Reflections on a Semester of Philosophy

In C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, the main character takes a rather unusual bus ride. He begins his journey in Hell, which is depicted as an infinite, dull place full of people quarreling with one another. He boards this unusual bus and arrives in Heaven. I laughed out loud when I read that C.S. Lewis' version of Hell includes many "bookshops of the sort that sell The Works of Aristotle."

Having just spent a semester studying the chain of philosophers in history that culminates with Aristotle, I understand all too well what C.S. Lewis is getting at here. Later in the book, a "philosopher" steps off of the bus in heaven. A saint works to obtain the man's repentance so that he does not need to get back on the bus for the return trip to Hell. But the man is so full of intellectual pride and confusion he cannot admit, though he thinks himself a well-intentioned and intelligent Christian, that there is objective truth which he cannot comprehend.

In this hectic semester of philosophy courses, I studied varying ideas of what constitutes truth. How do we know that what our senses tell us is true? Is there a spiritual reality? If so, is it more "real" than this sensible world? How can we think about God, a supernatural reality, using our limited experience in a world we only know from our senses? Or, perhaps even more basic, what does the name "God" that we utter so often actually mean? How do we define it in our English language?

Near the end of the semester, I studied various "proofs" for the existence of God and realized that, truly, they are not strictly philosophical proofs for the existence of a personal God that one can love and know. What followed was a sense of not altogether unexpected disappointment in the human ability to reason about the supernatural. The trick for a beginning Christian student of philosophy is to not lose faith until at least a shred of academic humility is achieved. And the stakes could not be higher in this spiritual battle for eternal life.

As The Great Divorce and my personal experience illustrate, philosophy is dangerous yet necessary (in my case, at least) for proper faith. When I started my seminary journey, I had great hope that philosophy would strengthen my faith in God. But I'm learning quickly that while philosophy can help me understand my faith, faith must be a gratuitous gift. Faith is not the culmination of academic understanding.

If one does not approach philosophy with a strong faith in God and a sense of humility, one's faith may crumble in the ensuing state of confusion and uncertainty. Philosophy (that is all rational thought) and our Christian faith MUST agree with one another because there is only one absolute truth. But none of us will be able to reconcile the apparent discrepancies between faith and reason in this earthly life.

Shortly I will be back at the seminary for another semester of philosophy. Having rested for several weeks and avoided any sort of philosophical or theological debate and thought, I feel somewhat refreshed and strengthened. Please remember me in your prayers as I return to my studies.

Happy New Year and God Bless.