Here are some helpful little notes that we introduced our youth to today at church. We have started a worldview analysis study for the next 8-10 weeks that I trust will be very helpful to our young Christians as they prepare to go out into the secular world. I figured that these small tidbits would be helpful to ponder for those who are seeking general definitions on epistemology and alternative views of knowledge that are “used” (which is a bit misleading since all truth is derived from and given by God) in the secular world. The catch phrase for this class is derived from something I heard Greg Bahnsen say on many occasions, who, when speaking about epistemological foundations would proclaim that; “Without the Christian God, we could not know anything at all.” These are wise words which comport with the main text of the Christian epistemological foundation which is found in Colossians 2:3, which proclaims that Jesus Christ is “the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge.” Enjoy…
1. Epistemology: the science of the apprehension of knowledge.
2. Reason: the “first act of the mind.”
3. Objective: “independent of the knower and his consciousness.”
4. Relativism: all truths (religions) are personal.
5. Syncretism: all truths (religions) are partially correct.
1. Understanding: this is your ability to grasp concepts and ideas.
2. Judging: this is your ability to sift through truth and lies.
3. Reasoning: this is your ability to come to a conclusion.
ALTERNATIVE THEORIES OF TRUTH
1. The Pragmatist believes that whatever works is truth.
2. The Empiricist believes that truth is whatever an individual senses.
3. The Rationalist believes whatever is scientifically provable is truth.
4. The Pantheist believes that truth is everything in harmony.
5. The Emotivist believes that truth is a feeling and an emotion.
(Notes taken from Liberty University: Philosophy 104 Introduction to Worldviews)
Applied-Apologetics 