# James MacGregor on theologians wearing the philosopher’s cloak



## Reformed Covenanter (Dec 14, 2022)

The mind, let us suppose, first awakened perhaps to the special questions of theology, is further awakened to the wider questions of philosophy. What then is the transition effectively in effect, though only potentially or intensively in relation to time? It does not mean importation of the dogmas of philosophy into theology, so as to displace, or to conceal, the proper matter of theology,—that given in supernatural revelation of God. In every age there has been a process of this sort, always to the detriment both of theology and of philosophy, especially of the former: one might venture to say that in every age the sorest calamities of theology have been occasioned by her adoption of dogmas from the then prevailing philosophy or science.

The legitimate transition here means a man’s bringing to the contemplation of matters properly of theology that refinement which natively results from philosophical culture,—a philosophical manner of looking at every matter, and even of speaking of every matter, such as to give corresponding form to the matter in hand. This philosophical manner, of contemplation and representation, of research and exposition, may, though the philosophy be chronologically after the theology in origin, yet, in effect, continue throughout a theological lifetime to be as a logical or psychological antecedent, a disciplined habit of mind conditioning thought and even utterance, about theology as about everything else.

It thus appears that the transition does not necessarily and ought not to involve abandonment of philosophy. ...

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James MacGregor on theologians wearing the philosopher’s cloak


The mind, let us suppose, first awakened perhaps to the special questions of theology, is further awakened to the wider questions of philosophy. What then is the transition effectively in effect, t…




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## ThatItalianGuy (Dec 17, 2022)

And this is why I do not trust those Pastors who say:”we don’t need any philosophy but the Bible”. They show ignorance of how that itself is a philosophical statement and how philosophy can help in organising thoughts and their logic. 

Still, as rightly pointed out, philosophy doesn’t provide what only sound revealed theology can.


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