What is the relationship between faith and reason? That relationship has not always been clearly understood, even by those of us in the church. Often we end up emphasizing one to the exclusion of the other. Either a person is so strong on the importance of faith that they deny any value in rational thought. At other times, however, a person is so convinced of the importance of rational faith that they determine not to accept anything they can’t perfectly explain. The two concepts, however, belong together and balance one another. Long before Jonathan Edwards, Anselm of Canterbury stated, “I believe that I may understand.” Faith and reason belong together. Jonathan Edwards saw and understood the importance of both.
Let’s begin by looking at Edwards’ use of reason in his theological methodology. Edwards held reason in high esteem. In its original perfect state, human reason was “a participation of the divine essence.” Author’s Michael McClymond and Gerald McDermott quote Edwards when they write that reason is:
“The rational image of God in man,” and the “highest” faculty “designed by our maker to ever rule and exalt sense, imagination, and passion.” It distinguished humans from beasts. The soul, on his account, was essentially rational – “that thinking being that is contained in the body of every living man.” (The Theology of Jonathan Edwards, 139-40).
That Edwards held reason in high esteem is not debated. There is, however, an ongoing debate among scholars as to just how high Edwards held reason. Does Edwards believe that reason supersedes revelation, or is it dependent upon revelation. Scott Oliphant argues that for Edwards reason was a type of revelation and therefore dependent upon it (“Jonathan Edwards: Reformed Apologist,” WTJ 57, 165-86). He writes:
As a reformed theologian, Edwards realizes all knowledge is revelational of the God who created all things. Edwards insists “there is perfect harmony” between reason and revelation. This would seem to indicate that, given Edwards’ understanding of the authority of revelation, that which is revealed to us by God is by definition reasonable. (177)
It’s important to consider just what are the strengths and limits of reason. Edwards believed that reason was a valuable too, a “great friend” to our faith. But this reason had limits too.
It’s important to consider Edwards’ rationalism in light of his theological conviction about the noetic effects of sin. Reason has been corrupted by sin so that even our rational judgments may lead us to wrong conclusions now. Reason apart from revelation could not sufficiently find God or grow in spiritual truth. Unaided reason, due to the fall, still had to suffer with the effects of sin on the mind. Reason was powerful, no doubt. Edwards argued man could prove the existence of God and the rational consistency of revelation. But it could not discover such things unaided by the Spirit of God himself. Edwards was a great thinker, but he was a man dependent upon God.
As we explore his methodology this is a key reality to grasp. Edwards does not depart from orthodoxy. His brilliance is not the ultimate standard. Evangelicals today must, I believe, regain a confidence in the use of the mind. What Mark Noll wrote about in his 1995 classic, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind remains true today (if to a lesser degree). In this work Noll said: the scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind. The danger, however, in responding to this critique, to embracing the importance of the mind is that we depart from the need for revelation. We must follow Edwards here too. We must submit ultimately to God’s revelation. Our minds are not the supreme judge of truth. Reason itself is revelation from God! We are dependent upon him. Edwards affirmed the importance of reason, but he submitted even his reason to the authority of revelation. General and special a necessary part of Edwards approach to theology. Reason submits to God! Jonathan Edwards’ reason did, so should yours.
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