Theological Musings

From Athens to Jerusalem: Bringing the Academy Back to Church

         “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”[1] This familiar phrase penned by Tertullian in the 3rd century AD was intended as a refutation against pagan philosophy entering into conversation with Christian beliefs. Speaking against heresies which were undermining the burgeoning Church in those early days, Tertullian decried the use of pagan writings and argumentation against the foundational beliefs of the Gospel. It must be noted, it was not logic he denied, nor even philosophy truly, for certainly these form the foundation of solid argumentation. Tertullian’s concern was against heterodoxy given that he and his peers were writing to establish true orthodoxy and the foundational principles of the belief for the church. Tertullian’s portrayal of Athens is that of the opposite of Jerusalem, that is, Greek paganism in contradistinction to Christian belief. He was not denying the merits of philosophy or even logic, he was denying admixture. The Christian faith should be kept clean of any mixing of beliefs. It must stand on its own virtue built upon the authoritative foundation of Scripture.

         That we know Tertullian was not opposed to the basics of logic and philosophy may be seen is his own writings. Incredibly profuse, his 31 extant works in both Greek and Latin are filled with the most solid argumentation of his day, so much so that he was invited to Rome to speak before the greatest legal advisors of his time. He denied that man’s wisdom could be greater than God’s, and in this way today’s believer may take a page from his book. The concern of mixed belief remains and has remained through the centuries. Each generation of Christian writers, thinkers, and believers has faced challenges from society, and so it remains today. Yet many today would agree that Athens and Jerusalem may actually have swung too far apart, and the Church has become sheltered, insular, and less educated. Three centuries of humanism have created a society of humanists, and it is the Church which now finds itself on the outside of the discussion. The reason for this is that most believers are ill equipped to counter false doctrine and progressive beliefs. It is only the believer who is armed with the tools of logic, philosophy, metaphysics, and most importantly knowledge of the Scriptures who is capable to make sound arguments in defense of the faith. From this perspective, the Academy must be reintroduced within the Church, and the Church must be reacquainted through education with logic, rhetoric, and discourse. These are in fact the starting points of apologetics. It is here the present writer differs from the position Tertullian takes in that the question which naturally follows that of Athens in distinction to Jerusalem is: “What concord is there between the Academy and the Church?” In fact there is much to be drawn from the Academy, and the Church, in swinging too far away from secular institutions, is in danger of becoming unbelievable and unrelatable.

         To be sure the concern of mixture of belief or of a watering down of orthodoxy in order to comply with the demands of society remains a concern. Here we return to Tertullian’s statements, for the third portion of his argument is this: “What [concord exists] between heretics and Christians?” In answering this question the 3rd century lawyer and the 21st century believer must be completely synergized. It is not the present argument here that heresy and heterodoxy should be allowed within the Church, or should be accepted as a result of the Church being unable to stand on her own against society. Rather that the Academy has much to offer believers who wish to hold a firmer stance on their own beliefs and to defend those beliefs against attack. Philosophy is not evil in and of itself, and in fact can offer much to an educated discussion of ethics and moral values. When logic and philosophy are grounded in the truth of the words of God, the argumentation of the believer in support of their beliefs and the outworking of Christianity in the world becomes far more sound.

         Jacob Brunton places a synchronized view of Church and Academy within an environment of revelation. Where the Scriptures are God’s special revelation of Himself, nature and human thought may be considered a general revelation thereof as well. If “all truth is God’s truth” then the theologian may be comfortable with gleaning truth from any writer or thinker. God’s special revelation is His Word, which is the ultimate truth without mixture. God Himself is the source of truth and wisdom and created human beings with the capacity to recognize both. The Christian is better for their interaction with the world, not in that the world has greater or purer truth to offer, but rather because principles of knowledge are not limited to the sphere of the believer. Brunton asks: “How can the God of Scripture be fully enjoyed apart from a full understanding of His ‘invisible attributes, eternal power, and His divine nature’ as revealed certainly outside of Scripture? How can Jerusalem (the Church) enjoy and glorify God in everything, if they exclude Athens (the rest of reality) from that enjoyment and that glory?”[2]

John Piper expounds upon this position in stating:

Alongside “All truth is God’s truth,” we need to say, “All truth exists to display more of God and awaken more love for God.” This means that knowing truth and knowing it as God’s truth is not a virtue until it awakens desire and delight in us for the God of truth. And that desire and delight are not complete until they give rise to words or actions that display the worth of God. That is, we exist to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and merely knowing a truth to be God’s truth does not glorify him any more than the devil does.[3]

What this position shows is the point at which Tertullian goes too far. He implies the believer ought to seek no other knowledge than that of God directly in meditation and indirectly in the Scriptures. “To know nothing in opposition to the rule of faith is to know all things.”[4] Yet even he undermines this position by opening this chapter with an offering of permission to the believer to seek to engage their curiosity. If curiosity is God-given, as Proverbs 25:2 would suggest, the believer is free to “seek and discuss as much as you please, and give full rein to your curiosity, in whatever seems to you to hang in doubt, or to be shrouded in obscurity.”[5],[6]  What Tertullian is underscoring in this passage is the primacy of Scripture and the importance to the believer of making their final appeal to God’s revelation. While all truth may be God’s truth, knowledge is not synonymous with truth. Here is where the pitfall lies. Information about the world, even discussion of ethics and moral virtues, placed outside the context of God’s revealed truth can only lead to error. Additionally arguing from the Scripture means nothing to the unbeliever. Thus, the apologist must be as firmly grounded in theology and the Word as they are in logic and the principles of philosophy.

[1] Tertullian. Prescription Against Heresies, ch.8. In Phillip Schaff, The Complete Works of the Church Fathers (Public domain, 2016, Kindle edition).

[2] Jacob Brunton. “Athens and Jerusalem: Limited and Specific Revelation.” Originally published at www.thechristianegoist.com on September 10, 2013. Accessed 18 March 2022 from https://medium.com.

[3] John Piper. “’All Truth Is God's Truth,’ Admits the Devil.” Published 13 March 2009 at www.desiringgod.com. Accessed 18 March 2022.

[4] Tertullian, Prescription, ch. 14.

[5] “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” ESV

[6] Tertullian. Prescription, ch. 14.