Biblical Theism: The Foundational View in the West 313 -1750 A.D

Answers to the Quiz:

1. epistemology, 2. teleology, 3. anthropology, 4. theology, 5.cosmology, 6. ethics/axiology, 7. immortality of the soul.

And the missing category not on the quiz? Metaphysics/Ontology

HERE it is: The Missing Metaphysical Framework in Public Education

Sample of Biblical answers to The Universal Questions

Proposition 1       The Nature of God                        Theology

• Infinite, personal, and Triune
• Transcendent, eternal
• Omniscient, Omnipotent and sovereign
• Absolute standard of good
• And more

Proposition 2        Nature of the Universe                     Cosmology

• Created ex nihilo, complex, beautiful
• Uniformity of cause and effect; orderly and with regularity – not random
• Open system, not determined;   people and events can decide freely
• And more

Proposition 3 The Nature of Human Beings       Anthropology                                             

• Created Imago Deo:  dignity, personality, rationality , morality, self-transcendence, creativity, intelligibility and capacity for reason
• Agent of Free Will
• Created with  innate natural  and moral law
• And more

Proposition 4    Nature of Knowledge                    Epistemology

• Human beings are created with capacity and a desire to know, by a God who is all knowing and communicates with them– the all knowing
•             General revelation,– the open book of Nature, the natural revelation within
•             Special revelation: the person of Christ/Incarnation– the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.
• The Logos: capacity to know logic, reason, intelligence, and meaning inherent in God
• The Word:   is the light of men  ‘Understanding and wisdom’
• And more.

Proposition 5 Immortality of the Soul

• Physical body dies; soul lives forever
• Death: gate to eternal life with god or eternal separation from God
• Life is transformed and glorified in life eternal
• Man is destined to die once and after that the judgment
• and others

Proposition 6              Morality and Ethics Axiology ( study of values)

• Ethics and morals are objective and transcendent
• Moral revelation revealed through Decologue
• 10 commandments reveal sacred boundaries of protection and ownership
• ultimate standard of good is rooted in the character of God and person of Christ

Proposition 7              Purpose and Meaning          Teleology

• time is linear- irreversible , unrepeatable, localized in time and space
• meta-narrative with beginning, middle and end
• turning point events:  creation, fall, incarnation, resurrection, Pentecost, The Church Body Life, glorification
• Sequence of events is the record of God moving in the affairs of men, revealing His purposes
• Humans find their purpose for living in cooperation in bring God the glory.

Now that the Framework is sort of understood, we can use it 3 ways.

1. Establishing Faith: Christian Theism as a Framework for True Education.
   • The 8 categories of propositional truth can be used as pillars on top of the Foundation and Cornerstone of Christ. The unmovable, ageless, enduring pillars will provide the vertical space necessary for developing children to thrive.
   • Hats off to Doug Wilson who pioneered the work of The Association of Classical and Christian Education (ACCE) some 30 years ago He, along with other leaders and their organizations have been Rebuilding the Ruins in Classic education for 3 decades- Circe Institute, Highland Latin School, Christopher Perrin, Schole Academy and numerous others. Here we are not interested in re-inventing their wheel. We will piggy -back from them— A plethora of resources are available — — I note the START UP Kit from ACCE.
   • JUST THINK about it: We grew up with cognitive structures of the academic disciplines that were never attached to the framework. No wonder it is in collapse today.
   • A TRUE Classic education then: a) goes about the business of attaching the academic disciplines to the logic of the various components of the Framework– b) it works to integrating all the disciplines back into the whole, and 3) it works to position Christ as the center of all knowledge, who holds it all together.

2. Defending the Faith: Apologetics: All 8 propositions of Christian Theism can be as starting points in the work of Articulating and Defending Christianity where great work is being done by many apologists whose work can be found online.

3. As a LENS: for reading The Great Conversation. Now that we know the “grid-work”, we can examine all authors, speakers, communicators, even film makers in their treatment of ideas– with confidence as we walk along the precipice. Reading viewpoints from authors through out different historical period explains our present culture and starting points for discussion for those around us.

This is the work that will save the Humanities. Analyzing each component of biblical theism and it’s intersection with 7-9 laws of logic is the missing gearshift that needs to drive our institutions and academic disciplines. This is the missing backdrop that Francis Schaffer spoke of when he asked the question, “What stands behind it/everything?” If literary criticisms are sincerely pursuing TRUTH, it will take the next 3 millennia and filling dozens of new libraries to examine the coherence and unity of each authors position in all the different components of theology, metaphysics, cosmology, anthropology, epistemology and teleology, etc.

The crisis in Education is largely one within THE LIBERAL ARTS — The Humanities. For without this framework of Truth, the great conversation becomes a little more than a cat and mouse game. Why bother?

Here is a valuable insight. It is Christianity that allows for a liberal arts education. Because of the stability and endurance of Christian Theism, all other notions can be entertained. To entertain a notion does not mean we believe it. But it is with certainty we know that the unified and coherent composite of all 8 propositions of Christian theism can endure and stand on its own authority. It may be buried, be hidden from sight, misunderstood, but when it is brought out into open view and understood, it can stand up against all other ideas nor is it threatened by other worldviews. This idea of the ‘liberal arts’ has engendered freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, etc in the West. Make no mistake; it is Christianity that has bequeathed us these liberties. On this, we must be convinced.