Approaching Alternative Perspectives with an Open Mind Theologically
Approaching alternative theological perspectives with an open mind involves a readiness to understand and explore different viewpoints, while also maintaining a commitment to what is considered foundational truth. The biblical injunction to "prepare your minds for action" and "be sober-minded" (1 Peter 1:13) suggests an active and discerning intellectual posture. Similarly, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes directed his "mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations" (Ecclesiastes 7:25). This intellectual pursuit is not merely for personal gain but can also be for the benefit of others, as seen in the instruction to "correcting those who are opposed with gentleness, seeing whether perhaps God may grant them repentance to a knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:25, 4).
From a scholastic Catholic perspective, Thomas Aquinas distinguishes between truths held "directly" as matters of faith—such as the Trinity or the Incarnation—and those held "indirectly," where their denial would contradict faith [1]. For Aquinas, a false opinion concerning direct articles of faith, especially if held obstinately, constitutes heresy [1]. This framework suggests that while there is room for diverse opinions on certain matters, core doctrines are not subject to variation [1]. The intellect's capacity to know God is understood as comprehensive, meaning that one cannot selectively accept parts of God's nature while rejecting others, except for the distinction of Persons within the Trinity [2].
Reformed theology, as articulated by John Calvin, emphasizes the role of prayer in seeking divine understanding, urging believers to lay aside "carnal thoughts and cares" to achieve "direct and pure contemplation of God" [6]. This suggests that an open mind in theological matters is not merely intellectual but also spiritual, requiring a disposition of humility and dependence on God [3]. Charles Hodge, representing Old Princeton Reformed thought, acknowledges a "continual and gradual progress" in theological knowledge, both for individuals and the Church collectively [4]. This progress involves increasing "clearness, order, and harmony" in understanding the Bible [4]. However, Hodge also cautions against a "mystical method" that relies solely on feelings or inward experience for divine truth, asserting that such truth is primarily revealed through God's Word [7, 10]. He stresses that the Holy Spirit's work is to illuminate the mind to apprehend truths already revealed in Scripture, not to provide new revelations [5, 8].
While an open mind encourages intellectual engagement and a willingness to understand, it is often balanced with a commitment to established doctrines. Hodge, for instance, critiques attempts to "explain away the most catholic, and plainly revealed doctrines of the Bible" [9]. This highlights a tension between openness to new insights and the preservation of what is considered essential Christian teaching.
Sources
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Knowledge of the Divine Persons, Art. 4: Article: Whether it is lawful to have various contrary opinions of notions? I answer that, Anything is of faith in two ways; directly, where any truth comes to us principally as divinely taught, as the trinity and unity of God, the Incarnation of the Son, and the like; and concerning these truths a false opinion of itself involves heresy, especially if it be held obstinately. A thing is of faith, indirectly, if the denial of it involves as a consequence something against faith; as for instance if a”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Mode of Union on the Part of the Person Assuming, Art. 3: Article: Whether the Nature abstracted from the Personality can assume? I answer that, The intellect stands in two ways towards God. First, to know God as He is, and in this manner it is impossible for the intellect to circumscribe something in God and leave the rest, for all that is in God is one, except the distinction of Persons; and as regards these, if one is removed the other is taken away, since they are distinguished by relations only which must be together at the same”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: the same time have greater pleasure in welcoming the blessings which we perceive to have been obtained by our prayers. Lastly, use and experience confirm the thought of his providence in our minds in a manner adapted to our weakness, when we understand that he not only promises that he will never fail us, and spontaneously gives us access to approach him in every time of need, 2148 but has his hand always stretched out to assist his people, not amusing them with words, but proving himself to be a present aid. For these reasons, tho”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 37: effected by a continual and gradual progress. The same progress has taken place in theological knowledge. Every believer is conscious of such progress in his own experience. When he was a child, he thought as a child. As he grew in years, he grew in knowledge of the Bible. He increased not only in the compass, but in the clearness, order, and harmony of his knowledge. This is just as true of the Church collectively as of the individual Christian. It is, in the first place, natural, if not inevitable, that it should be so. The Bible, altho”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 9: by God in His Word ( 1 Cor. ii. 10-16 ). It is not, therefore, a revelation of new truths, but an illumination of the mind, so that it apprehends the truth, excellence, and glory of things already revealed. And second, 16 This experience is depicted in the Word of God. The Bible gives us not only the facts concerning God, and Christ, ourselves, and our relations to our Maker and Redeemer, but also records the legitimate effects of those truths on the minds of believers. So that we cannot appeal to our own feelings or inward experience, as ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: framed as becomes those who are entering into converse with God. This we shall accomplish in regard to the mind, if, laying aside carnal thoughts and cares which might interfere with the direct and pure contemplation of God, it not only be wholly intent on prayer, but also, as far as possible, be borne and raised above itself. I do not here insist on a mind so disengaged as to feel none of the gnawings of anxiety; on the contrary, it is by much anxiety that the fervor of prayer is inflamed. Thus we see that the holy servants of God”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 7: § 4. The Mystical Method . Few words have been used with greater latitude of meaning than mysticism. It is here to be taken in a sense antithetical to speculation. Speculation is a process of thought; mysticism is matter of feeling. The one assumes that the thinking faculty is that by which we attain the knowledge of truth. The other, distrusting reason, teaches that the feelings alone are to be relied upon, at least in the sphere of religion. Although this method has been unduly pressed, and systems of theology have been constructed under”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 54: the mind the intellectual knowledge of those truths. Both these are essential. The work of the Spirit is with the soul. That by nature is spiritually dead; it must be quickened. It is blind; its eyes must be opened. It is hard; it must be softened. The gracious work of the Spirit is to impart life, to open the eyes, and to soften the heart. When this is done, and in proportion to the measure in which it is done, the Word exerts its sanctifying influence on the soul. It is a clear doctrine of the Bible and fact of experience that the truth”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 104: explain away the most catholic, and plainly revealed doctrines of the Bible, in obedience to the dictates of the modern transcendental philosophy. What however we have here immediately in view is, the objections which this class of writers make to the Church form of the doctrine of satisfaction, in obedience to the assumed moral axiom above mentioned, namely, that the innocent cannot by God be regarded and treated as guilty, or the guilty regarded and treated as righteous. It is indeed true that God cannot but regard every person as he r”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 7: be admitted by all evangelical Christians. And it is because such Christians do hold to this inward teaching of the Spirit, that they are often called Mystics by their opponents. This, however, is not what is here meant. The mystical method, in its supernatural form, assumes that God by his immediate intercourse with the soul, reveals through the Feelings and by means, or in the way of intuitions, divine truth independently of the outward teaching of his Word; and that it is this inward light, and not the Scriptures, which we are to follow”