Abstract
Historian Gary Willis, in his book Head and Heart, identifies “two force fields” of American religion—the “head” or legacy of the Enlightenment and the “heart” of evangelicalism characteristic of the two Great Awakenings. In this short work, Pickavance seeks to fuse these often competing ends by demonstrating how “the life of the mind is essential for devotion to Christ” (p.11). To engage his readers, “Christians looking to root their faith more deeply in the Truth” (p.11), Pickavance candidly shares his personal struggles as a doctoral student in philosophy, and how God worked in his own life to resolve this tension.
As a book on epistemology, it differs from works which apologetically defend the reasonableness of Christianity and the validity of the faith. Rather, Pickavance assumes his reader’s relationship with Christ—one potentially enhanced through the life of the mind. Each of the ten chapters addresses a tension between belief and academic knowledge; sharing a personal account of the author’s resolution of the resulting faith crisis. Themes addressed include whether Jesus cares about knowledge, the objectivity of truth (and its compatibility with faith), whether there is knowledge apart from science, and the veracity of the Bible. Pickavance writes in a style intended to explain complex issues to a philosophically novice audience. In addition, each chapter ends with a series of discussion questions encouraging the reader to review key concepts and apply these to their Christian experience.
Pickavance’s attempt to be relatable, however, at times results in his illustrations being strained; often confusing the concepts he seeks to clarify. Philosophical arguments can be nuanced—especially if amenable to the needs of the heart. In chapter 3 (“Is Truth Objective?”), for example, he claims basketball fouls have an objective reality, “we don’t make the world with our beliefs, we call it” (p. 30 italics in original). Two paragraphs later, asserting a more social constructivist approach, noting what constitutes a foul can be altered by making “objective changes to reality … though collective choices and activities” (p. 31). Later, discussing modernity and postmodernity, Pickavance contrasts the independent verifiability of objective truth with that constructed by communities, to conclude “whether or not there are aspects of reality that are constructed by human communities, Christianity is objectively true … according to Christianity (p.38). Similarly, in chapter 4 (“Can Our Religious Beliefs Be Reasonable?”), Pickavance distinguishes between belief, thought, and desire, noting that “In belief, you endorse that reality is in fact that way” (p. 46, italics in original), only to acknowledge later that beliefs can be false (p. 65, chapter 5, “Is Faith Compatible with Knowledge?”).
Missing from the book is a clear statement of biblical presuppositions and how their acceptance is foundational to Christians thought. Francis Schaeffer emphasized this importance 50 years ago, noting “the philosophical necessity of God’s being there and not being silent—in the areas of metaphysics, morals, and epistemology” (He Is There and He Is Not Silent). Yet, the acceptance of a presupposition is an act of the will; a communal avowal of truth foundational for recognizing and validating belief. A summation of Pickavance’s argument is found in chapter 6, “Knowledge for the Love of God.” Citing Romans 12:1–2, he notes that offering oneself to God is predicated on renewal of the mind. He writes, “Renewal is a matter of the heart, and it starts with the mind, with knowledge of God and his will” (pp. 76–78). This leads Pickavance to conclude that a fullness of knowledge “is only achieved by experience” (p. 142); a rather subjective response to a book dedicated to the objectivity of the Christian faith.
While sincere in its efforts and encouraging to its readers, Pickavance’s work is limited in its attempt to couple the needs of the evangelical heart with a life of the mind. The book is engaging and does well to stimulate thought in its readers. Often it does this, however, by raising more questions regarding issues of truth than it answers. However, it may have value as a supplemental text to stimulate discussion, rather than a primary text for young adults seeking to fuse grace and truth.