A Christian in the fourth century, St. Augustine of Hippo, had much to say about logic. He believed it was important to teach logic, which was the common practice in the classical schools of his day.
"The science of reasoning is of very great service in searching into and unraveling all sorts of questions that come up in Scripture, only in the use of it we must guard against the love of wrangling and the childish vanity of entrapping an adversary." (On Christian Doctrine II,48)
What Augustinewas saying is that logic is useful but you need to watch for pride because you can become “that guy”. What guy? You know “that guy” – who is proud of how they can “lawyer” an argument. “That Guy” – whose pride never allows him to win a person but only win the argument! It is sad and a whole lot crepy - when smart people are into themsvelse that much. Moving on from that guy, Augustine shows how Paul's arguments had a strong logic to them using Paul's argument against those who deny the resurrection of the dead (I Corinthians 15:12-20) as an example of how logic is necessary for proving our Christian doctrines.
". . .if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen,
o then our preaching is in vain,
o then we are false witnesses
o then your faith is in vain,
o then you are yet in your sins,
o then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
"But all these false inferences followed legitimately from the opinion of those who said that there is no resurrection of the dead. These inferences, then, being repudiated as false, it follows that since they would be true if the dead rise not, there will be a resurrection of the dead. As then valid conclusions may be drawn not only from true but from false propositions, the laws of valid reasoning may easily be learnt in the schools ....But the truth of propositions must be inquired into in the sacred books...." (II,49)
Augustine also explained how logic is not an invention of the pagan philosophers, as some men objected, but a science which man has learned from God.
"...[T]he validity of logical sequences is not a thing devised by men, but is observed and noted by them.... ...[I]t exists eternally in the reason of things, and has its origin with God. For as the man who narrates the order of events does not himself create that order; ...and as he who points out the stars and their movements does not point out anything that he himself or any other man has ordained; in the same way, he who says, "When the consequent is false, the antecedent must also be false," says what is most true; but he does not himself make it so, he only points out that it is so. And it is upon this rule that the reasoning ...from the Apostle Paul proceeds. For the antecedent is, "There is no resurrection of the dead...." ...the necessary consequence is "Then Christ is not risen." But this consequence is false, for Christ has risen; therefore the antecedent is also false. ...We conclude therefore that there is a resurrection of the dead. ...This rule, then, that when the consequent is removed, the antecedent must also be removed, is not made by man, but only pointed out by him. And this rule has reference to the validity of the reasoning, not to the truth of the statement." (II,50)
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