A Brief History of Thought

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Steve Foster

I picked up A Brief History of Thought based on a recommendation online by Tim Keller. It was a best seller in Europe for several months and just recently made its appearance in the U.S. The author, Luc Ferry, is a philosopher at the University of Paris.

The book attempts to give an overview of the major theories of thought from the Greek age to the present. It is a layman's guide to the great philosophical movements of history.

Ferry identifies the goal of philosophy as "the quest for a salvation without God" (12). Philosophy is composed of three parts: theory (how we should think about the world?), ethics (how we should live?), and salvation (how do we deal with the inescapable reality and fear of death?). Ferry believes that religion offers too quick and too easy of a solution to these big questions while "philosophy wants us to get ourselves out of trouble by utilising our own resources, by means of reason alone, with boldness and assurance" (10).

Greek Thought

The Greeks were the first to theorize about life from a non-religious perspective. Thus, they are considered the founders of philosophy.

Greek Theory. The Greeks were essentially pantheists. They viewed the cosmos (world) as being harmonious, orderly, rational, perfect, and essentially divine.

Wherefore the universe must be wise, and nature which holds all things in its embrace must excel in the perfection of reason [Logos]; and therefore the universe must be a God, and all the force of the universe must be held together by nature, which is divine. (Cicero, On the Nature of the Gods)

Greek Ethics. If the universe is divine, then to live rightly is to live in harmony with the order of the universe.

Broadly speaking, the good was what was in accord with the cosmic order, whether one willed it or not, and what was bad was what ran contrary to this order, whether one liked it or not. The essential thing was to act, situation-by-situation, moment-by-moment, in accordance with the harmonious order of things, so as to find our proper place, which each of us was assigned within the Universal. (31)

Thus, the rationality of the Universe [called the Logos] governed our lives, determining how we should live and what place we had in society. Some were born kings, some were born slaves. It didn't matter. You just had to sense the harmony of the universe and seek to live within its rhythm.

Greek Salvation. Just live in the moment. Forsake the past. Stop hoping in the future. Yes, death will happen. But you will merely transition from one part of the universe to another. Yes, you will cease to be what you are, but become something else of which the universe then has need (Epictetus). You will transition from a self-conscious individual to a non-conscious particle of space dust enveloped by the vast universe. So stop attaching yourself to this world or to anything or anyone in it. Just close your eyes. Be serene. And act like nothing really matters. Don't worry, be Stoic.

Christian Thought

Ferry doesn't classify Christianity in the realm of philosophy but at the same time he recognizes that it cannot be ignored. Christianity dominated Western thought for 1500 years so it demands attention, even from the atheist. Surprisingly, Ferry gives a very fair hearing to Christianity and seems to understand (and even wrestle with) its major beliefs.

Christian Theory. The Logos of the Universe–all that is rational, powerful, harmonious, perfect, and complete–became incarnate in a single Man, Jesus Christ. The God of the Universe is both transcendant and immanent, eternal and personal, omnipotent and loving. Ferry explains how a Greek Stoic would read chapter one of John's Gospel.

In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made. [Up to this point, all is well, and the Stoics could still be in agreement with John, especially with the notion that the Logos and the divine are one and the same reality.] And the Word was made flesh [things start to take a turn for the worse!] and dwelt among us [quite unacceptable–the divine has become man, as incarnated in Jesus, none of which makes sense to a Stoic]. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth [sheer madness for the Greek sages…]

Christian Ethics.  Faith becomes pre-eminent…not a faith devoid of rationality but a faith dependent on the revelation of Another, the Logos of God. Every person is created by God. Every person is loved by God. Every person stands accountable to God. Thus, every person has value. And every person has a choice to make between the humility of trust and the pride of self-reliance. "It is no longer the case of thinking for oneself [philosophy], but rather of placing trust in another [Christ]" (63).

Though he is not a Christian (or even religious), Ferry recognizes the immense value of Christian thought and ethics.

…The idea of the equal dignity of all human beings makes its first appearance: and Christianity was to become the precursor of modern democracy. Although at times hostile to the Church, the French Revolution–and, to some extent, the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man–owes to Christianity an essential part of its egalitarian message. We see today how civilisations that have not experienced Christianity have great difficulties in fostering democratic regimes, because the notion of equality is not so deep-rooted. (72-73)

Christian Salvation. Ferry admits that nothing in philosophy compares to the salvation of Christianity–eternal love in Jesus Christ, individual immortality, the hope of bodily resurrection and the future restoration of our world. Ferry even acknowledges that all of this rests on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, "unique amongst all of the major religions" (85). "The resurrection is, so to speak, the alpha and omega of the Christian doctrine of salvation" (88).

The Christian response to mortality, for believers, at least, is without question the most effective of all responses: it would seem to be the only version of salvation that enables us not only to transcend the fear of death, but also to beat death itself. And by doing so in terms of individual identity, rather than anonymity or abstraction, it seems to be the only version that offers a truly definitive victory of personal immortality over our condition as mortals. (90)

One almost gets the sense that Ferry wants to believe…but he can't. The answer seems too simple to him, "too good to be true" (11). And, as a philosopher, Christianity requires him to trust in the power of Another and not in his own intellect and resources. This is too much for Ferry to sacrifice…even for the hope of eternal life.

Humanistic Thought

Ferry traces the beginning of humanistic thought to the publication of Copernicus' On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies in 1543. From that time forward, old presuppositions were challenged and discarded for the scientific revolution.

Humanistic Theory. Man is the center of the universe. He must depend on his own reason and construct his own meaning in the world. There is nothing divine or harmonious about the cosmos, "rather it is a world of blind forces and collision" (102). And there is no longer a dependence on revelation or religious authority, rather man is to adopt "an attitude of doubt and a critical spirit" (94).

…All ideas inherited from family or state, or indoctrinated from infancy onwards by 'authorities' (masters, priests) must be cast in doubt and examined in complete freedom by the individual subject. He alone is capable of deciding between true and false. (130)

Humanistic Ethics. Man is free and not "imprisoned by any natural code or historical determinant" (113). "His aim is to create himself by remaking the world, to transform it into a better place by the sheer force of his 'good will'" (126). "The human subject becomes the foundation of all thought, and the agent of all change" (131).

Humanistic Salvation. Man must create his own salvation or his own utopia on earth. He must live and die for a cause greater than himself. Ferry calls these pursuits the "religions of earthly salvation" (136).

Here are the three ways of saving one's life, or justifying one's death, which come to the same thing, by sacrificing it for a nobler cause: whether that means the revolution [communism], the homeland [patriotism] or the truths of science [scientism]. (136)

Ferry personally finds these notions to be "faintly ridiculous."

Postmodern Thought

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)–"the master of suspicion, the most abrasive thinker" (141)–marked the end of modern philosophy and the beginning of postmodernity.

Postmodern Theory. Nietzsche sought to destroy all ideas of a God, cosmos, or "rational, objective thought." There is no absolute truth. All the world is one big blind force of fragmented, alogical, destructured chaos.

Nietzsche's most profound insight, and one that will underpin his entire philosophy is that there does not exist, categorically, any perspective external to or higher than life itself… There can be no "objective" or "disinterested" value judgments–independent of the vital interests of the speaker–which devastates the classical conceptions of law and ethics–and there can be neither autonomus and disinterested judgments, nor objective and universally valid "facts." …According to one of Nietzsche's most celebrated statements, "There are no facts, only interpretations." (152-153)

Postmodern Ethics. There are no "ideals," no universal standards or principles, thus there is no right or wrong, good or evil. And there is no valid reason for compassion or love.

To proclaim a unversal love of humanity is, in practice, to acknowledge the preferment of all that is suffering, ill-constituted, degenerate. …For the wellbeing of the species, it is necessary for the ill-constituted, the feeble, the degenerate to perish. (168)

As Ferry notes, "it is no accident that Nietzsche became the cult philosopher of the Nazis" (149).

Nietzsche's ethics, if they could be called that, evolved into a "spiritualization of enmity"–it is good to have enemies so as to feel necessary and to have a means for becoming greater–and to "will to power" or "to will to will"–to live life with full intensity doing whatever you want without "fear, remorse, or regret" (176-177).

Postmodern Salvation. There obvioiusly is no meaning, purpose, or immortality outside of this physical life so the only ideal of salvation is living a life "entirely free of guilt" (191).

If striving gives you the highest feeling, then strive! If rest gives you the highest feeling, then rest! If fitting in, following and obeying give you the highest feeling, then obey! Only make sure you come to know what gives you the highest feeling, and then spare no means. Eternity is at stake! (Nietzsche's 1881 Notebook)

In other words, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:32).

Conclusion

Ferry brings his book to a close by trying to recapture some sense of theory, ethics, and salvation after Nietzsche. Without God, the cosmos, or even human rationality, what is left? Ferry tries to rebuild on the rubble of postmodernity but seems to struggle to gain footing. In the end, he cannot not dispense with all aspects of transcendence. Even though he has no real basis for love, rationality, consciousness, or freedom of choice (after all, if we are just blind forces in a chaotic, meaningless world then how can these concepts have any meaning?), he still knows that they exist in some sense. He has experienced to many "moments of grace" (as he calls them) that beckon him to see life from a grander scale, with a higher purpose and meaning. The best that Ferry can come up with is that we are simply here to expand the horizons of our thoughts, to see life through the perspective of another person's eyes. When we do such, we experience a type of salvation. We touch transcendence. We find the "wisdom of love" (264).

Ferry's closing chapters were the most verbose, self-contradictory, and disappointing. But then again, this does seem to be the end of philosophy. If there is no God, no Creator, no Designer, no Sustainer, no Savior…then what is reasonably left? We are mortal beings with limited knowledge stuck in a meaningless world. We are products of blind chance or impersonal forces. Our own thoughts are merely chemical juices flowing over neurological synapses. We are matter…and nothing else matters. This must be the conclusion of the honest materialist. If nothing else, Nietzsche rightly understood where a godless world leads–to a world with no authority, no meaning, no purpose, no morality, no salvation.

The sad thing is that Ferry knows the good news of Christianity. He wonders at its doctrines, admires its ethics, longs for its salvation. But somehow he still misses its Risen Savior, Jesus Christ. The story, to him, is too good to be true. And it requires him to trust in a Person, in a God who loved him enough to enter this world and die for him, rather than in his own power, reason, and intellect.

Ferry wants to believe but he can't.

Because he has the mind of a philosopher.

And not the heart of a child. 

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:25-30)

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Proud Specks before an Infinite God

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Steve Foster

This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: “Do you question what I do for My children? Do you give Me orders about the work of My hands? I am the One who made the earth and created people to live on it. With My hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at My command." (Isaiah 45:11-12)

As humans, we are a funny bunch.

We like to think that we are in control of our lives, that people should cater to our will, that God should do things our way. We forget who we are. We are mortal, weak, limited creatures who did nothing to gain our own life and can do little to extend it. We are specks with a blip lifetime on a speck planet in the vast universe. And we think we are gods, masters of our own fate, who can give orders to God.

That's funny.

And pretty sad.

The Proverbs say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (1:7). We don't really know anything yet if we don't know who we are and don't have reverential respect for who God is.

He is the Holy One.

He is the Lord of the universe.

He is the One who stretched out the heavens and who calls the stars by name.

And He is our Creator, our Maker, our Designer, our Sustainer.

We can reject Him, fight Him, ignore Him, deny Him. But how dumb is that? In Him, we live and move and have our very being (Acts 17:28).

The better choice is to acknowledge Him, humbly bow before Him, listen to Him, trust Him.

And in so doing, we find that the One who is our Creator, who stretched out the heavens with infinite power, is also our Savior, who stretched out His hands with infinite love…

On the cross.

For us.

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Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Steve Foster

I recently had someone ask me as a pastor, "Is it true that 'God doesn't give us more than we can handle'? Because right now it sure feels like He has."

It is an interesting question.

Does God give us more than we can handle?

Here was my response:

Biblically God often gives us more than we can handle. If we could handle it on our own, then we wouldn't need God.

The psalmists often experienced times when God seemed distant and uninterested.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled, but You, O Lord—How long? …I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim. I drench my couch with tears. (Psalm 6:2-3, 6)

Job, of course, experienced the worst of trials that a person could experience–losing all his possessions, all his children, and even his physical health in a matter of days. Soon he despaired of his very life.

Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? …Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in? For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings pour out like water. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes. (Job 3:11, 23-26)

Paul also struggled with a thorn in the flesh that he begged God to remove.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

If you told these people that "God doesn't give us more than we can handle," then they would have begged to differ. These things all felt like they were much more than they could handle. They had to seek supernatural strength and peace just to make it through the day. And the process felt like a type of dying. This is how Paul describes it.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9a)

Paul experienced a burden that was more than he could handle. It was beyond his strength. It was so heavy that Paul felt like he had been given a death sentence. But here is what he learned as he went through this difficulty…

But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9b)

So instead of saying that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, a better statement would be…

God gives us more than we can handle so that His hand is all that we can hold onto.

I wish I could say that things will get better quickly or that the pain will go away or that the process will be easy. But I can't. All I can say is that God will not abandon You and He will give you the strength to make it through…day by day…step by step…and that at the end of His refinement process the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7).

That is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ…the One who loves us, the One who died for us, the One who rose again, and the One is coming back to wipe away every tear.

I will pray for you as you walk this journey. 

Posted in Tough Questions of Faith | 2 Comments

Why We Must Speak Out for the Persecuted Church

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Steve Foster

The recent beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians woke me up.

I have prayed for the persecuted church and have faithfully supported ministries like Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs. But I don't think I have ever been confronted with such brutality and blatant hatred toward Christians. 21 Egyptian Christians were marched out to the beach and systematically murdered…in a slickly (and sickly) produced video for the world to see. This is public execution taken to the furthest extremes in our digital, media-addicted world.

Unfortunately, it is just the tip of the iceberg.

Away from the camera-captured brutality of ISIS, Christian men, women, and children are being oppressed, threatened, imprisoned, sold as sex slaves, and executed in Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, and in many other nations around the world.

What can we do?

Pray. It sounds like a cliche but, in the face of persecution, our first priority as believers is to pray. As John Calvin said, "Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer." Voice of the Martyrs has a that is a good place to start. When we pray, God not only responds but changes us in the process. So get on your knees and pray.

Give. Support ministries that support the persecuted church and also work to spread the gospel in restricted lands. Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, and Samaritan's Purse are the ministries that immediately come to my mind. I am sure that there are others. Just as the apostle Paul spent a large majority of his ministry raising money for the persecuted church in Jerusalem, we should make giving to the persecuted church a high priority as well. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God (2 Corinthians 9:12). So click a link to one of these ministries above and give.

Speak Out. Proverbs 31:8 says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Just as we are to pray for governmental leaders to provide liberty and protection to believers (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we certainly should speak out for that liberty and protection as well…especially if we have the opportunity to do so. With all the potential negative aspects of social media, the one positive aspect is the ability to spread the message of the gospel and to alert others to the injustices committed against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In that vein, I started a petition to encourage President Obama to clearly acknowledge and speak out for persecuted Christians and denouce Islamic extremism which is responsible for much of the persecution around the world.

Why did I do this?

Primarily because I could. I wrote an email to him and saw the opportunity to start a petition at We the People. It may not go anywhere (it needs at least 150 signatures to "go live") but it was at least an opportunity to get the word out there in a different kind of way.

Two disclaimers about the petition…

I am not trying to be political. I certainly disagree with President Obama on a number of issues but I have prayed for him and continue to do so. The escalating persecution of Christians (and Jews) around the world is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It should concern us all. And when our President, for some reason, refuses to clearly call it what it is, it should bother us all. This is not a time for our leadership to be politically correct but to be boldly direct.

I am not making a statement against Muslim people. In fact, many of the people being brutally killed by ISIS are Muslims. And I am thankful that Egypt, as a Muslim-majority nation, has responded against ISIS for the killing of these 21 Coptic Christians. However, to act as if Islamic extremism doesn't exist is to be naive, willfully blind, or deceptive. As a recent Atlantic article pointed out, ISIS, if anything, is Islam taken to its most literal and extreme form. We cannot hope to counteract and defeat an enemy if we are afraid to even identify it.

So now is the time to pray, give, and speak out. I know that there are many other issues out there, but few (if any) are more important at this present time, especially for the believer in Christ. If one part [of the church of Christ] suffers, every part suffers with it (1 Corinthians 12:26a).

And whether one is a Christian or not, ISIS and similar Islamic extremist groups cannot be ignored or underestimated. They are more devoted, more deceived, more barbaric, and potentially more dangerous than Nazism (if that can be imagined).

If their brutality doesn't wake us up, then we are not just asleep. We are dead.

Perhaps literally.

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What I Learned from Scottish Dancing

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Steve Foster

I never thought I would try Scottish dancing.

Never.

To me, the words "Scottish dancing" brought up images of men dancing in kilts to strange bagpipe music in some kind of Riverdance-looking line dance. Not a pleasant mental image.

But for the past few weeks I have gone with my wife to a Scottish dancing class in our church foyer. Yes, dancing in the church foyer is another image I thought I would never see. But I digress…

There is a lady in our church from Scotland whose daughter is getting married this weekend. Many of her relatives are coming from Scotland and they are expecting some good ol' Scottish dancing during the wedding reception. Unfortunately they will be disappointed with the "good" part but there will be some ol' fashioned Scottish dancing at this American wedding. Of course, after seeing us Americans try to dance to their music, they may wish they would have kept their William Wallace inspired wishes to themselves. But I digress again…

I am performing the wedding ceremony but I had no intention of learning Scottish dancing. I figured there might be 4 people showing up for such a class. Quaint idea. Good luck trying to get someone to come. But without me knowing it, my wife signed us up. She didn't reveal this little tidbit of information to me until about an hour before the first class.

"Honey, we have to leave in an hour."

"Where are we going?"

"To the Scottish dancing class."

I nearly choked on my mini-wheats.

My first inclination was to say "no" but in reality I had no excuse not to go. And I have to admit that there was a small part of me that wanted to learn to dance with my wife. After all, when you are a Bible college grad from a conservative Baptist background, dancing is not a part of your training. The whole "dancing" in the Bible thing is sort of skipped over. So the only time I had ever danced with my wife was a slow dance at a wedding or two. Is that really dancing? Or just swaying back and forth while hugging?

Realizing my woeful dancing deficiences, I figured what could be the harm in trying Scottish dancing for one hour. As long as no one is wearing a kilt we should be okay.

Well, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I can't dance worth a lick but I certainly had fun…and had a cardio workout at the same time.

St. Bernard's Waltz, the Dashing White Sergeant, the Military Two-Step, Strip the Willow, and, my favorite, the Canadian Barn Dance (though I am not sure why the Scots are dancing in Canadian barns). All of them have specific steps that repeat over and over and generally move in a giant circle…with a lot of clapping, skipping, and "yeehaws" thrown in for fun. (I don't think the Scots do the "yeehaw" part.)

Not only was I surprised at how much I enjoyed it but I was also surprised that over 40 people showed up at different times to learn it. In fact, last night at our final lesson, we had just about all 40 people there. At one point, I sat back and watched…totally drained after dashing around during the Dashing White Sergeant.

I was amazed at what I saw. Young and old. Male and female. Several generations. Dancing together. Smiling together.

It hit me all at once.

Our culture…my generation…has missed something. We have lost the ability, the opportunity, for several generations to enjoy activities together. To watch a teen-aged grandson dance with his grandmother was both amazing and, well, simply inspiring. To see my wife dance with one of our sons was a blessing and a joy.

I also noticed how male and female of different ages could enjoy spending time together and get to know one another in a healthy, fun environment. This is so rare today. Our culture has sexualized virtually everything. Guys and girls don't even know how to relate to one another, how to spend time with one another, without the temptation of sex being forced into the picture.

The generations have been separated. Friendships have been isolated. Sex has been elevated. Our culture has degenerated. And we are all feeling the effects.

Okay, I admit, that is a lot to take from a Scottish dancing lesson. So, lest I digress again, let me just sum this up in a single thought:

The Scots sure know how to celebrate at a wedding…and how to build a culture that makes a wedding a true celebration.

So I will dance a jig for the Scots.

But I still won't wear that kilt.

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