Grald Bray’s Athens and Jerusalem– Part Sixteen

Last updated on: April 16, 2025 at 1:18 am by Ben Witherington

Grald Bray’s Athens and Jerusalem– Part Sixteen 2025-04-05T12:51:30-04:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

By now you will perhaps have noticed that on the cover of this book are little cameos of the large painting of Raphael of the School of Athens, which is of course totally appropriate considering the content of this book. As Bray says at the outset of his final chapter, theology, unlike philosophy is dependent on divine revelation and is an interpretation of that, even if the subject is natural theology. (p. 329). Philosophy is indeed different from that as it begins with the human mind and tries to make sense of the world we live in. In other words, its focus is not predetermine like Christian theology’s is.

But what are the presuppositions of philosophy, including the philosophy of science? For one thing, science takes on faith both that there is an objective reality outside the human mind, and that the human sense are reliable enough that we can know some definite factual things about that objective reality. If the human senses are completely unreliable then nothing outside the human mind can be known with an certainty. Fortunately, both Christian faith and philosophy, and also modern science believe there is an objective reality outside our minds and it can be reliably known because our senses can convey accurate information, though they do not always do so.

Here however is Bray’s list (pp. 332ff.) of metaphysical presuppositions that science including philosophy of science takes for granted: 1)there is a universe that is orderly and rational; 2) the human mind is able to understand the workings of the material universe; 3) the order of the universe is determined by contingency, not by absolute necessity… and the only way to find out how the world works is by trial and error, which itself is process involving contingency. 4)the universe has an existence outside the human mind, which then means if our assumptions are wrong and the evidence suggests something else, we must modify our thinking about the world; 5) in resolving the mysteries of the universe, researchers prefer solutions that are simple and beautiful. Simplicity can be an objective fact, but beauty is a subjective evaluation of it. 6) most scientists and virtually all philosophers distinguish between what is objectively real or possible (fact) and what is desirable (value).

The theologian when looking at those six points, see various similarities to Christian beliefs. Just looking at Gen. 1-4 makes clear: 1) the universe is orderly and rational because it has been created that way by God; 2) the human mind has been given the ability to both understand the universe and to exercise dominion over it. 3) the contingency in nature is inscribed in the cause and effect laws that govern it, which laws allow for change, but to some extent can be guided and controlled by human beings. 4)the universe has an independent and self-contained existence. It is not a mere extension of God’s being but has been created out of nothing. Bray ends with the hopeful note that history tells us that it is when revival happens that positive change to society and the world can and does happen.

Education and Religion

History and Religion

Uncategorized

The future is as bright as the promises of God.

Previous Post

April 15, 2025

Gerald Bray's Athens and Jerusalem-- Part Eleven

Next Post

April 17, 2025 Shade Tree

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz