The question of whether a Christian should study philosophy is an important one. On the one hand, philosophy often deals with questions about the nature of truth, morality, and meaning – issues that are clearly relevant for Christians. Additionally, many great Christian thinkers throughout history, such as Augustine, Aquinas, and Pascal, were also philosophers who articulated and defended the faith philosophically.
However, philosophy can also be dangerous. Much of philosophy relies on human reason alone, without revelation, and thus philosophers often come to anti-Christian conclusions. Additionally, philosophical thinking can sometimes be speculative or lead people astray into falsehood. So is it wise for a Christian to study this discipline?
Ultimately, the Bible does not outright prohibit the study of philosophy. In fact, the apostle Paul quoted pagan philosophers like Epimenides to make a point about truth (Titus 1:12). Additionally, Paul engaged critically with pagan philosophy, like Stoicism, in places like the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). He did not shy away from philosophical engagement but rather used wisdom and discretion.
Thus, studying philosophy can be permissible and even helpful for Christians, with several caveats:
- Christians must study philosophy carefully, with discernment and wisdom (Colossians 2:8). They must be on guard against falsehood and not swallow unbiblical conclusions.
- Christians should focus their philosophical studies on thinkers who may have biblical insights, not just pagan philosophers. Thinkers like Augustine, Anselm, and Alvin Plantinga can be very helpful.
- Christians must remember that Scripture, not human philosophy, is the ultimate authority and source of truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Philosophy must be judged by biblical standards.
- Christians should study philosophy to understand how to better engage culture and answer critics of Christianity. But it should not distract from or undermine biblical truth.
- Christians must avoid getting pulled into fruitless philosophical speculations (1 Timothy 1:3-7) and remain grounded in God’s revelation and Christian community.
In sum, the study of philosophy can be beneficial for Christians when done carefully, critically, and in submission to God’s Word. It can help sharpen reasoning skills, catalyze insights, and improve cultural engagement. But Scripture must remain supreme, and Christians must avoid the errors and excesses of secular philosophy contrary to biblical truth. With discernment and wisdom, the study of philosophy can aid defenders and communicators of the faith without compromising core Christian convictions.
Now looking more deeply at specific aspects of this issue:
The Dangers of Philosophy for Christians
First, we must acknowledge there are real dangers if Christians study philosophy unwisely or inaccurately. These include:
- Deception: Paul urged Christians to avoid being deceived by “hollow and deceptive philosophy” not based on Christ (Colossians 2:8). Much philosophy relies solely on human reason without revelation, leading many philosophers to unbiblical positions.
- Speculation: Much philosophical discourse relies on imagination and hypothetical reasoning far beyond scriptural revelation. This can pull Christians away from biblical truth into fruitless speculation (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
- Confusion: Philosophy often asks more questions than it answers and can leave people perplexed. The apostle Peter acknowledges that Paul’s writings contain “some things that are hard to understand” which the “ignorant and unstable twist” leading to confusion (2 Peter 3:16).
- False Teaching: Scripture warns, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy” (Colossians 2:8). Wrong philosophy can lead people into falsehood and heresy.
- Bad Influences: Most philosophers hold unbiblical positions that can influence Christians if they are not discerning. Christians must avoid being tainted by sinful cultural values (James 1:27).
In short, the history of philosophy contains many anti-Christian voices and ideas that can challenge or distort biblical truth. Christians who carelessly study philosophy run the risk of being deceived, confused, and pulled away from God’s revelation into fruitless speculation. Discernment is required.
The Benefits of Studying Philosophy
However, with wisdom and clear boundaries, Christian students can also benefit from philosophical studies in several ways:
- Sharpening Reason: Philosophy emphasizes logical thinking, clear argumentation, and systematic analysis – skills that can sharpen critical reasoning abilities.
- Insights About God: Philosophers through the ages have articulated metaphysical, moral, and epistemological concepts that can provide insights about God’s nature.
- Engaging Culture: Understanding philosophical ideas equips Christians to better critique worldviews opposed to Christianity and interface with people shaped by those ideas.
- Strengthening Faith: Learning philosophy helps identify flawed anti-Christian arguments. Mastering Christian philosophical works strengthens ability to defend the faith.
- Church History: Studying Christian philosophical traditions from great thinkers like Augustine or Aquinas connects us to our intellectual history.
- Evangelism: Philosophical training can improve Christians’ ability to reach today’s skeptical postmodern culture by better understanding its intellectual objections to faith.
In short, philosophy cultivates helpful skills for apologetics and culture engagement. Studied carefully, it can enhance articulate defenders of biblical truth. As Augustine famously said, “All truth is God’s truth,” so Christians need not fear truth from philosophical inquiry, albeit carefully weighed against Scripture.
Guiding Principles for Studying Philosophy as a Christian
Given the potential blessings and dangers of philosophical inquiry, what guiding principles should Christians follow if they choose to study philosophy? Consider these wise guidelines:
- Hold Scripture as the supreme authority on all matters (Isaiah 55:8-9). Assess philosophical claims against God’s Word.
- Embrace good and true insights that align with Scripture (Philippians 4:8). But reject falsehood contrary to biblical revelation.
- Beware intellectual pride. Do not get absorbed in speculative philosophy for its own sake (Romans 12:3).
- Aim for gospel usefulness (1 Corinthians 14:26). Study philosophy to better grasp, live out, and communicate biblical truth.
- Avoid time-wasting debates over foolish speculations (2 Timothy 2:23). Major on biblical priorities.
- Remember that truth is grasped by grace, not autonomous human reason (Ephesians 2:8). Pray for illumination by the Spirit.
- Study philosophy in community, not in isolation. Fellow believers can help distinguish truth from falsehood (Proverbs 15:22).
- Make Christ preeminent in all your studies (Colossians 1:18). Fix your eyes on His example more than any human philosopher.
- Approach philosophers with grace, not condescension (Colossians 4:5-6). But confront unbiblical ideas boldly yet humbly.
- Examine philosophical assumptions through the lens of a biblical worldview. Think Christianly.
In summary, uphold the sufficiency of Scripture while mining philosophical gold – with much wisdom, caution, prayer, and reliance on the Spirit. As Paul says, “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Key Biblical Texts on Philosophy
Several biblical passages provide perspective on philosophy’s place in the Christian life:
- Colossians 2:8 – “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition.” Warns against deceptive philosophy.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20 – “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” Human philosophy has limits.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19 – “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” Much philosophy is futile speculation.
- 2 Timothy 2:23 – “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies.” Avoid useless philosophical debates.
- 1 Timothy 1:3-7 – Warns against those who promote “speculations” vs. God’s redemptive work.
- Acts 17:16-34 – Paul engages Greek philosophers to point them to the “Unknown God.” He critiqued yet also cited pagan poetic works (v 28).
- Titus 1:12 – Paul quotes a Cretan philosopher Epimenides to make a point. Truth can be found amidst error.
These passages remind us that human philosophy has limits God has revealed truth in Christ that is greater than man’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). Yet there are glimmers of truth amidst the falsehood that can be redeemed for God’s glory.
Historical Examples of Christian Philosophy
Throughout history many great Christian thinkers have studied, taught, and contributed to philosophical studies:
- Augustine – Influential church father who articulated philosophical concepts like just war theory and divine illumination in works like City of God.
- Anselm – Famous for ontological argument for God’s existence and satisfaction theory of atonement.
- Thomas Aquinas – Dominican friar who articulated key philosophical concepts on metaphysics, natural law, and proofs for God’s existence, synthesizing Aristotle and Christianity.
- Blaise Pascal – French mathematician and philosopher, famous for Pascal’s Wager on God’s existence. Defended Christianity through philosophy and reason.
- Soren Kierkegaard – Father of existentialist philosophy as well as critic of empty religious formalism from a Christian perspective.
- G. K. Chesterton – Influential 20th century British philosopher who powerfully critiqued modernist and atheist thinkers.
- Alvin Plantinga – Contemporary American philosopher at University of Notre Dame known for work on free will defense and epistemology.
- William Lane Craig – Influential Christian philosopher defending the faith today through historical evidence, cosmological arguments, and more.
As this abbreviated historical sampling shows, Christians need not fear philosophical inquiry but can actively engage it for the glory of Christ when guided by biblical bounds. Augustine’s maxim rings true: “All truth is God’s truth.”
Philosophical Concepts Relevant to Christianity
Christian students of philosophy throughout history have explored many concepts and questions relevant to biblical truth and the life of faith, including:
- Metaphysics – What is ultimate reality? What exists? Does God exist? If so, what is God’s nature?
- Epistemology – How do we know? What is knowledge? Is reason alone sufficient? What is the role of revelation?
- Ethics – What is right and wrong? How should we live? Are moral values objective or subjective?
- Political Philosophy – What is justice? How should society be structured? What is government’s role?
- Logic – What constitutes good reasoning? How can we detect fallacies and poor arguments?
- Free Will – Do humans have free choice? How does this relate to God’s sovereignty?
- Philosophy of Mind – What is consciousness? Do we have immaterial souls? How do mind and brain relate?
- Aesthetics – What makes something beautiful? Is beauty objective or subjective? How should art and culture be evaluated?
Wrestling with such concepts equips Christians to better understand God’s truth and its implications for all spheres of life and reality. With discernment, philosophy can supply helpful frameworks for applying Scripture.
Dangers of Rejecting Philosophy Completely
Some Christians may feel philosophy should be avoided completely. But withdrawing from philosophical engagement has potential downsides:
- Ceding the intellectual field to unbelieving thinkers to shape culture’s ideas
- Allowing unanswered objections against Christianity to flourish unopposed
- Fostering an anti-intellectual, uneducated stigma around Christianity
- Leaving philosophical concepts fuzzy, confused, or half-formed
- Missing opportunities to understand aspects of God’s truth expressed in philosophical terms
- Forfeiting a historically important part of the Christian intellectual tradition
- Reducing Christianity to a simplistic, superficial, feeling-based religion
Rejecting philosophical inquiry outright cuts Christians off from rich conceptual frameworks, cripples imagination for applying God’s Word, and surrenders the intellectual high ground to the enemy. Principled, discerning engagement is preferable.
Objections to Studying Philosophy
Despite a solid case for qualified Christian engagement with philosophy, some objections linger:
Objection 1: Philosophy is Unbiblical Speculation
This objection casts philosophy wholesale as “hollow and deceptive” (Colossians 2:8), a purely human exercise in futile speculation apart from God’s revelation. But this is overstated. Yes, some philosophy clearly promotes empty speculations contrary to biblical truth. But studied carefully, philosophy can also supply helpful frameworks for applying Scripture wisely. The key is discernment: separating wheat from chaff, biblical truth from unbiblical conclusions.
Objection 2: Philosophy Undermines Clear Biblical Teaching
This criticism contends philosophy obscures simple biblical faith in Christ with complex, precarious arguments. But church history shows how philosophy can strengthen, not undermine, the reasoned defense of the faith. Again, discernment is key, never elevating philosophy above Scripture’s straightforward gospel message and moral teachings.
Objection 3: God’s Wisdom is Greater Than Man’s Reason
Absolutely true (1 Corinthians 1:20). But this does not negate the corollary “all truth is God’s truth.” Humble yet critical study, guided by the Spirit, can identify philosophical truths that align with and illuminate biblical revelation.
Objection 4: Philosophy is Arrogant and Dangerous
Granted, intellectual pride is a real temptation (1 Corinthians 8:1). But studied carefully under authority of Scripture, philosophy can overcome ignorant objections to the faith with grace and gentleness (1 Peter 3:15). The solution is humility, not avoidance.
Objection 5: Philosophy is Impractical and Irrelevant
While some philosophy dives into impractical minutiae, the great philosophical works by Christian thinkers yield highly practical implications for ethics, politics, culture, evangelism, and the life of the mind. Applied properly, philosophy can equip thoughtful engagement with the world.
In summary, none of these objections close the door completely on Christian engagement with philosophy. With wisdom, humility, and clear Scriptural guardrails, Christians can partially redeem philosophy for service in God’s kingdom.
Conclusion
Should Christians study philosophy? In short, yes, albeit carefully and critically. While Scripture stands supreme and some philosophy clearly promotes dangerous speculation contrary to biblical truth, the study of philosophy can also sharpen reasoning, provide conceptual frameworks to apply God’s Word, and equip Christians to engage thoughtfully with the world for the glory of Christ. Church history overflows with great Christian thinkers molded by philosophical training. By upholding the authority of God’s revelation and approaching philosophy with humility, discernment and wisdom, the Christian is free to sift philosophical gold from the sands for the enrichment of a robust Christian worldview.