Thursday, June 18, 2009

Frame, Doctrine of the Knowledge of God

I don't re-read many books, but John Frame's The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God (P&R, 1987) was an exception. Few books have been more influential for me in thinking about logic, philosophy, and (especially) epistemology. It's not an overstatement to say that it has influenced the way I think about living all of life coventally before God and his lordship.

Here's a description that provides a brief overview:
In Part One, "the Objects of Knowledge," Frame focuses on what we know, particularly God, his law, the world, man as God's image, and the objects of knowledge in theology, philosophy, science, and apologetics.

Part Two, "the Justification of Knowledge," asks What right do we have to believe what we do? Frame addresses issues related to sensation and intuition, nature and Scripture, facts and criteria, and verification, presuppositions, circularity, certainty, and proof.

Part Three, "The Methods of Knowledge," examines how we obtain knowledge. There Frame discusses how we handle Scripture; how we may use the "tools" of language, logic, history, science, and philosophy to discover facts; and how a person's capacities, skills, and attitudes affect his knowing.

The reason I mention this is because there are a couple of helps online that you might want to be aware of: a study guide and an outline of the whole book.

If you're willing to undertake an intellectual (and spiritual) workout, I'd encourage you to check them out.