Toward A Christian Worldview - Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed

Chapter 2: Christianity and the Basic Elements of Philosophy
attained. Rational attempts to explain the world leave us in despair.
Reality cannot be communicated propositionally, it must be grasped
“personally and passionately” (Kierkegaard). Truth is subjective.
Even though man may never know if there is a god who gives purpose
and meaning to life, he must nevertheless take a “leap of faith”
(Kierkegaard). He must live life as if there is a god, a higher being, a
meaningful universe, because not to do so would be worse (Kant).
Irrationalism manifests itself in theological circles in the neoorthodoxy
of Karl Barth and Emil Brunner. For these men, logic is
disdained. Logic must be curbed to allow for faith. After all, it is
alleged, God’s logic is different from “mere human logic,” so we can
only find truth in the midst of paradox and contradiction. In this “theology
of paradox,” God can even teach us through false statements.
Sadly, irrationality has also affected the orthodox church. Far too
many of those within Christian circles have fallen prey to the anti-reason,
anti-intellectual, anti-logic movement. The present authors agree
with John Robbins who writes: “There is no greater threat facing the
true church of Christ at this moment then the irrationalism that controls
our entire culture.” We are living, says Robbins, “in the age of
irrationalism.” As many philosophical foes as the Christian church has
to face, as many false ideas that would vie for supremacy, there is no
idea as dangerous “as the idea that we do not and cannot know the
truth.” {6}
The problem with irrationalism is that when one divorces logic
from epistemology, he is left with nothing. Skepticism is self-contra-
6. John W. Robbins, Scripture Twisting in the Seminaries (Trinity Foundation,
1985), 110.
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