Intelligent and Educated People's Rejection of Religion
The perception that intelligent and educated individuals reject religion is a recurring theme in theological discourse, with various Christian traditions offering explanations and counter-arguments. Early Christian writers, such as Origen, addressed the accusation that Christianity appealed only to the uneducated. Origen noted that critics like Celsus claimed Christianity attracted only "ignorant, or unintelligent, or uninstructed, or foolish persons," and that "wise men reject what we say, being led into error, and ensnared by their wisdom" [3, 4]. Origen countered this by asserting that wisdom is the "knowledge of divine and human things and of their causes" and that Christ is the "Saviour of all men, and especially of them that believe, whether they be intelligent or simple" [4, 11]. He argued that Jesus's doctrine spread despite opposition from powerful figures, suggesting a divine power at work beyond human intellect [1].
The relationship between reason and faith has been a central point of discussion. Thomas Aquinas, for instance, explored whether the human intellect could attain a vision of God's essence, noting that philosophers and theologians have grappled with this question, with differing opinions on the ultimate happiness of understanding immaterial substances [5].
Reformed theology, particularly through figures like John Calvin and Charles Hodge, also addresses the role of human intellect in understanding divine truths. Calvin observed that humans are naturally reluctant to humble themselves, yet the widespread impulse to worship, even "wood and stone," demonstrates a strong, innate impression of a Deity [7]. He also noted that attempts by humans to devise their own religious schemes inevitably corrupt religion, leading to confusion that emboldened skeptics like the Epicureans to reject the idea of God entirely [9].
Charles Hodge distinguished between reason in the abstract (as it was before the Fall) and reason as it exists in fallen humanity. He acknowledged that no truth of revelation can contradict reason in its pure form, but it may contradict fallen reason [10]. This perspective suggests that the rejection of religion by some intelligent individuals might stem from the limitations or corruption of human reason due to the Fall. Hodge also discussed the Lutheran view, which attributes the conflict between reason and faith to the corruption of human nature by the Fall, a corruption partially removed by regeneration and fully by sanctification [2].
Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, similarly highlighted the impact of the Fall on human faculties. He stated that in an unregenerate person, "there is no good," and no principle by which the soul can be restored to purity, with "fleshly appetites alone prevail" [12]. However, he also suggested that some faculties might have suffered less or received "larger measures of the supernatural light" [12]. Clarke also emphasized that intellectual gifts, such as prophecy, understanding mysteries, or possessing all knowledge, are ultimately meaningless without love [6]. This implies that intellectual prowess alone is insufficient for true spiritual understanding or acceptance of religious truth.
The early Christian apologist Lactantius suggested that philosophical arguments could be presented in an appealing way to overcome intellectual resistance, likening it to anointing a bitter cup with honey so that "bitter remedies may be drunk by them unawares" [8]. This approach acknowledges that intellectual barriers exist and can be addressed through careful presentation of truth.
Sources
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XXVII.: Any one who examines the subject will see that Jesus attempted and successfully accomplished works beyond the reach of human power. For although, from the very beginning, all things opposed the spread of His doctrine in the world, 408 --both the princes of the times, and their chief captains and generals, and all, to speak generally, who were possessed of the smallest influence, and in addition to these, the rulers of the different cities, and the soldiers, and the people,--yet it proved victorious, as being the Word o”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: taken by the Lutherans. They agree, indeed, in this, that we are bound to believe what (at the bar of reason) we can prove to be false, but they differ entirely as to the cause and nature of this conflict between reason and faith. According to the Lutherans, it arises from the corruption and deterioration of our nature by the fall. It is removed in part in this world by regeneration, and entirely hereafter by the perfection of our sanctification. According to Hamilton, this conflict arises from the necessary limitation of human thought. G”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XLIV.: After these points Celsus quotes some objections against the doctrine of Jesus, made by a very few individuals who are considered Christians, not of the more intelligent, as he supposes, but of the more ignorant class, and asserts that "the following are the rules laid down by them. Let no one come to us who has been instructed, 482 or who is wise or prudent (for such qualifications are deemed evil by us); but if there be any ignorant, or unintelligent, or uninstructed, or foolish persons, let them come with confidence.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. LXXII.: In the next place, speaking as in the person of a teacher of our doctrine, he expresses himself as follows: "Wise men reject what we say, being led into error, and ensnared by their wisdom." In reply to which we say that, since wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human things and of their causes, or, as it is defined by the word of God, "the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty; and the brightness of the everlasting light, and the unspotted mirror of the power of God”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of the Vision of the Divine Essence in Reference to the Blessed, Art. 1: Article: Whether the human intellect can attain to the vision of God in His essence? I answer that, Even as we hold by faith that the last end of man's life is to see God, so the philosophers maintained that man's ultimate happiness is to understand immaterial substances according to their being. Hence in reference to this question we find that philosophers and theologians encounter the same difficulty and the same difference of opinion. For some philosophers held tha”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 13:2: And though I have the gift of prophecy - Though I should have received from God the knowledge of future events, so that I could correctly foretell what is coming to pass in the world and in the Church: - And understand all mysteries - The meaning of all the types and figures in the Old Testament, and all the unexplored secrets of nature; and all knowledge - every human art and science; and though I have all faith - such miraculous faith as would enable me even to remove mountains; or had such powerful discernment in sacred things that I could solve the great”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 19: ample evidence of this fact. For we know how reluctant man is to lower himself, in order to set other creatures above him. Therefore, when he chooses to worship wood and stone rather than be thought to have no God, it is evident how very strong this impression of a Deity must be; since it is more difficult to obliterate it from the 44 mind of man, than to break down the feelings of his nature,—these certainly being broken down, when, in opposition to his natural haughtiness, he spontaneously humbles himself before the meanest objec”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — CHAP. I.--OF THE NON-CONDEMNATION OF ACCUSED PERSONS WITHOUT A HEARING OF THEIR CAUSE; FROM WHAT CAUSE PHILOSOPHERS DESPISED THE SACRED WRITINGS; OF THE FIRST ADVOCATES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. (part 3): when it is pointed out to them. Only let the cup be anointed(3) with the heavenly honey of wisdom, that the bitter remedies may be drunk by them unawares, without any annoyance, whilst the first sweetness of taste by its allurenment conceals, under the cover(4) of pleasantness, the bitterness of the harsh flavour. For this i”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 21: of gods, to lead us further and more grossly into error. The mystic theology of the Egyptians shows how sedulously they laboured to be thought rational on this subject. 66 66 Plutarch. lib. De Iside et Osiride. And, perhaps, at the first glance, some show of probability might deceive the simple and unwary; but never did any mortal devise a scheme by which religion was not foully corrupted. This endless variety and confusion emboldened the Epicureans, and other gross despisers of piety, to cut off all sense of God. For when they saw”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: explains or concludes is as certainly false and wrong as that God lives.” 108 108 Ibid. vol. xii. pp. 399, 400. In another place he says that reason, when she attempts to speculate about divine things, becomes a fool; which, indeed, is very much what Paul says. ( Rom. i. 22 , 1 Cor. i. 18-31 .) The Lutheran theologians made a distinction between reason in the abstract, or reason as it was in man before the fall, and reason as it now is. They admit that no truth of revelation can contradict reason as such; but it may contradict the reason ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XLIX.: This statement also is untrue, that it is "only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women, and children, of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts." Such indeed does the Gospel invite, in order to make them better; but it invites also others who are very different from these, since Christ is the Saviour of all men, and especially of them that believe, whether they be intelligent or simple; and "He is the propitiation with the Father for our sins; and not for”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 7:18: For I know that in me, etc. - I have learned by experience that in an unregenerate man there is no good. There is no principle by which the soul can be brought into the light; no principle by which it can be restored to purity: fleshly appetites alone prevail; and the brute runs away with the man. For to will is present with me - Though the whole soul has suffered indescribably by the Fall, yet there are some faculties that appear to have suffered less than others; or rather have received larger measures of the supernatural light, because their concurrence with the ”