The
Nature of Truth--Romanticism vs. Christianity |
Romanticism |
Christianity |
| The subjective self either perceives or creates truth. |
The subjective self is only a limited part of the perception and discovery
of truth. |
Truth is discerned through imagination, perception, and reflection:
- Art, poetry, inspiration, and even heightened feeling become
quasi-divine means of accessing this truth.
- Nature may play a quasi-divine role as well, but it is always
channeled through human perception.
|
All truth has its origin in God and is ultimately given by the work
of the Holy Spirit in creation:
- This happens through general, natural means such as the
natural-social world, including human imagination, intuition, and poetry.
- This happens through specific revelation, most perfectly and
completely in Scripture, and also through the specific acts of God in church history.
|
| Truth is accessed primarily by the individual. |
Truth is accessed primarily by the community of which individuals
play an important role. |
| Little or no place is given for community, tradition, or dogma.
Romanticism tends to stress individuals interacting with fellow-feeling. |
A large role is given for the community of faith, tradition
(including church history), and dogma. |
The supernatural/metaphysical is reduced to the natural and
psychological:
- Romanticism uses Christian language to express essentially secular
phenomena.
- It does remind us that life has something higher about it than the
simple mundane.
|
The supernatural/metaphysical gives meaning to our natural,
psychological processes, which are clouded by sin and need special revelation to correct
them. |
| The method of Romanticism can be too loose or fuzzy in its claims,
for it ignores the specifics of Scripture. It places the weight of finding truth on
individuals. |
The work of God's Spirit is both more personal and more active.
Our spirits respond to the work of the Holy Spirit. While we still have a
role in discovering and being obedient to truth, the ultimate action of truth is God's
rather than ours. |