Am I a Biblicist?

I mentioned the other day that I am reading Fides Et Ratio by John Paul II. I am enjoying it and agreeing with most of it. But one particular thought has hit me hard as being something I take issue with.

It is the characterization of biblicism, the making the reading and exegesis of scripture as the sole criterion for truth, as a widespread symptom of fideistic tendency. Fideism is defined as the failure to recognize the importance of rational knowledge and philosophical discourse for the understanding of one's faith. As a biblically based evangelical believer, this is a criticism of how I approach my faith.

John Paul II is not claiming Scripture is an inappropriate source of truth, far from it. His thesis is that Scripture alone is not the sole criterion, you need the doctrine and tradition of the Catholic Church as well. He makes many good points in his encyclical: the complementary not contradictory nature of faith and reason; the belief that hermeneutical method is grounded in philosophical reasoning.

I am all for faith and reasoning working together to increase one's knowledge and love of God. I agree that hermeneutics have philosophical underpinnings. I am not against doctrine and tradition of the Church or church if you would if it comports to Scriptures and the teachings of Christ. And for that you do need sound hermeneutics and philosophical reasoning to get down to the roots of.

But I believe Scripture is the bedrock all else is built on. Tradition, faith, hermeneutics can rest on Scripture but not alongside it with any intimation of equal importance or weighting. That is what I believe Jesus taught.

If that makes me a biblicist in the context of Fides Et Ratio, I am OK with biblicism.

Faith and Reason

This semester at seminary is winding down, one week of classes to go, then finals. And a quiet and Merry Christmas to be enjoyed by all (or at least by me).


Doing some final reading and listening to the last few lectures and one theme has been rolling around in my head, faith and reason. I am reading Fides Et Ratio - On the Relationship between Faith and Reason, an Encyclical Letter written by John Paul II. In class we are reviewing Christianity and the Nature of Science by J P Moreland.


Both hold similar theses. Faith and reason are not incompatible nor contradictory. In fact you use your reasoning to understand your faith. Similar to the saying by Anselm that I bloggd on earlier, "Credo Ut Intellegam".

In discussing Moreland we are even getting into how science relies on faith, just faith in different things than a faith in God. (I will not get into things like making an enumerative induction argument to prove a natural law, which requires some element of faith since the certainty of your argument is not absolute)

I like the fact that everything requires a level of faith even before we use our reasoning, as Jesus taught faith in Him is the right approach, then I can use my reasoning to understand what my faith has already come to know.

It just seems to be the right order of things.