How Much Do We Really Know?

Phil Bishop,
Professor of Kinesiology,
University of Alabama

[April 15, 2013]—

Most people consider the highly educated professors of the modern university a largely unreached people group. There’s no shortage of professors who are downright opposed to Christianity. Borrowing a concept from Randy Newman’s excellent book, Questioning Evangelism, I think there are a couple of questions to ask ourselves and to pose to our sometimes skeptical colleagues.

Thinking too highly of oneself often leads to an egocentrism that is deadening spiritually. As I wrote in a previous Ministry Minute, here smart people can’t imagine God being more than just a bit smarter than they.

Consider all the knowledge in the world: Particle Physics, Chemistry, Philosophy, Linguistics, Astronomy, Music, Business, Finance, Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Biology, History, Geography, Geology, Education, Engineering, Philosophy, English literature, Physiology, Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Communications, and all the other fields.

What percentage of that knowledge do you think you have individually?

We professors know a lot, but the breadth of our knowledge is necessarily constrained. Unfortunately, that is often forgotten. In actuality we really don’t know an awful lot, which raises a second question.

How much do we know about the things going on within 50 meters of us? What do we know about the workings of our own bodies; about the trees, shrubs and rocks; about bacteria and viri; about materials, televisions, computers, telephones, etc.?

If we and our smart friends are willing to admit that we know only a lot about a very limited scope of material, doesn’t that create the possibility that we have not exhausted all knowledge in our consideration of the possibility of a Creator God? If God doesn’t operate in the manner in which we expect Him to, isn’t it possible that it is due to our own lack of knowledge, rather than that He does not exist?

Apparently even the smartest among us aren’t quite so smart in the very broad scheme of things. Just because we ask a penetrating question I don’t expect a large numbers of professors to fill the churches, but keep in mind the broad definition of evangelism. If we are able to move a person from absolute atheism to questioning agnosticism, then we are being successful. When author Flannery O’Connor engaged in conversation with atheists, the goal was “creating doubts about their doubts.”

This approach appeals to me. I believe it is Scriptural also – see 1 Cor 2:7; 3:19 and 2 Cor 10:5.

“…but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory…” (1Cor. 2:7)

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the One Who catches the wise in their craftiness…” (1 Cor. 3:19) My prayer is that “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)