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The Complete and Utter Farce of Evangelical "Scholarship"

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Title: The Complete and Utter Farce of Evangelical "Scholarship"


1
The Complete and Utter Farce of Evangelical
"Scholarship"
  • Darrel Henschell

2
  • BEWARE OF PHILOSOPHYA WARNING TO BIBLICAL
    SCHOLARSby Norman L. Geisler, Ph.D.
  • An address to The Evangelical Theological
    Society November 19, 1998

3
Favorite Howler (of many) "Historical evidence
that Jesus was supernaturally conceived of a
virgin is more than substantial. Indeed, there
are more eyewitness contemporary records of the
virgin birth than for most events from the
ancient world." (Geisler, _Baker Encyclopedia of
Christian Apologetics_, pg. 764)
4
Can the Bible be wrong?
  • The answer to this question is found in another
    Can Jesus be wrong? Absolutely not! Jesus is the
    Son of God. He said that the Bible is the Word of
    God. The Word of God cannot err. Therefore, the
    Bible cannot err.
  • --Billy Grahams Decision magazine, January 1995.

5
Beware of Philosophy?
  • philosophy Love and pursuit of wisdom by
    intellectual means and moral self-discipline.
    --American Heritage

6
Beware of Wisdom?
  • wisdom
  • The ability to discern or judge what is true,
    right, or lasting insight.
  • American Heritage

7
Geislers Intro
  • Why We Must Beware of Philosophy
  • Paul's exhortation to beware of philosophy
    (Col. 28) are appropriately applied to other
    alien systems of thought that have invaded
    Christianity down through the centuries since
    then.

8
Current Philosophies
  • Beware of Naturalism
  • Naturalism is the philosophy that denies there
    are supernatural interventions in the world. It
    is at the root of modern negative biblical
    criticism

9
Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677)
  • Spinoza's naturalism led directly to the first
    modern systematic negative criticism of the
    Bible. It has had a devastating effect on
    biblical interpretation.

10
David Hume
  • The results of Hume's philosophical naturalism
    have been disastrous for Christianity. As they
    say, the rest is history. Or better, the rest is
    the destruction of history--particularly
    miraculous history recorded in Scripture.

(1711-1776)
11
Rudolph Bultmann
  • Rudolph Bultmann (1884-1976) turned Gospel
    history into religious mythology. Why? Because,
    in his words, he believed it would be both
    senseless and impossible not to recognize the
    Gospels as myth.

12
Beware of Agnosticism
  • The great German thinker, Immanuel Kant
    (1724-1804) claimed to have been awakened from
    his dogmatic slumbers by David Hume, not to
    skepticism but to agnosticism. .
  •  
  • Considering the immense influence of Kant on the
    modern world, we see once more the importance of
    our thesis to beware of philosophy.

13
Beware of Evolutionism
  • Many thinkers labor under the illusion that
    evolution is an empirical science when in fact it
    is a philosophy.
  • The result of the philosophy of evolutionism
    has been catastrophic for biblical and
    theological studies. The historicity and
    scientific accuracy of the Genesis record has
    been denied.

14
Beware of the Philosophy of Progressivism
Beware of Existentialism few have done more from
within the evangelical fold to methodologically
undermine historic orthodoxy than Kierkegaard.
  • Beware of Phenomenology

15
  • Beware of Conventionalism
  • since this truth claim all meaning is
    relative is itself both self-defeating and
    incompatible with evangelical theology, then we
    must beware of the philosophy of
    conventionalism.

16
Beware of Processism
  • in the name of proper biblical exegesis many
    evangelical theologians have forsaken the
    absolutely omniscient and unchanging God of
    historic orthodoxy for a God who not only changes
    His mind but who does not even know for sure what
    will happen in the future.

17
Momentary digressionGod might not know the
future?
  • And it repented the LORD that he had made man on
    the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
    Gen. 66
  • And the LORD repented of the evil which he
    thought to do unto his people.
  • Exod. 3214

18
  • ...and the LORD repented that he had made Saul
    king over Israel. 1 Sam. 1535
  • And God saw their works, that they turned from
    their evil way and God repented of the evil,
    that he had said that he would do unto them and
    he did it not. Jonah 310

19
  • ...for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
    thou hast not witheld thy son, thine only son
    from me. Gen. 2212
  • ...the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in
    the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove
    thee, to know what was in thine heart...
  • Deut. 82

20
  • Beware of Ockhamistic Nominalism
  • the fact that some evangelicals have bought
    into this alien view reveals the need to beware
    of philosophy.

21
  • Beware of Platonic Allegorism
  • Beware of Aristotelianism
  • Beware of the Philosophy of Anthropological
    Monism

22
How to Beware of Philosophy
  • My first piece of advice is this
  • Avoid the Desire to Become a Famous Scholar
  • There seems to be an almost irresistible
    temptation among many scholars, particularly
    younger ones, to make a name for themselves. In
    biblical terms this is the sin of pride of which
    Holy Scripture warns us.

23
Avoid the Temptation to Be Unique
  • by its very nature a doctoral dissertation is
    usually supposed to be an original contribution
    to knowledge. But if the scholar is to make a
    discovery that no one else has ever made, then it
    is an almost irresistible temptation to
    congratulate oneself for being the originator of
    this new truth.

24
Do Not Dance on the Edges
  • Do not see how far the borders of evangelicalism
    can be stretched to accommodate the latest
    scholarly fad. Do not flirt with the latest
    critical methodology.

25
Steer Right to Go Straight
  • The only way to keep on the straight orthodox
    path is to keep turning to the right. Churches,
    schools, and even evangelical scholarship will
    naturally go left, unless they are deliberately
    turned to the right. The prevailing winds of
    doctrine blow against us. And if we are to resist
    them we must have a firm grip on the wheel of the
    Good Ship Evangelism and steer it to the right.

26
Do Not Trade Orthodoxy for Academic Respectability
  • As evangelical scholars we must learn to bear,
    if necessary, the offense of being called
    fundamentalists, obscurantists, and
    theologically dinosauric, along with the
    offense of the Gospel.

27
Reject any Methodology Inconsistent with the
Bible or Good Reason.
one philosophy after another led those who
embrace the wrong method into undesirable and
even disastrous cul-de-sacs.
28
Always Choose Lordship Over Scholarship
  • If Jesus was the Son of God which the New
    Testament confirms that He was, then whatever He
    affirmed about the Old Testament, is absolutely
    true. Indeed, Jesus claimed divine authority for
    His teaching (Matt. 2818-20). Since every true
    evangelical believes this, there should be no
    hesitation, whenever there is a conflict to
    choose ancient Lordship over modern scholarship.

Circular reasoning a use of reason in which the
premises depends on or is equivalent to the
conclusion, a method of false logic by which
"this is used to prove that, and that is used to
prove this" also called circular logic
29
Do Not Allow Morality to Determine Methodology

Herein stands the great challenge of the
Christian scholar not only to live
Christocentrically but to think
Christocentrically.
Goosestep n. a special way of marching with the
legs lifted high and straight
30
Conclusion
  • In the final analysis, preserving orthodoxy is
    not a purely intellectual matter. It is spiritual
    warfare.
  • The enemy of our soul wants also to deceive
    our minds. He desires to destroy good teaching
    which leads to good living.
  • To use a medical analogy, the person most
    likely to catch a disease is one who does not
    understand it and thus takes no precautions
    against it. After all, doctors do not wear gloves
    and masks to hide warts and moles.

31
  • William Craig deserves special mention, since he
    not only did master's and doctoral work in
    philosophy but also in New Testament and
    theological studies. Younger scholars like this,
    with their orthodox theological commitment and
    philosophical sophistication, are in a position
    to avoid the theological errors into which
    philosophically untrained biblical scholars too
    often fall.

32
Is W. L. Craig interested in wisdom and truth?
  • "The Bible says all men are without excuse. Even
    those who are given no good reason to believe and
    many persuasive reasons to disbelieve have no
    excuse, because the ultimate reason they do not
    believe is that they have deliberately rejected
    God's Holy Spirit."
  • William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith Christian
    Truth and Apologetics, (Revised edition),
    Wheaton, IL Crossway, 1994, p. 37.

33
  • "Should a conflict arise between the witness of
    the Holy Spirit to the fundamental truth of the
    Christian faith and beliefs based on argument and
    evidence, then it is the former which must take
    precedence over the latter, not vice versa."
  • William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith Christian
    Truth and Apologetics, (Revised edition),
    Wheaton, IL Crossway, 1994, p. 36.

34
  • "...the role of rational argument in knowing
    Christianity to be true is the role of a servant.
    A person knows Christianity is true because the
    Holy Spirit tells him it is true, and while
    argument and evidence can be used to support this
    conclusion, they cannot legitimately overrule
    it. W.L. Craig, Ibid., p. 37-8

35
  • Some people... say that reason can at least be
    used... at least by the unbeliever. They ask how
    else could we determine which is true, the Bible,
    the Koran, or the Baghavad-Gita, unless we use
    argument and evidence to judge them? Now I've
    already answered that question the Holy Spirit
    teaches us directly which teaching is really from
    God...
  • Reasonable Faith Christian Truth and Apologetics
    William Lane Craig (Wheaton, Ill Moody Press,
    1994), p. 37

36
  • The ministerial use of reason occurs when reason
    submits to and serves the gospel. Only the
    ministerial use of reason can be allowed. Reason
    is a tool to help us better understand and defend
    our faith."
  • Reasonable Faith Christian Truth and Apologetics
    William Lane Craig, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Ill,
    1984, pg. 37

37
When these evangelical scholars are cornered.
  • GEISLER HOWEs favorite circular argument
  • Because,"the Bible clearly declares itself to be
    theWord of God."And since,"It the Bible
    also informs us that Godcannot err."We are to
    believe,"The conclusion, then, is inevitable.
    TheBible cannot err."

38
  • Your complete inability to think critically
    renders your responses laughable. Your prejudice
    is the only thing you have, and you will cling to
    it to the bitter end. I am not interested in the
    least in debating or conversing with you. Contact
    me when you actually learn something about Greek,
    Hebrew, and logical thinking.
  •   Tom Howe

39
"There are Bible scholars, and there are
fundamentalists." Nick Cardell, Unitarian
Minister
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