Faith and Learning: Together Again

Faith and Learning: Together Again for a Foundation of Truth

In Foundations of Christian thought: Faith, learning, and the Christian worldview, Mark Cosgrove reiterates that the Christian worldview is predicated upon faith. He succinctly and aptly describes ethics as "Absolutes in right and wrong [that] come from the absolute character of God as revealed in the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ." (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 138). He further reminds us that the Christian worldview is not antithetical to learning. Rather, faith and learning are inextricably intertwined. Accordingly, through reading Cosgrove's words, I began to understand the process by which my own worldview had come into being. While I have always understood that without my faith in God, I would not attain real knowledge, morality, or reality. However, the world in which we live, constantly has places knowledge and learning in a competition with faith. Cosgrove's conclusion that faith and learning are compatible processes has always been a notion in which I pondered; however, I did not necessarily know if my instinct was correct. Indeed, Cosgrove's words have given me the courage to see faith as the underlying basis from which I can then attain knowledge, a sense of morality, and a true vision of reality. No longer do I have to give up faith to have learning as they are, in fact, not diametrically opposed forces.

In "An Exploration of Religious Knowledge" by Michael Gleghorn, Gleghorn explores the means by which we can attain true religious knowledge, even in the face of those whom seek to prove that there is no such thing as religious knowledge. According to evidentialists such as W.K. Clifford a belief is rational only if it meets one of two conditions: (1) the belief is basic; or, (2) the belief is based upon supporting evidence. According to well-known and respected theologian Dr. Alvin Plantinga, the belief in God is a basic belief; and, thus, the belief in God or faith in God is part of the very foundation of human knowledge. To Dr. Plantinga, we all have what John Calvin called sensus divinitatis which is that innate sense or feeling that a divinity exists. If you have this, then you have a basic belief and there is then no need for supporting evidence (Gleghorn, n.d.). In my experience, on numerous occasions, I have felt sensus divinitatis such as when a stranger holds a door open for a person in need or when a friend calls out of the blue to see how I am. To some, these moments might seem insignificant; however, to me they establish and reaffirm my belief in God and that God's hands as well as God's love are involved in our daily lives. If this provides what Dr. Plantinga says is the foundation of one's "basic belief" in God so as to make my belief turn into knowledge, then I would definitely assert that I have the knowledge based upon my faith that God does in fact exist.

Moral thinking and action emerge from worldviews or visions of life (Valk, 2007). Some people have worldviews that derive from secular theories, while others derive their worldviews from their religion. Christians understand that one's worldview and sense of morality should derive from the Bible. In society today, we are bombarded with messages that suggest that our morality is driven by anything but the Bible. Indeed, turn on the television and images which are antithetical to Christ's word are everywhere, open the pages of a textbook and you will see pages upon pages of secular explanations of the existence of mankind; however, Matt Slick author of "What is a Christian Worldview? And Why Do We Need One?" warns us not to despair and that things are actually looking up for Christians. In fact, more people today derive his/her morals from God than did three hundred years ago. For example, in the 1700's, less than 20% of the American population went to church where now it is above 50% of the population (Slick). At this rate, in another 500 years, we will have attained a 100% participation rate!

The Christian conception of life and death and reality derives from Jesus' experience on this Earth and his knowledge of life. In order for us to attain Reality, we must therefore have faith in Jesus since our reality is embedded in the hope of an eternal human existence in God. Within our reality is a representation of Jesus' spiritual will to live and the power to endure and to suffer. It is from this awareness or sense of religious duty that personal love can arise; and, additionally, it is from man's understanding of Jesus' experiences that allows the Christian an understanding of Reality in the True sense of the word (Vanderwal, 2005).