What is the basis of our knowledge?
I think it is unfair to base all of our knowledge on one single catalyst. I believe it is based on three things. God's revelation to man through his son Jesus or through the Bible, we should also base it on Reason, reason through wisdom or shared experience, and finally upon tradition, by tradition i mean cultural tradition.
The first of these I said was God's revelation, I believe that revelation is a very important aspect of having knowledge. I believe God expresses the things God thinks are most important, he used his son Jesus as an ambassador to earth on his behalf, to show us how to live the gospel, whether or not his son's life and death on the cross did something for us spiritually is a different question, but what his life did show us was how to live a fruitful life. His life expressed in what we call the Bible and although there are is an argument as to whether or not certain other gospels should be added, Jesus' life still shows us how to live. Another avenue one can go in with revelation is when God reveals something to someone outside of the Bible, an experience in which an answer or new idea is given to a person by the will of God. This is interesting because I believe this happens at many turning points in Church History from the Early Fathers to the Papal decrees to Luther and his ideas of Justification by faith to the Stone-Campbell movement where restoration and unity were main themes. In one way or another these ideas were revealed to them through scripture. These ideas don't break open cannon of anything but they do ask question and pose answers that are interpretations of what they have studied for a lifetime.
The second of the standards is Reason. I say it is just as important because I believe this kind of keeps revelation in check.If something someone says is a revelation a rationalist will pick apart the revelationalists argument and if it can withstand that both revelation and reason are used to enhance thought.When I thing of Reason I can not help but think to King Solomon. When God asked him waht he wanted most he requested wisdom, the ability to reason through an issue and give the best answer. he did not ask for divine revelation he already had from his historical tradtion, but he asked to be able to discern truth. But reason can go to far as well and pride and reason do not mix, it leads to a very mechanical way of life.
And so, with the other two comes cultural tradition. This would be looking back into history and picking apart what other people have said and questioning it and looking to what others have said about what we have pulled apart. We have to remember what we are not the first to ask these questions, this keeps us humbled in out journey for knowledge.
I believe in a checks and balance system for the standard in which I seek knowledge because I do not think one way can get all of the information we need to begin to answer theological questions. I think that is where many young, new and old theologians get stuck by having one standard of knowledge instead of trusting others.
That my take on things. I do not claim t know anything really in fact would say I dont know much at all. But I do my best to understand.
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