Of Wisdom and Knowledge

Well, it is that time, once again.

Summer ends August 21st, and as of August 22nd, I will be the proud student in two classes: Theology of the Bible I, and History of the Western World I.

The thrill of random UPS packages showing up on my doorstep with return addresses to Amazon.com has certainly not diminished a bit since I wandered into the realm of higher education two years ago. All of them sound exciting, and I've already started a few of them.
[Yes, many at one time. *nod* That's the way to get 'er done.] One of my books, however, surprised me. just a little.

While reading the introductory chapter of "Western Heritage" by Kagan, I was bombarded with evolutionary statements of fact on the origins of civilizations that recalled images of grunting, half-naked cavemen with clubs. While I can't say that I've been forever scarred, it certainly made me wary of any other statements that made be projected by the author as truth.

Rather than ranting on the evils of darwinistic books in Christian educational institution that prescribes to a literal six-day creation, I'd like to take this moment to comment on truth in academic circles.

Some say truth is subjective, but since I will likely not face that viewpoint for some time, I won't address it here.

See, in this book, truth is an absolute. In fact, it assumes that I have been familiarized with the terms: paleolithic, neandrathal, and primordal soup and that I have already accepted the veracity of these very terms. Assuming that the author of this book were teaching my class, he would likely raise his eyebrows sympathetically at the naivette of the young lady who dared to comment on the lack of evidence for this primitive state of man. It is likely that he would not take the question seriously, for hasn't he been carefully perpared for it in his classes leading up to receiving his doctorate?

O the arrogance of a man who would assume that his words are truth because that is what he was taught!

Perhaps I seem over-hasty in condemning the author of our textbook to mere arrogant ignorance.

Yet put the situation to the test! The proud owner of a certificate proclaiming his status as a P.H.D. has undergone careful conditioning by the institutions he has graduated from. He has been taught to question all; to not place his confidence in what others know, but to know it himself. In short, he has been taught to be confidence in his own knowledge.

Of course, there are many exceptions to this rule. These are the men I fondly call the Moses of the academic world. Why? Because even in their education, they remembered humility, and that they are not to be confident in either the knowledege of others, or their own knowledge.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

-Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

-Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

-Proverbs 9:10

Of course, this is not to say that we should all go off to seminary. No rather, we should seek first a knowledge that is higher than the ordinary, and apply the principles we learn there to the knowledge gained from college or the "higher" education.

Moses obtained his degree in the backside of a desert and was qualified to confer in diplomatic talks with one of the most powerful rulers of his day.

David obtained his degree while at the Shepherd's School of Hard Knocks and became one of the most well-known kings in history. Who doesn't know who "King David" was?

In the end, it doesn't matter how many initials you have after your name. What matters most, is how that head knowledge is applied. Will it be applied in arrogance? or in humility?

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

-Colossians 2:8