Epistemology is simply the study of how we know what we know. Most of us take for granted the fact that we order our lives around things that we know to be true, or at least that we think we know to be true. But if we were to slow down and really ask the question, ‘How do we know these things to be true?’ things become a bit more complicated. Epistemologists like to ask fun questions to push the limits of our knowledge. For example, might it possible that we are actually inside a highly detailed computer program of some advanced civilization right now (something akin to the Matrix)? Like most people, you probably would laugh at the suggestion. But how do you know that it is not true? Or another example: might it be possible that the universe just began five seconds ago and only has the appearance of existing for much longer, including our memories of the events that took place more than five seconds ago? As you can see, one can begin having fun with epistemological questions.
Questions like these get us to ask the question of how we know what we know. Across the variety of cultures around the globe there are any number of starting points for ascertaining what is true. Epistemology is a wide field of study. My aim is not to overwhelm you with philosophically technical terms, but rather to introduce you to the general concept. Below, I will review a few of the more common epistemologies and then briefly sketch what I call a Biblical Epistemology.
Science: Some people believe that the only things we can know with certainty are things that can be tested through the scientific method. In this approach, science becomes the primary tool for determining truth. Although science provides many good gifts, there are several challenges with using science as the foundation of our knowledge.
First, science, when practiced properly, gives us brute facts but cannot give us the meaning of those facts. Science can describe the structure of the universe, but it cannot explain why the universe exists. Science can describe the activity of the brain, but it cannot tell us why consciousness exists. Science can measure the development of a child in the womb, but it cannot explain the love between a mother and her child.
Second, science cannot give us moral knowledge. There is no experiment that can tell us whether it is right or wrong for a husband to abandon his wife or for a child to dishonor his parents. Science can describe what is, but it cannot tell us what ought to be.
Third, the claim that science is the only reliable tool for discovering truth is itself not a scientific claim. It cannot be tested in a laboratory. Scientism must borrow from other epistemologies in order to justify itself.
Fourth, science is conducted by real people with real limitations. We see frequent examples of contradictory studies, political pressure, and financial incentives shaping research. This does not mean science cannot discover real truths. It simply means science is not a neutral authority. Scientists must choose which data sets to include and which to exclude. Human bias and institutional pressure often shape what counts as the “scientific consensus.” This has understandably created public distrust.
The Church: Some people believe that the Church or some other religious figure has the authority to proclaim what is true. Roman Catholicism falls into this category, as well as other religions like the Church of Latter-Day Saints. The idea is that some people, when operating officially in certain roles, speak on behalf of God (much like a prophet in the Old Testament). The Catholic Church, as an example has two primary streams of authority for understanding truth. In one stream they rely on the Bible. In the other stream they rely on the history of the Church. This has led to a number of difficult circumstances over the years. For example, what happens when those two streams of authority contradict each other? Or what happens when controversy exists over who is supposed to be serving in said official role? These are real questions that have posed real challenges for this epistemology.
One’s Feelings: In our modern culture, especially among younger generations, the most common epistemology is the idea that personal feelings determine truth. The transgender movement is the clearest example. The assumption is that “If I feel this is who I am, then it is who I am.” The inner emotional sense becomes the final authority.
This has played out in real time before our very eyes in many practical spheres of life. The modern transgender conversation is perhaps the most obvious. Much of the discussion is built around the ideas that “If I feel this is who I am, then it is who I am.” The inner emotional sense is treated as the arbiter of truth. The reason previous generations have such a difficult time with such an idea is because they did not have an epistemology of feelings.
Previous generations struggle with this idea because they did not operate with an epistemology of feelings. But it is now embedded in ordinary life. When someone begins to lose a debate, they may retreat to their feelings and claim emotional harm as a way to undermine the opposing argument. In our present moment, this often works. DesCartes old axiom “I think therefore I am” has been quietly replaced with “I feel therefore I am.”
The reality is that our feelings cannot and do not determine what is true. All of us are aware that feelings can be fleeting and often confused. We have all made decisions in our life that felt right in the moment but we later regretted. Feelings can change. We can feel one way about a person or an event at one point in our life and then feel the exact opposite at a later point in life. Additionally, one person’s feelings can run contrary to another’s which means there is no legitimate basis to make decisions. Our feelings cannot ultimately determine what is true.
Human Reason: Another starting point many rely on is human logic and reason. This often overlaps with scientism discussed above, but is itself a larger field than simply science. An epistemology rooted in human reason believes that humans have a powerful mind and when put towards the end goal of discovering truth are capable, with no external revelation, of inching closer towards truth whether that be moral or logical in nature. Those who rely on human reason are not necessarily atheist in the classical sense, for some indeed believe God may exist, though in their opinion God is more of a distant watch-maker who set the world in motion but has since left humanity on their own to utilize their own reason to navigate the world he created. Spoiler Alert, this is not the Christian God.
The difficulty with relying on human reason alone is similar to the difficulty with relying on feelings. Without a fixed standard beyond ourselves, we have no meaningful way to judge between competing ideas. Consider a few examples.
- If Economist A determines that a free-market society is best, while Economist B determines that a Marxist economy is the best, how are we to determine between them?
- If Ethicist A determines that we should have the right to take the life of a human child all the way up until the child is fully out of the birth canal, and Ethicist B determines that it is never alright to intentionally take the life of the child, how will we determine between them?
- If Philosopher A says there is no true self, and Philosopher B says, “I think therefore I am,” which philosophy is correct?
Human reason is a powerful tool, but when left to itself it produces countless contradictory claims. Without a standard beyond human reason, we cannot determine which claims are true. We are left with opinion competing against opinion.
A Biblical Epistemology
In contrast to these approaches stands the Biblical worldview. Scripture is the foundation of a Christian epistemology. We know what is true because God has revealed it. God’s knowledge is perfect and complete. He knows every detail of the known and unknown universe. He is omniscient and therefore the source of all truth.
We know truth because God reveals truth to us. We are like radio antennas that cannot produce their own signal but can receive the signal that is broadcast. A radio only produces music because something outside of it sends the music. In the same way, our knowledge depends on God.
God’s revelation comes through several means. He has given us senses that allow us to explore His creation. When functioning rightly, these senses help us use reason and scientific inquiry to discover the ordered world God designed. He has also given us the created world itself, which displays His glory and communicates the reality of His power and nature.
Most importantly, God has given us His Word! The Bible is not simply a religious book designed by men to develop morality. It is God’s revelation of truth to humanity. It is entirely true, because its source is the one who is entirely true. The Bible is therefore the arbiter of truth. It has never failed.
This does not mean there is no knowledge outside the Bible. We can build skyscrapers without a single verse of Scripture telling us how to do it. This is the gift of Common Grace. God has given all people, believers and unbelievers, remarkable intellectual abilities. Yet this Common Grace is limited, and requires an arbiter. Without the guiding light of Scripture, we cannot understand the ultimate meaning of the facts we discover. Socrates could reason morally, but apart from the God of Scripture he could never arrive at the fullness of truth.
Last Remarks
There are two main takeaways from this. First, is to the unbeliever who may stumble across my ramblings. What is your epistemology built on? When most nonbelievers encounter this question, they typically say something like “Well… my epistemology is not on anything concrete, but its good enough to get by.” To this, I would simply argue, go deeper. Jesus taught us that those who built their life on sinking sand will eventually have that faulty foundation exposed. The storms of life are strong enough that when they blow, if you do not have solid ground underneath you, something will break. You need a firm foundation for life. You need Christ!
To the Christian, you must learn to rely on the Bible for everything. When Christians confidently build their lives on the Scriptures and continually return to the Word to make their case, they discover that God’s Word is powerful, consistent, and unwavering. It never fails.
