Enlightenment Debate Discussion

      Enlightenment Debate Discussion         Explain the tectonic shift in all theology that occurred with the Enlightenment. Maybe you have met or know an agnostic. At the base of their argument is a theme that came to a head in the 17th and 18th centuries. That is, the divine is so beyond our human comprehension that there is no way God could communicate with us in any meaningful way, so our only hope is to find a set of metaphors that help us make sense of reality and try to live as good a life as one can. That sort of thinking was not a major enemy of traditional Christianity until the Enlightenment. A Christian living in a world that questions all authority, any so-called ‘meta-narrative,’ or the veracity of the Scripture must know the original thinkers and ideas who felt that the Church was opposed to reason and did not want to ask deep, hard questions. Learning Activity #4: Enlightenment Debate Discussion Produce a succinct list of debate points to confront a major Enlightenment thinker. First, find everything you can in your reading about Immanuel Kant. If you need to do more research do so but be sure to note the sources you used. Discern what Kant meant by distinguishing the “noumenal” from the “phenomenal.” If, as he argued, we cannot know God in Himself then what options did he as a leading Enlightenment thinker leave for theology to discuss? Once you have this basic element in mind that resulted in a shift in orthodox theology, which still affects our worldview, write a critical response directed at Kant in the discussion forum. Include in your discussion: ? What is it that he has missed in his criticism of the Church and her theology? ? What is a proper view of reason? ? What is a proper view of revelation? ? What can we know about God, Jesus Christ, and salvation even though our minds can never exhaust divine reality?