The Christian and the Mind.

(Mat 22:36-38 NIV) "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" {37} Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' {38} This is the first and greatest commandment.

A plea for Christians to use their minds and for young people to train themselves in apologetics.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isa 1:18 NIV)

God is the God of reason. All truth comes from Him. We are created in the image of God and therefore our desire and ability to function as rational beings comes from God. God defines and is the source of absolutes - relativism comes from man.

Introduction:

There is a tendency among Christians to denigrate the use of the mind, especially among charismatics. However we live in a world of ideas and philosophies, and whoever wins the mind is part of the way to winning the heart - it will be much more difficult to win the heart if we cannot enter through the gateway of the mind. One of the great needs today is to have Christians who are able to defend the faith and refute those who oppose it either publicly, by debate or in print via books, articles or the Internet. We need people who can recognize a circular argument, a straw man, a false dilemma or an ad hominem argument etc. (see Mission Critical).

Debating and arguing is a skill that can be learned both through study and practise. While debating a skeptic, his arguments may look formidable at first, however with practise we will find that they are usually flawed. How can Jesus be both God and man (false dilemma). If Jesus were God why did he have to pray? How can God die? etc. Jesus said "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. " Mat 12:40 but he was only dead for between Friday and Sunday morning. See Jonah

The first to present his case seems right,
till another comes forward and questions him.
(Prov 18:17 NIV)

Let us remember that Jesus said that he is sending us out as sheep among wolves and that we should be as shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves (Mat 10:16). Shrewdness should include studying the principles of logical analysis and debating methodology. When I was compiling links on logic the only web sites on logical reasoning were secular, there were no Christian sites. However Normal Geisler has written a book on logical thinking. We have examples of outstanding Christian scholars such as J P Moreland, N Geisler, William Lane Craig and R C Sproul see books below.

Two hundred years ago our universities were Christian, now they are secular humanist, what has gone wrong? We have failed to refute secular thinking, in part this is due to the modern tendency to denigrate thinking as non-spiritual. However, there is a big battle going on to win the hearts and minds of people. We need bright Christians who are able to publicly refute the errors of modern thought and philosophy. We need to plan for the long term and encourage those who are intellectually gifted to enter our universities and institutions, and to enter the secular debate. People are waiting for good arguments to believe in God. Phillip E Johnson summarises how we lost, or rather gave away, the universities in chapter 12 of his book Objections Sustained, see also his review of the book "The Soul of the American University" in which he says "The agnostics rule America, quite regardless of the popular piety to which politicians pay lip service, because their metaphysics (i.e., scientific naturalism) rules the universities, and the universities control the social definition of knowledge".

We are to be salt and light to the world, salt both preserves and prevents decay, it also adds flavor. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) once said 'The only necessity for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing' - passivity in the midst of evil is sin. Let us also remind ourselves that "All authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to Christ not to the devil (Mat 28:18). While the mandate of the Great Commission is to make disciples, we are still to plunder the kingdom of Satan and 'open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light' (Acts 26:18). We can see from Paul that he debated, reasoned, persuaded, and defended the gospel in order to accomplish this purpose (Acts 9:29, 17:2, 17:17, 18:4, 18:19).

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves;
therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
(Mat 10:16 NASB)

What the Bible says about using our mind: (using our mind is biblical)

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
(2 Pet 1:16 KJV)

The Christian faith is not 'blind faith', but faith based on eyewitness testimony, see here.

The idea that we leave our mind behind when we become Christians is blatantly unbiblical, after all one of the church offices is that of teacher (1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11-13). Surely preaching should persuade the heart and the mind. The job of the evangelist should be to persuade heart, mind and conscience but it is the Spirit who convicts. John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, Paul and Peter all called for repentance on the part of the hearers, and repentance (metanoeo) means a change of mind. It is the duty of every Christian to be prepared to "to give an answer (apologia to defend or speak or plead for oneself before a tribunal or elsewhere) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15-16 see also Col 4:5-6). Apologetics (from the Greek apologia, 1 Peter 3:15) refers to the branch of Christian theology that seeks to provide rational justification for the truth claim of Christianity. Paul also uses apologia in the sense of a legal defense (Acts 22:1, 25:16, 1 Cor 9:3, 2 Cor 7:11, 2 Tim 4:16 ). One of the qualities required of an overseer or bishop is that he must be able to "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:7-9).

In each of the synoptic gospels we find that we are to love God with all our mind as well as our heart, soul and strength (Mat 22:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27). Col 2:8 says 'See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ'. Paul talks about 'deceptive philosophy' - if it is deceptive it means that it is difficult to see through. If we are to 'see to it' and see through it, then we need to use our mind (our heart may give us a gut feeling that it is wrong, but our mind will tell us why it is wrong). We should also use our mind to avoid false teaching - the current failure to use our mind leaves us wide open to false teaching. 1 Th 5:21 tells us to 'test (discern, examine) everything' and to 'Hold on to the good'.

We find that in the New Testament the believers are encouraged to be of one mind (Acts 4:32, 1 Cor 1:10, 2 Cor 13:11). In Rom 8:6 Paul says, "the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace". In Rom 12:2 Paul says that we should be "transformed by the renewing of our minds", which is a process. In 1 Cor 14:15 Paul says that he will pray with his spirit and also with his mind, he will sing with his spirit and also with his mind.

The apostles in Acts 5:42 never stopped teaching and preaching the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Paul is the great example of the apologist. In Acts 9:29 we find that he talks and debated with Grecian Jews. In Acts 17:2 he went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews from the scriptures explaining and proving that Jesus was the Christ. At Athens he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks. In Acts 18:4 we again find him reasoning and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks see also Acts 18:19, 19:8. In Phil 1:7 Paul says 'for whether I am in chains or defending (apologia) and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me'. Paul reminds those at Colosse about the day they heard the gospel and understood God's grace in all its truth (Col 1:6).

In Mat 13:23, in the parable of the sower, it is the man who understands God's word who produces a crop; yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Rom 15:14 says that we are to be 'complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another'. In Phil 1:9 Paul prays 'that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight'. In 2 Pet 1:5-6 Peter says 'For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; {6} and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness'. Peter also tells us to 'prepare your minds for action' (1 Pet 1:13 NIV). In 1 Th 5:21 we are told to 'Test everything. Hold on to the good'. Peter wrote his first and second letter as reminders and to stimulate his readers to wholesome thinking (2 Pet 3:1). In 1 John 4:1 we are told to 'test the spirits to see whether they are from God', this is in relation to recognising false prophets. It seems that using our mind is an integral part of the Christian life. Our failure to use our minds leaves us open to false teaching, which 2 Peter chapter 2 warns us about.

Finally we are to contend (struggle, fight, labor fervently, strive) for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 1:3). The faith (body of Christian doctrine) has been entrusted to us so that we need to defend it in order to preserve it.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (Jude 1:3 NIV)

We are the body of Christ on earth. God has chosen in these days to speak to the world through the church. We are his spokesmen, we are his ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). God is spirit, he is invisible but he manifests himself to the world through the church. Jesus said "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). He also said "You are the light of the world" (Mat 5:14). Jesus has ascended into heaven and we are to manifest him to the world.

There is some sound wisdom in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus:

(2 Tim 2:23-26 NIV) Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. {24} And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. {25} Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, {26} and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

(Titus 3:9-11 NIV) But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. {10} Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. {11} You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

There becomes a time in debating a skeptic when it is apparent that we are flogging a dead horse. The arguments are foolish, stupid, unprofitable and time-wasting and lead to quarrels. Paul's instructions are to avoid foolish controversies.

Links and books:

If the above has stimulated your mind then the links and especially the books will provide further food for thought.

Books:

Featured books: linked to

Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by James Porter Moreland, dall Willard

Habits of the Mind : Intellectual Life As a Christian Calling by James W. Sire

How the Universities were Lost:

Objections Sustained : Subversive Essays on Evolution, Law & Culture by Phillip E. Johnson (see chapter 12), see also his web review of The Soul of the American University.

The Soul of the American University : From Protestant Establishment to Established Nonbelief by George M. Marsden

Faith and Knowledge : Mainline Protestantism and American Higher Education by Douglas Sloan

The Dying of the Light : The Disengagement of Colleges and Universities from Their Christian Churches by James Tunstead Burtchaell

Models for Christian Higher Education : Strategies for Survival and Success in the Twenty-First Century by Richard T. Hughes (Editor), William B. Adrian (Editor)

The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship by George M. Marsden

Apologetics:

Christian Apologetics by Norman L. Geisler

When Skeptics Ask A Handbook of Christian Evidence by Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks 348 pp. This gives evidences for the Christian faith by theme

Introduction to Philosophy : A Christian Perspective by Norman L. Geisler, Paul D. Feinberg. Neutrality is a myth. Everyone, including skeptics, has an opinion. The authors of this book honestly present themselves as Christian philosophers. They actually are very objective, laying out for each issue all the options, and then for each options all the Pros and Cons. Each chapter is then followed by some conclusions that are compatible with Christian Theism. This cannot be a bad choice in my eyes, given that non-Christian philosophies end up either in Postmodernism or in other denials of rationality.

Come, Let Us Reason : An Introduction to Logical Thinking by Norman L. Geisler, Ronald M. Brooks (Contributor)

Reasonable Faith : Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig

Renewing your mind - The consequence of ideas an overview of philosophy by RC Sproul

Classical apologetics - RC Sproul

Handbook of Christian Apologetics : Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions by Peter Kreeft, Ronald K. Tacelli. This is a beginners guide. Concise and witty (well reviewed in Amazon)

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Baker Reference Library) by Norman L. Geisler. I find this very useful because it summarises the main arguments. There is usually sufficient detail without being over detailed. If you are just beginning to study apologetics this is a good buy. 704 pp. two column fomat $34.99.

Can Man Live Without God by Ravi K. Zacharias. How you answer the question of God's existence, says Zacharias, will impact your relationship with others, your commitment to integrity, your attitude toward morality, your perception of truth, and your sense of meaning in life.

Deliver Us from Evil : Restoring the Soul in a Disintegrating Culture by Ravi K. Zacharias. With clarity and insight, author Ravi Zacharias shows how many of today's popular ideas, seemingly innocent, thoughts and beliefs, are vandalizing our culture. With inspiring persuasion and unshakable certainty, he shows why "neutrality on these issues is impossible" and why "even the so-called nonsecular and religiously dominated cultures of the world had better pay due heed to the truths" he uncovers. Here you will find the common ground of what threatens us all. And from that common ground that answers will become clear and inescapable.

The Death of Truth : What's Wrong With Multiculturalism, the Rejection of Reason and the New Postmodern Diversity by Dennis McCallum (Editor). This book gathers experts from the fields of education, law, health care, sociology, politics, and literature to show how Christians can respond to postmodernism by resisting its undue influence, gleaning its insights, and learning to communicate with the new world all around us.

Mere Christianity : Comprising the Case for Christianity, Christian Behaviour, and Beyond Personality (C.S. Lewis Classics) by C. S. Lewis. A Christian Classic. - As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.

Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul (SPIRITUAL FORMATION LINE) by James Porter Moreland, dall Willard Review "J.P. Moreland exemplifies the Christian mind as it ought to be-tough and analytic, but also generous and caring. Christians who want to develop their minds in the service of Christ couldn't find a better teacher, or a better book for the task." -Phillip E. Johnson, author of Darwin on Trial
A review by Bob Passantino . Two problems generally plague me when I attempt to explain the value of apologetics to Christians who are unfamiliar with the concept. First, many people respond to my earnest proposal by saying, "I guess it's all right to think about all those things like philosophy, history, and evidence after you've been a Christian for a long time and you run out of things to do. But I'm too busy getting myself to become a mature Christian to devote any time to that intellectual stuff." Second, many people add to the first problem, responding, "Besides, it sounds to me like you're making reason your 'God.' You should know that faith and reason don't mix, that too much dependence on evidence and reason undermines your primary devotion to God, and that people who aren't Christians can understand the gospel anyway, no matter how much evidence and argumentation you give them. Get back to your 'first love' -- God as the beginning and ending of your faith. Don't get sucked into idolatry in the noble name of reason and evidence."
Over the years, I have learned many ways to answer these two problems. Additionally, I have learned how to present a positive case for apologetics from scripture (special revelation), common knowledge (general revelation), and reason (the ability to make sense of God's revelation). Contrary to problem one, the new Christian must build his faith on the "solid rock" of the reality of the gospel -- the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf as prophesied in scripture (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Good thinking and good evidence are integral to the foundation of a maturing faith, they are not trivial pursuits for Christians with too much time on their hands. Contrary to problem two, the divorcing of faith from reason is unbiblical and non-Christian. No wonder the loudest proponents of this view are secularists who would love to see Christianity disappear altogether. The ability to learn about the One in whom we have placed our faith leads us to never-ending discoveries of the wonders of God's creation and his desire for us to mature so that we may become increasingly clear images of the One whose nature gives us confidence that the pursuit of truth will always end in Him.
Now I have a new way to answer these two common objections to apologetics: J. P. Moreland's Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul. Moreland is recognized among philosophers (quite a few secular ones as well as Christian ones) as a talented, intelligent, and formidable defender of the Christian faith in the intellectual arena. Christians who are not well-versed in apologetics or philosophy, if they have heard of him, may find his other books too intellectually intimidating to read. However, this book is an imminently readable, clearly explained defense of thinking "Christianly" that should inspire all Christian readers to pursue reason, evidence, and apologetics as an integral part of sanctification. This book gives Christians the reasons and courage to act against the commonly held faulty assumptions discovered above. Moreland's goal is to wake up the church to the triumphant faith Christians could have if they only knew it. Moreland has successfully "translated" philosophy into a form that Christians with little or no experience in this area can understand and use. In addition to the compelling text of the ten surprisingly short chapters, the book's appendices make this book one Christians will consult over and over again for the principles, books, and ministries that will provide the best in Christian thinking and apologetics.
Two of my favorite chapter is "Chapter Four: "Harassing the Hobgoblins of the Christian Mind," which explains how unsuspecting Christians can sincerely believe they are doing God's will by abandoning evidence, reason, and apologetics-oriented evangelism. By showing the negative consequences of such "empty mind" Christianity, Moreland reinforces his biblical criticism of this view. Finally, Moreland teaches Christians how to "put on Christ" in our thinking, learning, teaching, evangelism, and defense of Christianity. Moreland concludes with a biblically sound argument that abandoning the "empty self" in favor of the thinking self, the Christian who loves God with all his or her mind. Bob Passantino

Worldviews in Conflict : Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas by Ronald H. Nash

Scaling the Secular City : A Defense of Christianity by J. P. Moreland J.P. Moreland has done an excellent job in presenting a cumulative case for the truth of Christianity.
Chapter 1--The Cosmological Argument--Moreland surveys the three forms of the argument and defends the kalam version. Much of this chapter tries to establish an ultimate beginning of the universe by appealing to philosophical and scientific reasons. Moreland makes the case that it is rational to believe that the universe has a personal cause (God).
Chapter 2--The Design Argument--Moreland considers different kinds of design and different forms of the design argument. The richness and force of the design argument is shown in this chapter and common objections are considered as well.
Chapter 3--God and the Argument from the Mind--In this chapter, Moreland presents a case for substance dualism and critiques different forms of physicalism as insufficient in explaining the mind.
Chapter 4--God and the Meaning of Life--This section examines nihilism, optimistic humanism, the immanent purpose view, and Christian theism. The first three are shown to be inconsistent and lacking in their explanatory power and scope. Christian theism is defended as providing the necessary preconditions for a meaningful life.
Chapter 5--The Historicity of the New Testament--Moreland attempts to show that the New Testament documents pass general tests for historicity and can be trusted as reliable. A defense of the early dating of the Gospels and Acts is given along with helpful cultural considerations which point to the general trustworthiness of the New Testament.
Chapter 6--The Resurrection of Jesus--This chapter gives the usual arguments for the resurrection including the empty tomb, appearances, and early features of the church. This section is a good outline which gives a great starting point for further research. Hellenistic influences are also briefly addressed.
Chapter 7--Science and Christianity--In perhaps the most original of the eight chapters, Moreland gives an introduction to the philosophy of science and gives possible solutions for the integration of science and theology. Also, creation science (in a broad sense) is shown to have scientific merit, contrary to popular belief. A brief treatment of the creation/evolution debate is offered. However, one may wonder if Moreland may be endorsing a young-earth view, which is obviously untenable. However, Moreland doesn't seem to take a strict position on the age of the earth, rather, he argues that there is a wide variety of interpretation in Genesis.
Chapter 8--Four Final Issues--In the last chapter, Moreland address the visibility (or lack thereof) of God, God as a psychological projection, religious experience, and different forms of relativism. The section on religious experience is unique and worth consideration, while the other three are also important. Conclusion--Moreland ties all eight chapters together and summarizes each of them._Scaling the Secular City_ is an excellent introduction to Christianity and should be considered by skeptics and believers alike to challenge and stimulate.

The Role of Learning and Thinking for the Christian - booklist

General links:

The Christian Mind Jerry Solomon

The Christian Mind of Abraham Kuyper By Rex Ambler

The Christian Mind, What is it, and How should we develop it?

Academic Integration and the Christian Scholar By J.P. Moreland, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology

The Church in Crisis: A Postmodern Reader by Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D.

Selected Bibliography for Christian Scholars & Students: An introduction to the task of integrating the Christian faith into the academic disciplines.

Richard Rorty and the Postmodern Rejection of Absolute Truth, Dean Geuras, Professor of Philosophy, Southwest Texas State University

Epistemological Repentance: A Response to Post-Modernism Jerry L. Sherman, Ph.D.

Christian View of Government and Law Kerby Anderson

Revival Theology Resources - Providing a forum for the advancement of Revival and Moral Government Theology

Logic (apart from Geisler's book all the logic resources are secular!)

Mission Critical - Arguments - highly recommended for those who debate, argue and refute. See also the book Come, Let Us Reason by Norman L. Geisler.

Basic Debating Skills.

Uses and Misuses of Logic

Fallacies Dr. Michael C. Labossiere,

Logic & Fallacies The Atheism Web

Resources in Critical Thinking:

Apologetic Information Ministry - see God and Logic

Argumentative Writing A Guide to the Use of Logic In Argumentative Writing

The Determinability of God's Existence - Author: Richard Host

Book Come, Let Us Reason : An Introduction to Logical Thinking by Norman L. Geisler, Ronald M. Brooks (Contributor)

Secular sites: (I cite these to provoke some of you into action and so that you can know and understand current secular thinking)

The Secular Web www.infidels.org - closest Christian equivalent is Leadership University

Talk Origins Evolutionist, a good site that every creationist should study. For the creationist viewpoint see The Origins site or Reasons to Believe

Apologetics

Faith and Knowledge, Evidence, and Reason: Their Role and Relationship to One Another

Sean's Christian Apologetics Page

A Christian Theistic View of Logic

The Need for Defending the Faith by Norman L. Geisler

The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: A Symposium - Mark Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Eerdmans) is an important book on an important topic. To note its appearance and assess its argument we asked four knowledgeable observers of the evangelical world for their views on the subject and the book. - The Editors

Institute of Biblical Defense Training Christians to Boldly Defend the Faith! (teaching materials not on-line resources)

Defending the Faith Christian Apologetics in a Non-Christian World

Apologetics - Leadership University - links to some of the better articles

The Intellectual and Spiritual Crisis of the University Professor Charles Malik

The Academy of Christian Apologetics

Tekton - For those involved in refuting bible difficulties, see my web page for further links and books on bible difficulties

Contend for the Faith - the essays are very clear and will build you up in the faith

Christian Apologetics Journal

Cross Search Apologetics - lists over 400 apologetics sites

Christian Apologetics Mega-Station "In Defense of the Faith" - more links

Challenge - What is Challenge? Simply stated Challenge is a quarterly publication that is published for the purpose of defending the faith. It is a debate journal. In it you will find articles ranging from Bible inerrancy to internal issues in the church.

Jonah - three days and three nights

Because of the reference to "the third day," and because in Matthew 12:40 Jesus refers to "three days and three nights," some have thought that Jesus had to spend at least 72 hours in the grave. This upsets most chronologies of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and is unnecessary - because it doesn't take into account the use of ancient figures of speech. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (around the year 100 AD) explained this way of speaking when he said: "A day and a night make a whole day, and a portion of a whole day is reckoned as a whole day." This demonstrates how in Jesus' day, the phrase "three days and three nights" did not necessarily mean a 72-hour period, but a period including at least the portions of three days and three nights. See also its use in Esther 4:16-5:4, she did not fast for three days and three nights.