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Faith and Reason
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“Some Christians oppose apologetics for fear of rationalism driving out faith. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit through the Word, not a logical conclusion of reason. But much of the best apologetics is simply explanation.” - Veith

Discussion

Wed, 01/21/26

I don’t disagree with the gist of his post, but this part touches a pet peeve…

Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit through the Word, not a logical conclusion of reason.

Why can’t a logical conclusion of reason be a gift of the Holy Spirit? I’m asking because I can’t think of any reason (oops there’s that word) why that should be the case?

Noetic effects of sin. Among other things, it means we don’t reason right because of sin. So if a person in the domain of darkness (Col 1) manages to have “a conclusion of reason” that the gospel is true, it has to be a gift.

… best I can tell.

But I’m open to being wrong. Talk me out of it.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.