Being Okay with Epistemic Humility

I have been describing myself this week as a skeptical theist. When I am talking to my peers or other Christians, I use the term agnostic Christian, because I don't think that those in my contact would understand the label "skeptical theist" (unless I happen to run into philosophers Perrine and Wykstra who helpfully define the term in the Cambridge Companion to the Problem of Evil). The "core" of skeptical theism is the view that if there is a God, the metaphysical gap between humans and the divine could reasonably prevent us from understanding her actions and attributes. Put simply, as a skeptical theist, I don't expect to be certain about what God is like or the way she works.

One common misconception is that the word "skeptical" in this instance refers to a skepticism regarding God's existence. Rather, it refers to human epistemic limitations. Under the mentality explained in my first paragraph, I am skeptical that I have the ability to grasp divine matters. I prefer to call this feature of my belief "epistemic humility." I want to believe that a good God exists. I do believe that a good God exists. But I don't think it's possible for me to know for sure, or for me to know what she is like. I have studied ontological, cosmological, and evidential arguments for God. I have even had religious experiences of my own. I believe in the Bible as a source of truth. But I also believe in my own lack of understanding, my own imperfection, and my own inability to perceive the physical world. I don't believe I can truly know anything.

When some people reach this conclusion, they have an existential crisis. After all, if we can't trust in our senses and our minds, what can we trust in? For me, the answer is easy. I can trust that the state of the world is not dependent on my ability to understand what is going on. Even if I get everything wrong, everything will be okay on a cosmic level. That lowers the stakes significantly. I probably live my life in much the same way as those who trust in their senses, but I'm probably a little less stressed out when I screw up. I know that if a good God exists, she understands my limits and will show me grace.

Comments

  1. Kendall StuartMarch 6, 2020 at 10:50 AM

    This was really interesting to read. I think that I agree with you. As humans, we have so many limits as to what we can understand so it makes sense that we couldn't understand a God that is limitless. I'm so glad you explained what a skeptical theist is, otherwise I would have fallen into the camp that thinks that this skepticism is directed towards God's existence. Overall, a really good read!
    Kendall Stuart

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