Knowledge

Optimism and Pessimism

A: Optimism: God has given us minds to use in reasoning, relating, and learning. Knowledge of God is possible, because God has effectively revealed his power and divine nature to all mankind (Romans 1:19-20).

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B: Pessimism: Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; our knowledge must be held humbly because it may be wrong; we make many mistakes. Being fallen creatures, our knowledge of God and God's will is often suppressed or distorted.
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-B: Rationalism: Without God's help, we can find out truths about God by human reason and scientific evidence alone. Natural theology (Locke).
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-A: Fideism: Knowledge of God is only achieved by blind faith; there is no way to achieve it by rational arguments. Such knowledge only comes to us mystically and irrationally.
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Overview of this diagram

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