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[[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/jn_de_2018_01_04|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]]
[[topics_collection_ix|| Topics Collection ix ]]
====== On insight into this world ... ======
Thursday, Jan 4, 2018. It is interesting to think about what is causing
us to gain insight into this world. What is creating a path towards better
insight? And what is in the way, keeping us from insight at this or that
particular point?
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** Philosophical Preconceptions ...**
If you look into the history of science, your realize quickly that there
were many philosophical preconceptions which kept people from insight into
special problems for quite a while.
Only when someone managed to break the preconception, the path was free for new
insight. What is the nature of our space, the nature of light, the nature of time,
the nature of small things and large things, matter and fields? Physics has seen
astonishing insight over the past 150 years.
But the same is true for medicine, for biology, for chemistry, for engineering,
for manufacturing, for mathematics.
When it comes to faith, we have the same phenomenon. Philosophical preconceptions
might keep us away from faith, or they might keep us caught in a particular world.
That might not be the faith described in the biblical books, in the New Testament,
in the prophets.
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** The biblical faith ...**
What is the biblical faith? What does it tell us? What is its message, its insight?
You might approach the book with a particular idea about its content. You probably
approach it with your own philosophical preconception.
There is, for example, the historical critical approach. Its philosophical preconception
is a particular understanding of what can be true and what cannot be true. So it reads
and sorts the texts and arguments according to its prescribed ideas of reality. That does
not necessarily help to get to the message of the bible as it was written or meant
by Jesus himself.
Of course, this argument is very general. Any approach might be a preconception. Any
understanding needs some ideas, then listen, then judge, then reread, then change the
first ideas and approach with an updated understanding, and so on. We call this the
hermeneutical circle. It means to understand step by step - if all works out well!
It is not a bad idea to go and read with some preliminary ideas, and then see how far
you get. As long as your are willing to listen and to change your understanding when
good arguments turn up, there is nothing wrong. It might be the best you can do.
And yes, God might want to talk to you through the biblical books. So it would be
good to listen. It would be good to pray to him to help you to understand. This might,
at least initially, also be a preconception, which has to be proven to be a good
way, which leads you forward.
(Roland Potthast)
[[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/topics_collection_ix|... further texts]]