Francis Schaeffer on Christian Fideism

Christianity does not separate itself from knowledge. In fact historic Christianity, in contrast to modern theology, must bear the weight of believing and teaching that all truth is one.

Occasionally some people will ask is it ‘spiritual’ to talk of such things? Are you really considering with the work of the Holy Spirit when dealing with knowledge and facts? But I would say yes, the Bible makes it very plain that while we as Christians must count upon the work of the Holy Spirit, at the same time we should never separate ourselves from knowledge.

From the biblical view there must be an adequate base of knowledge before there can be any true profession of faith. Often, it seems to me, people are invited to become Christians in a way that we can only conclude that a psychological need is being met. But from the historic view of Christianity, and from the view of the Bible itself, this is not so. No person is invited to accept Christ as Saviour until there is an adequate base of knowledge for his or her doing so.

In the Scriptures, you are not invited to accept Christ as Saviour until you are convinced that there is good and sufficient reason for knowing that a certain base of knowledge is true. I would repeat – we are not invited to believe until there is a ground of true knowledge. In other words, from the scriptural viewpoint, Christian faith is not a ‘jump in the dark’.

 

(Francis Schaeffer, 1912-1984)