Faith: Kierkegaard, Luther, and Tertullian

Dr. Stephen Hicks, Professor of Philosophy at Rockford College and CEE's Executive Director, presents a series of lectures on the philosophy of education. In Part 3, Dr. Hicks gives an overview of epistemology. In this section, he further contrasts reason-based and faith-based epistemologies with quotations on faith from Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Luther, and Tertulian.

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Education

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• Dr Stephen hicks
• Rockford college
• cee
• lecture
• course
• philosophy
• education
• epistemology
• reason
• faith
• Kierkegaard
• luther
• tertullian

[reachout52959]

Super interesting video Dr. Hicks.

Though faith without evidence seems precarious. The thinkers you talk about during this video believed in the authority of the scriptures. They believed the evidence of eye witness accounts in the gospels and theological correspondence from Paul. They also believed in the evidence of changed lives due to faith, in living a life devoted to Christ.

[reachout52959]

@fkanga 'For by grace you have been saved athrough faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.' Ephesians 2:8-9

[reachout52959]

@fkanga To be truly Christian is to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised King of Israel and King of humanity. To believe that he rose from the dead as he claimed to do and that through your trust in him God grants you eternal life. To be Christian is to change your ways through God's grace, living a life of love and following the scriptures.

[fkanga]

While there are many redeeming qualities in Luther, I think that Kierkegaard is right in saying that Luther "overthrew the Pope and set the public on the throne." More precisely, by allying with the German princes and making his Church a part of the State, he fell into the same trap that the Catholic Church had fallen into during the Renaissance. Kierkegaard is a prophet because I believe he is the first to expose the evils of Christendom (State Church). What does it mean to be truly Christian?

[fkanga]

When the Church becomes run by the state like the Danish National Church of the early 19th century, the Church represents couch-potato Christianity at best (what Kierkegaard attacks) and demonic at worst. We see the latter in the experience of Dietrich Bonhoeffer during World War II. How about Liberation Theology in say Chile?

[fkanga]

For me, a prophet is someone who accurately interprets the signs of the times. And I think that Kierkegaard's evaluation of his Church in the 19th century was not just correct then but is applicable even in the churches of our times. I think that he is right in saying that "Christendom is the enemy of Christianity."

[KajiCarson]

@fkanga A prophet for what excactly, if you don't mind me asking?

[fkanga]

Kierkegaard was a prophet in my opinion

[thejimshow4000]

wonderful video!