Head Knowledge vs Heart Knowledge

[Scott Shahan]

A charismatic friend has been talking to me today and she keeps saying, 'oh that's head knowledge, and not heart knowledge. Say WHAT?!?!?! What is heart knowledge opposed to head knowledge? what are people suggesting when they talk this way? i just need something to say to her when she says this to me again!
- thanks!

 

[Peairtach]

The Holy Spirit works through the head.

If you are expounding sound doctrine and she say's that it's just "head knowledge", she either saying that sound doctrine of Scripture is only capable of rattling around in the head and not affecting the heart and life, which is to impune the doctrine, or she is impuning you by implying/stating that you have sound doctrine but that in your case it is only rattling around your head and not touching your heart and hands. Does she know you well enough to be able to say this?

 

[Rom]

Tell her that your heart knowledge says that she's wrong.

 

[Scott Shahan]

I just met her a week ago. I was wondering in Scripture if there is a difference between the two..( head/heart) knowledge. I always thought of it to be one and the same. whenever I thought of (head/heart) I just thought of it as the soul of a person. She is making it a distinction. Is there a verse that speaks about this distiction? Do you know of one i cant think of one at the moment

 

[Jack K]

It most certainly is possible to have head knowledge of God—to know about him—while not knowing him personally in one's heart. I think of many of the Pharisees. And perhaps this is what's going on in Isaiah 29: "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men" (Isaiah 29:13).

A good Puritan not only knows doctrine but loves God because of it. So you're right that head and heart ought to be joined.

Alas, I suspect in this case you're dealing with one of the many (though not all) charismatics who've reacted so strongly against head-only religion that they've come to despise brainy doctrine altogether.

Perhaps with her you can affirm that head knowledge without the heart is indeed dispicable—but this is because head are heart ought to be joined. Then challenge her to add to her heart knowledge some head knowledge. Because you see, it is equally biblical that a heart for God without head knowledge is also wrong: "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2).

---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ----------

Oh, and don't get too hung up on terms. The way she uses "head" and "heart" won't necessarily be the same as how the Bible uses them. It doesn't have to be. I think you can still affirm that part of what she's saying—that head-only religion is bad—is correct while her resulting rejection of good doctrine is mistaken.

 

[Rufus]

What if your heart knowledge isn't biblical? Some people believe truly in their "hearts" against Christ, does that make it true?

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

First off head knowledge is very important. Jesus said the truth would make us free. But truth without the illumination and regeneration of the Holy Ghost only leads to judgment. Either way we all need to know the truth. It is the only way to God and right practice. As the common saying goes, "Orthodoxy leads to Orthopraxy."

I like what someone said in the following. Right belief does lead to right living. It can't be any other way. Just like a true faith produces true obedience.

Pyromaniacs: Orthodoxy/Orthopraxy Again

 

[steadfast7]

Let's not dismiss the saying to some charismatic jibberish. Pascal said something similar:

The heart has reasons that reason doesn't know

Scripture speaks of things which are spiritually discerned in contradistinction to human wisdom and intellect, and even the Puritans stressed the matters of emotivity and tenderness of heart in religious exercises.

 

[Skyler]

I think I'd prefer to contrast "head knowledge" with "experiential knowledge." Knowing about God as opposed to knowing Him through experience in your relationship with Him.

Bahnsen has suggested that there is an epistemological link between understanding and obedience. If we don't obey God, we can't really know Him. I need to find where he said that again. =)

 

[Peairtach]

Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Mark 12:29-30)

Graciously remind the lady that our Lord said that we were to love God with our hearts (motives and wills?), souls (affections?), minds (intellects?) and strength (energy and body?) and not only our hearts.

Maybe you should do a study of comments on this passage, as I am certainly (intelligently) guessing as to the meaning of these various faculties of humanity mentioned.

Charismatics aren't going to like the loving God with the mind that leads to sound exegesis of the passages that deal with their cherished "gifts" and so will dismiss it as "head knowledge". In Pentecostalism "going with the Spirit" and what you feel is right is valued over sound exegesis, especially regarding their cherished distinctives.