The Starting Point of Theology
Erickson raises a valid point in the first chapter of ‘Christian Theology’ when discussing The Starting Point of Theology. There is a dilemma in choosing whether to start with the idea of God or with the means of our knowledge of God. If you opt for one or the other it is easy to get trapped in circular reasoning.
If you start, as Aquinas did, with the assumption that God is readily proved by reason, then you justify the bible as a special revelation to be read and understood in order to know the nature of God and his relationship to man etc. To do this though involves a certain ‘leap’ from the idea of God to the idea that this same God has revealed himself specifically through the bible.
Alternatively if you insist, as Barth did, that knowledge of God only comes from the special revelation given in the bible. The problem with this is a flimsy foundation for any authority to be placed in the bible as the specific special revelation of God. Adherents of this view are more likely to appeal to evidentialism to argue that the internal evidence of the scripture demonstrates not only a supernatural origin but that it is in fact the specific and special revelation of God and is the means through which you can know God. As Erickson notes though you could, through the study of any well written literature establish an extensive study of the subject matter they deal with. For example, in the writings of J. K. Rowling you could produce a considerable detail on the nature and form and existence of “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”. Without any objective status, the Harry Potter books could represent reality. The bible, if represented with this line of argument, would present no better alternative.
Erickson proposes a thesis though that enables belief concerning God and the bible to be both reasonably established and scrutinised. Both God and his self-revelation are presupposed together as a single presupposition. There is no single antecedent. He quotes Bernard Ramm:
“There exists one Triune God, loving, all-powerful, holy, all-knowing, who has revealed himself in nature, history, and human personality, and in those acts and words which are now preserved in the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”
From this a theology is formulated which in turn reflects in an adherents’ worldview and can be tested for veracity. On the basis of this thesis the Christian Presuppositionalist can stand with confidence as having a reasonable basis to present the reality of God as presented in the bible and account for man’s responsibility towards God. This means the Christian is not a self-appointed authority on matters of faith and also means the reality of God is not something left to the judgement of an individual non-believer or believer who wants to argue against the thesis. It also provides a freedom for a Christian to not be obligated or forced to feel shame that they do not have an exhaustive knowledge of God. Rather they are able to pursue the development of elaborating their systematic theology which will grow and develop as their knowledge and experience of God through the bible deepens over time.
April 21, 2008 at 9:48 am
good post. we must always start our systematics with the assumption that God is, because that’s where the Bible starts. It just assumes God. “In the beginning God…” If we try to get to God from anywhere else, we’ll never arrive to the truth of who He is.
May 2, 2008 at 3:27 pm
[...] this a theology is formulated which in turn reflects in an adherents’ worldview and can be tested for veracity. On the [...]