Christian philosophy

Christian philosophy is a catch-all expression for a two-millennia tradition of rational thought that attempts to fuse the fields of philosophy with the religious teachings of Christ (from the Greek word Khristos Xριστός "anointed," from chriō χρίω "to anoint").

As with any fusion of religion and philosophy, the attempt is difficult because classical philosophers start with no preconditions for which conclusions they must reach in their investigation, while classical religious believers have a set of religious principles of faith that they hold one must believe. Indeed, due to these divergent goals and views, some contend that one cannot simultaneously be a philosopher and a true adherent of a revealed religion. In this view, all attempts at synthesis ultimately fail.

Others controvert that a synthesis between the two is possible. One way to find a synthesis is to use philosophical arguments to prove that one's preset religious principles are true.

This is known as apologetics and is a common technique found in the writings of many religious traditions but is not generally accepted as "true philosophy" by classical philosophers. Another way to find a synthesis is to abstain from arguing as true any religious principles of one's faith at all, unless one independently comes to those conclusions from a philosophical analysis. However, this is not generally accepted as being steadfast to one's faith. A third, rarer and more difficult path is to apply analytical philosophy to one's own religion. In this case a religious person would also be a philosopher, by asking questions such as:

• What is the nature of God?
• How do we know that God exists?
• What is the nature of revelation?
• How do we know that God reveals his will to mankind?
• Which of our religious traditions must be interpreted literally?
• Which of our religious traditions must be interpreted allegorically?
• How can one reconcile the findings of philosophy with religion?
• Should one attempt to reconcile the findings of philosophy with religion?
• How can one reconcile the findings of science with religion?
• Should one attempt to reconcile the findings of science with religion?
• What is the difference between natural and supernatural?
• Is there a spiritual realm in the world?

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"No Longer Alone with God as Jesus in the Eternal Kingdom - NOW" by Dallas Willard (1–7)