is not used to describe any other creature upon the earth. Men, are indeed, blessed by God and have an unique creation found nowhere else.

The value of man’s life: priceless.

With this in mind, let us examine the Terri Schindler Schiavo case: Terri was a healthy, mentally-capable, human being. She possessed an eternal soul that was given to her by God. She, like every other human being on the face of this planet, was “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Terri was, in effect, a “living being.”

Yet, the cruel hands of men robbed this innocent woman of her inalienable “right to life” and took the place of God. Congratulations, America…you’ve just murdered a special creation of God.

Courageism: The Account Perspective

Note: At the behest of Scott Somerville, I have written the following on “courageism.” It can also be read at Mr. Somerville’s blog, along with other teen blogger’s thoughts.

Courage has a lot of meanings in the world today. Some take it to be bravery - that is, facing our fears. Others believe courage is perseverance - that is, persisting in what we have set out to do. These two primary elements, and others form the crux of courageism (a phrase, admittedly, I’ve never heard up until this day). They form a vital part that is too often lacking in the train of Western thought. Yet, Jesus Christ embodied this perfectly.

Courage as Bravery
It’s almost a stereotypical situation when someone is told that bravery is not the lack of fear, but facing fear in spite of oneself. In the Gospel accounts of Matthew and John, we can see the anguish and fear with which Christ looked forward to His crucifixion. Yet, despite the difficulties, the inevitable pain, He went forward to His Cross with joy and triumphed - redeeming man from sin. In this aspect, we must be faithful - despite our fears, our worries, and the things that it might cost us (in the cases of Christ, King, and Gandhi, it cost them their lives) - despite all of that, we must face it. Terrorism is not a pretty thing and it will not be an easy enemy to defeat (coming from my theological point of view, an enemy that we cannot defeat) but the battle must still be fought.

Courage as Perseverance
Perseverance - continuing what you are doing until the goal is accomplished - is obviously an essential portion of courageism. After all, if we do not have that attitude to finish the job, it’s not going to get done. I am reminded again of how Jesus approached the Cross. Even with the difficulties on the road and the attempts to dissuade him from his disciples, He continued on to Jerusalem. Even when the teachers of the law and the Sanhedrin abused Him and cursed Him, even when brought before the most powerful authorities in the land - Pilate and Herod - He persisted in His silent witness. Even when He was beaten and scourged in such brutality such that He could barely stand, He carried His own Cross - going willingly to His death. Even when He could have given up His life before the appointed time, he persisted in fulfilling the word of the prophets in taking of the vinegar. And when all had been accomplished, he said, “It is finished.” “Perseverance,” says the Apostle James, “must finish its work that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1, NIV)

Courage as Zeal
Zeal, too, is vital. If we no longer have the passion for what we fight for, we shall surely be defeated. Zeal is rewarded in the Scriptures - as we see in the case of Phinehas, the son of Aaron (Numbers 22?), and in the case of King David (1 Samuel 17). It is also the case with Jesus. During the week before His crucifixion, He preached in the Temple every day. Among His words was a stinging rebuke to the leaders of the people, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” sounded throughout the holy mount. He cleared the Temple of barters and traders who were systematically robbing the Israelites when they came to sacrifice before the LORD. He cast them out, fulfilling the prophecy, as John says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” This is vital…Zeal means we have the energy to continue to fight and carry to cause forward.

Courage as Vision
There can be no victory without a Vision. Dr. King had a vision - “I have a dream…” - and it cost him His life. Jesus had a vision as well - “I pray for them, Father, that they might be one, even as you and I are one.” His Vision was that the Redeemed would worship “in Spirit and in truth” and be united in that. He suffered, He taught them servant-leadership, gave them the authority and the call to be one in Him. Paul carried that on, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1). The Bride of Christ will be whole and one - that was the vision of Jesus. In order for this courageism to be contained, we must have a definite vision, a goal, an ultimatum.

Courage in Love
“And faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13, ESV). “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, I am but a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. And if I prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that removes mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:1-2, ESV). “God is love. Whoever abides in love, abides in God and God in him.” (1 John). The Christian message is preserved in love. Courageism cannot sustain itself (”Apart from me, you can do nothing” -John 15, ESV) and without God’s aid and His love, we shall not seize the victory.

Courageism, then, is made up of these five things: Bravery, Perseverance, Zeal, Vision, and Love. With these, there is nothing that cannot be defeated. As our Lord once said, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world” - and He did….He did.

Modern-Day Knights

The idea of a knight is often discouraged as a romantic notion better suited to Arthurian legends than to our advanced, high-speed age of modernity. However, our conceptions of literary knights are only masking the powerful truth behind the myth: Knights were warriors with a master, a cause, and a firm conviction in what they did.

The most important thing to a knight was his identity. Who you were and, more importantly, who you served were worth more than your wealth, your past, or even your own family. To dishonor your master was worse than death itself. In this same way, all Christians, not just Evangelicals, are bound to their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. To dishonor Him is worse than any death that we could possibly experience.

Luke 12:8-9 - I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

Secondly, knights had a cause, a purpose that they fought for. In general terms, it was to further their master’s kingdom. For Christians, this has multiple facets: evangelism, worship, and fellowship, for instance. Evangelicals really have no problem with those aspects of the fight, but they have a complete lack of participation in the area of intellectualism. This makes them ineffective when the real battles begin because they have no means of strategy, of defense, or any chance of conquering the enemy. In essence, they are fighting in a disorganized manner and will soon succomb to the wiles of the evil one in different ways.

1 Peter 3:15 - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Finally, knights had a firm conviction in their actions. The half-hearted attempts to dive into the intellectual world have failed miserably. This is, in part, due to the fact that they were unprepared, but mostly can be attributed to their complete lack of fervor.

Romans 12:11 -Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

However, by grabbing hold of our Master’s honor, to the furtherance of His Kingdom, and doing so with holy zeal, we have, in essence, become His Kingdom Knights. The Apostle Paul offers a good conclusion:

Ephesians 6:10-18 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Fighting the Scandal

In his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Dr. Mark Noll points out the sad, unhealthy state of the Evangelical intelligensia in the first line of his book:

The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.

This is not a statement that is made lightly and the words should not be disregarded as empty and worthless. In fact, when one looks at the Evangelical world - at the actions and experiences of Baptists, Pentecostals, non- and inter-denominational Christians, as well as other believers who are charismatic or fundamentalist - we see an sparse wasteland with very little signs of life. This is rather an anomaly in the Christian world. For centuries, intellectualism thrived under Christian auspices, and continues to do so in Traditional and Reformed circles. It takes only a brief glance at the various works produced by any group to see the truth of this matter.

If we were to compare, for instance, one page of written work from one great Christian from the Traditional fold, from the Reformed fold, and from the Evangelical fold, we would be hard-pressed to prove Evangelical intellectualism. Thomas Aquinas wrote volumes on theology -the arguments for each and every doctrine logical to the core and strengthened with the tools of philosophy, theology, and earlier writings. One would find the same in the writings of Philip Melancthon, the friend of Luther and one of the earliest apologists of the Reformed doctrine. And who can Evangelicals point to? No one that can compare, unfortunately.

While Dr. Noll would fit more comfortably with Reformed Protestants (anti-dispensationalism) or liberal Christians (anti-young earth creationism) in view of his theology, his book nonetheless presents an irresistable case on the lack of an Evangelical intellecualism. It is in the hope that this reality can be changed in this generation, that we have started this website. We are committed and we ask that you, too, fight the scandal.

Iraq War: Just?

Note: This is for Travis’ “Political Perusal.” The list of similar posts will be up on Blogging Boy Scout later today. -David

Iraq has stirred a lot of controversy in the past few years and it will not stop - even twenty years from now when this is just “history” for the next generation. Many have attempted to justify the war through political reasons, humanitarian reasons, and even security reasons. Whether or not these reasons are valid is beside the point - there is a higher standard than man’s reason. War has been a part of man’s legacy from early times. It was so far-ingrained into man that social contract theorist and philosopher Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan) believed it to be man’s natural state! Clearly that is not the case, but it speaks of war’s deep impact on our species. In the spirit of finding that “higher standard,” many philosophers, politicians, and theologians sought to find the answer. Thomas Aquinas, perhaps one of the greatest philosophers of medieval Europe, wrote out the qualifications of what is called the “Just War Theory” in his epic work, Summa Theologica. According to Aquinas, there are three requirements to make the case for a “just war.”

“First, the authority of the sovereign by whose command the war is to be waged. For it is not the business of a private individual to declare war, because he can seek for redress of his rights from the tribunal of his superior. Moreover it is not the business of a private individual to summon together the people, which has to be done in wartime. And as the care of the common weal is committed to those who are in authority, it is their business to watch over the common weal of the city, kingdom or province subject to them. And just as it is lawful for them to have recourse to the sword in defending that common weal against internal disturbances, when they punish evil-doers, according to the words of the Apostle (Rm. 13:4): “He beareth not the sword in vain: for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil”; so too, it is their business to have recourse to the sword of war in defending the common weal against external enemies….

“…Secondly, a just cause is required, namely that those who are attacked, should be attacked because they deserve it on account of some fault….

“…Thirdly, it is necessary that the belligerents should have a rightful intention, so that they intend the advancement of good, or the avoidance of evil. Hence Augustine says (De Verb. Dom.): “True religion looks upon as peaceful those wars that are waged not for motives of aggrandizement, or cruelty, but with the object of securing peace, of punishing evil-doers, and of uplifting the good.” For it may happen that the war is declared by the legitimate authority, and for a just cause, and yet be rendered unlawful through a wicked intention. Hence Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 74): “The passion for inflicting harm, the cruel thirst for vengeance, an unpacific and relentless spirit, the fever of revolt, the lust of power, and such like things, all these are rightly condemned in war.” [1]

The first qualification requires that a GOVERNMENT wage the war. Vigilante citizens do not and cannot have the authority to declare war. The United States federal government declared a military operation in Iraq - de facto war. The second requirement asks for a “just cause.” Who can doubt that fighting for the freedom of the Iraqi people is just? We have ousted a tyrannical dictator who slaughtered thousands upon thousands of his own subjects and are aiding them in establishing their own free government. The final qualification is just intent. While some have said that “money” or “oil” or “pride” motivated this war, there is no way that the authority’s believe that simply because we haven’t taken anything away from the Iraqis. They even retain possession of their dictator - to judge him as they see fit!

Three requirements:

• Just Authority
• Just Cause
• Just Intent

The United States government has met all three of these requirements and has waged (and is currently waging) a Just War against tyranny and terror in the desert nation of Iraq. Thomas Aquinas - an astute scholar grounded in the word of God and knowledgeable in thelogy and philosophy, paved the way for Christians to weigh whether or not a war is just or not. By this higher standard - which is untouchable to any politico, humanitarian, or security official - the fight for Iraq is absolutely justified and right.

Source: University of San Diego. “St Thomas Aquinas, On War” http://ethics.sandiego.edu/Books/Texts/Aquinas/JustWar.html. October 4, 2005