The Place of Reason in Theology and Relationship between Faith and Reason
This lesson is a continuation of the discussion about theological method. This time, our focus is the place of reason in theology. The materials covered in this lesson are taken from Cornelius Van Til’s Introduction to Systematic Theology (1974) and Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics: Prolegomena (2003) . There are four relevant subjects taken from Van Til's material, which include preliminary distinction, tendencies among orthodox theologians, epistemological qualifications to resolve the perceived conflict between faith and reason, and an appreciation and critique of Bavinck’s position. The second part in this lesson presents Herman Bavinck’s explanation of the relationship between faith and reason and the role of reason in theology. Cornelius Van Til Preliminary Distinction Van Til claims that since theological method is properly understood as part of Christian theistic method in general, the place of reason in theology must also be understood as part of Christia