Science and Reason
I have been doing a lot of thinking today about Manicheeism, the relationship between science and faith, and Augustine in general.
As mentioned in a previous blog, I went through a time of extreme searching and questioning. I wanted to reject Christianity for so many reasons. (This near-rejection of Christianity happened, ironically enough, while I was attending a Bible college). But even during that time of spiritual stuggle and wrestling with God, I couldn't give up on my faith completely. Everything that happened that year seemed to pull me away from God and push me towards Him at the same time.
One of the main reasons that I didn't completely give up on my faith in God was because Christianity just made too much sense. I couldn't bring myself to think that no God existed, and if God did exist, then I thought that Christianity made the most sense about Him. In so many ways, I stuck with Christianity because it made sense intellectually to me. It wasn't just a blind leap of faith, although faith was necessary.
And so I've also thought that there are reasons to believe that Christianity is true. Science and religion never really seemed to contradict each other in my mind. I realized, however, that no matter what evidences there are for the validity of Christainity, I will never be able to just lay down evidence and see people "convert." While, in my mind, science isn't an enemy of religion in any way, it also isn't suffient to draw people to God.
What really draws people? In my experience, my words, my narrative, my explanations, are not suffcient to convince people. In order for people to choose God, He must choose them. (Naturally, the endless Predestination debate arises from what I just said, but I'm going to completely avoid that issue in this blog for now). Science isn't enough. I don't believe that Christianity is irrational or without foundation, but I believe that there is an element of faith in believing it's Truth.
This is what I've been seeing in Augustine's own story. I'm getting the impression that Augustine was a bright fellow, and that he thought about important issues before his conversion. But his intellect wasn't enough, although after his conversion his approach to Christianity seems rational and clever to me. He describes the work that God does in his life, he descrbes the mercy and compassion of the Lord, even while he was turning away from God in his thoughts and actions.
God seems to be at the center of Augustine's conversion. God is the author of his story. Augustine's writing gives the picture of God's sovereign hand working events for His purposes. Augustine isn't stupid, and he doesn't treat his faith irrationally, but he does recognize that science will not be enough to draw people to God.
As mentioned in a previous blog, I went through a time of extreme searching and questioning. I wanted to reject Christianity for so many reasons. (This near-rejection of Christianity happened, ironically enough, while I was attending a Bible college). But even during that time of spiritual stuggle and wrestling with God, I couldn't give up on my faith completely. Everything that happened that year seemed to pull me away from God and push me towards Him at the same time.
One of the main reasons that I didn't completely give up on my faith in God was because Christianity just made too much sense. I couldn't bring myself to think that no God existed, and if God did exist, then I thought that Christianity made the most sense about Him. In so many ways, I stuck with Christianity because it made sense intellectually to me. It wasn't just a blind leap of faith, although faith was necessary.
And so I've also thought that there are reasons to believe that Christianity is true. Science and religion never really seemed to contradict each other in my mind. I realized, however, that no matter what evidences there are for the validity of Christainity, I will never be able to just lay down evidence and see people "convert." While, in my mind, science isn't an enemy of religion in any way, it also isn't suffient to draw people to God.
What really draws people? In my experience, my words, my narrative, my explanations, are not suffcient to convince people. In order for people to choose God, He must choose them. (Naturally, the endless Predestination debate arises from what I just said, but I'm going to completely avoid that issue in this blog for now). Science isn't enough. I don't believe that Christianity is irrational or without foundation, but I believe that there is an element of faith in believing it's Truth.
This is what I've been seeing in Augustine's own story. I'm getting the impression that Augustine was a bright fellow, and that he thought about important issues before his conversion. But his intellect wasn't enough, although after his conversion his approach to Christianity seems rational and clever to me. He describes the work that God does in his life, he descrbes the mercy and compassion of the Lord, even while he was turning away from God in his thoughts and actions.
God seems to be at the center of Augustine's conversion. God is the author of his story. Augustine's writing gives the picture of God's sovereign hand working events for His purposes. Augustine isn't stupid, and he doesn't treat his faith irrationally, but he does recognize that science will not be enough to draw people to God.
posted by Christine at 10:32 PM
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