June 2025

  The Enlightenment was a philosophical and intellectual movement in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries that had profound effects in theological and political arenas. The movement has been summarized by the phrase, “The Age of Reason.” Two epistemological views, Empiricism and Rationalism, shaped The Enlightenment significantly. Francis Bacon is strongly associated with Empiricism. Bacon and his followers expressed the importance of experience and observation in acquiring knowledge. René Descartes is strongly associated with Rationalism. Descartes and his followers expressed the importance of reason in acquiring knowledge. The acquisition of knowledge, how do we know what we know, is the primary concern of epistemology.
Now, if you’re still reading, we need to recognize the importance of the Enlightenment on our world today. Virtually all Western revolutions and movements for freedom flowed out of the Enlightenment. In addition, the Industrial Revolution and technological explosion were results of Enlightenment thinking. So, one would have a hard time dismissing the impact of the Enlightenment on contemporary existence. However, despite the great strides for freedom, economic advancement, and technological development, the Enlightenment has produced a mixed bag of results socially. Science and engineering developed new ways of producing energy to supply electricity to millions of people through nuclear fission, making life much more enjoyable. Nevertheless, this positive utility of nuclear energy was preceded by a rather deleterious use of the new technology: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So, the Enlightenment led to many great advancements but failed to address the most basic, fundamental problem with humanity, a sinful heart. Until the sinful heart of humanity is addressed, the Post-Enlightenment world will continue to be a mixed bag of technological advancements and human destruction.
As stated above, much of the Enlightenment was a matter of epistemology. Bacon and Descartes would have benefited greatly from reading Cornelius Van Til, had he been alive during their day. Van Til strongly believed that nothing could be known unless the Triune God of the Bible could be known. Likewise, Van Til believed that profound epistemological differences existed   between regenerate and unregenerate individuals. Solomon seemed to agree: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7).  Solomon went on to say, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul made a profound epistemological statement in Colossians 2:3: All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in [Christ].
The point of this discourse is simple: without God’s general revelation in creation and His special relation through His Word, His Son, and His Spirit, the mind of humanity may expand, but the heart of humanity remains tragically, fatally flawed. An expanded human mind with a corrupt human heart may very well lead to technological advancements that will support an off-world   option for human existence, but will such technology have time to develop if the on-world population destroys one another first? Only heart-transformation wrought through the person and work of Jesus Christ can enable humanity to safely, humanely steward what the mind can reason, and the senses can observe. Despite the optimism of Bacon’s empiricism and Descartes' rationalism to develop an understanding of the natural world and humanity’s place in it, God’s great New Covenant promise given through Ezekiel six centuries before the time of Christ is still the most significant shaping factor of society: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

-Pastor Clint Miller