Is mimetic theory biblical?
Mimetic theory is an attempt to explain humanity’s tendency toward violence and the social mechanisms we use to preserve society. Mimetic theory was developed by René Girard through his studies in multiple disciplines, including mythology, anthropology, and history. Mimetic theory, as presented by Girard, could be classified as a philosophical approach to Christian theology. His…
What is the genetic fallacy?
A genetic fallacy is an illogical argument for or against an idea based on the origin of the idea. An example of a genetic fallacy is the statement “It will rain on Tuesday because my father said so.” The speaker’s father may be a good man and a good father, but it doesn’t necessarily translate…
What is evolutionism?
The term evolutionism is an example of how discussions of science, religion, and faith are often corrupted by misunderstanding and bias. According to common popular opinion, topics such as evolution are inherently scientific, neutral, and objective. This same opinion would describe topics such as the Bible, religion, or faith as inherently irrational, biased, and subjective.…
What is logical positivism?
Positivism refers to a belief that only those things that can be empirically detected are real. As an extension of this, logical positivism claims that only statements that are either empirical or purely logical have any meaning. As such, logical positivism, also called logical empiricism, would claim that even attempting to discuss something non-empirical and…
What is the Logos?
Logos is the Greek term translated as “word,” “speech,” “principle,” or “thought.” In Greek philosophy, it also referred to a universal, divine reason or the mind of God. In the New Testament, the Gospel of John begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He…
What is Thomism?
Thomism is the system of philosophy developed by Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic scholar. Aquinas harmonized the philosophy of Aristotle with Christian theology, creating a system that became among the most influential in history. Aquinas’ philosophy was popular during his lifetime. After his death, a small minority of Catholic leaders condemned his teachings as heresy. Their…
What is reliabilism?
Reliabilism is a sub-category of epistemological justification, the philosophical examination of whether a belief is sufficiently reasonable to hold. This form of justification is entirely separate from the idea of justification with respect to salvation. According to reliabilism, beliefs are only reasonable if they are derived through some known-to-be-truth-generating process. This property is independent of…
What is sophism? What is a sophist? What is sophistry?
Sophistry is argumentation or reasoning based on falsehood, trickery, or clever wording. A sophism is a fallacious argument, usually relying on a clever method of deception. And a sophist is a person who engages in sophistry; that is, he is skilled in misleading people through circumlocution, equivocation, ambiguity, etc. A sophist has cunning ways of…
What is antinomy?
Antinomy is a compound Greek word made of anti, which means “against or in opposition to,” and nomos, which means “law.” In philosophy, the word antinomy is used to designate the conflict of two laws that are mutually exclusive or that oppose one another. When two carefully drawn, logical conclusions contradict each other, the result…
What is structuralism?
Structuralism is the idea that human beings assign meaning by noting the differences between fundamental ideas. This implies that the structure formed by the interaction of individual components provides proper context for communication and understanding. Structuralism has been applied to various disciplines, most successfully in language and literature, including biblical literature. Structuralism is considered an…