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6. Truth and the Two Books

6. Truth and the Two Books. “The knowledge of man is as the waters, some descending from above, and some springing from beneath; the one informed by the light of nature, the other inspired by divine revelation” Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

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6. Truth and the Two Books

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  1. 6. Truth and the Two Books

  2. “The knowledge of man is as the waters, some descending from above, and some springing from beneath; the one informed by the light of nature, the other inspired by divine revelation” Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

  3. “There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error; first, the book of God’s word, which reveals the will of God; and the book of God’s works, which express His power.” Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

  4. “We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)

  5. Developing Literary Competence • How do you “read” the books? • How do you develop methodological skills to be a competent reader? • If you accept that the two books cannot contradict one another, what do you do when you encounter a conflict?

  6. Larry Crabb: Anti-Two Book • “Scripture (takes) the role of final arbiter” • General revelation and special revelation are not equally clear, equally meaningful or equally authoritative expressions of truth from God • Two book view establishes two authorities; one of the two will eventually emerge as the more authoritative

  7. Larry Crabb: Critique • He fails to distinguish scripture from theological interpretation of scripture: theological conclusions are not the same as the authority of the Bible • Scripture is not “equally clear” on some issues • I Cor. 15:29 refers to the baptism for the dead • Scriptures do not provide us with an understanding of cognition and memory, or the relative contributions of nature and nurture, or the diversity of personality traits

  8. Two Books Marred by Sin Interpretive disciplines

  9. Coming on “first” • Theology shapes our world view • Theology provides the context in which we view other disciplines • “But one could also say that neither theology nor psychology is on first because both owe their allegiance to a common source of truth Who invests truth in both of them through His acts of revelation and creation” (p. 262)

  10. What’s on second? • What happens when our interpretations lead us to inconsistent conclusions? • How do we reconcile apparent contradictions or conflicts between theology and psychology? • Three solutions: • Integration as levels of explanation • Integration as prima scriptura • Integration as a faithful reading of both books

  11. 1. Levels of explanation Myers and Jeeves (2003) • We have a broad framework of a Christian worldview • There must be disciplinary integrity and distinction between the two • We must avoid injecting a Christian ideology into psychology • Integration must respect the autonomy of psychology • Conflicts are resolved by seeing them as different perspectives of a common phenomenon • Example of sexual orientation (p. 265-6) This model of integration tends to become a “primacy of psychological interpretation” model

  12. 2. Integration as prima scriptura Gary Collins (2000) (also Larry Crabb) • “biblical truth is the only sure rock of stability amidst the shifting sands of the contemporary world. Scripture is the foundation from which we integrate Christianity into psychology” • Interpretations based on God’s word are more authoritative than interpretations based on God’s works 1. Is there an adequate distinction between scripture and interpretation? 2. Is it not a fallacious dichotomy to insist that some truth is “truer” than other truth?

  13. 3. Integration as a quest for faithful reading Entwistle • If there are two books then both must be seen as being part of a system of epistemic checks and balances • We are too prone to set up a false dichotomy: a misleading distinction between sacred and secular • The bible is not a psychology textbook: it provides background assumptions, “control beliefs” which is at a worldview level of integration

  14. 3. Integration as a quest for faithful reading Entwistle • When there are apparent conflicts • Affirm that there is but one truth and that it cannot contradict one another • Discern which book speaks more clearly and fully on a given issue • When multiple theological interpretations are possible, or the scientific data may be unclear, or current interpretations and theories are in conflict…suspend judgment; live with ambiguity

  15. “Conservative Christian theology has an inbuilt tendency to oversimplification of complex issues. Evangelicals seem to find it hard to think in dialectical terms and can hardly endure to live with unresolved questions and amidst tensions” Peter Kuzmic (in Samuel & Sugden, 1999)

  16. Review • What are the benefits and detriments of the three views? • Why is it so hard to live with ambiguity and uncertainty?

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