Understanding The Nature of Philosophy

In The "Theological World" today there is a great deal of misconception as to what philosophy is. For this reason many of our theological systems in the church are not constructed within the appropriate context of biblical logic. When there is a lack of understanding that there are two major classification of the pursuits of knowledge and wisdom the lines can become blurred and specific tools are dispensed with simply because they appear to contradict theological premises and processes.

There are two traditional views that are held in the world today as it relates to worldviews and perspectives. These two very broad categories are:

1. Secularizational Views

2. Religious Views

Each of these categories have a plethora of groupings and modalities that are much more narrow that may have unique perspectives and paradigms all their own and may be quite contradictory with each other. When this is understood the student of Theology realizes that the church does not conduct philosophy or any other pursuit of learning in the same fashion that the secular world of academia does. Philosophy, as all other disciplines of the church, must be studied within the guidelines and perimeters of the church's ideologies and methodologies.

Every discipline contains a set of:

1. Modalities in which it operates

2. Philosophies in which it subscribes to

3. Paradigmatic Patterns by which it conforms

4. Perspectives by which it examines knowledge and principles.

Theology, which is the science (Scientia - pursuit of knowledge) that is centered around the Biblical text as a historical book which accounts for the existence of the universe, and all existence is the data in which the Theologian exams and construct all truth and data. Theology is different in that it expresses from an ideological perception of the mind of God the processes, purposes and modalities of God's actions, and objectives for doing all that He achieved.

Theology will explore and utilize philosophy from it's own perspective in that philosophy is merely (The love and pursuit of wisdom and knowledge). As such Theology is complete with its system of philosophy or the "rational investigation of the truths and principles of being,knowledge, or conduct." The philosophy that is a part of the system of Theology seeks to:

1. Rationally investigate the truths of Scripture and their consensus of God

2. Rationaly investigate the principles that speak to reality and existence from a creationist point of view

3. The rational investigation of knowledge as an epistemological reality founded by God

4. Rational investigation of the plans and purposes of God for every and all phenomenon in existence.

Philosophy does not merely belong to the secularists but has its roots within the systems of religious thought. The church must not be afraid to utilize what belongs to her in endeavoring to clarify those truths that were once delivered to her by God. In fact it is her God given duty to preserve and extend these truths into greater and more effective truths for the present and for all future generations.

The End.