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John Frame distinguishes between facts as states of affairs and facts as statements concerning those states of affairs: "It would not be true to say that facts in the sense of states of affairs are identical with our interpretations of them, but facts in the sense of statements of fact are interpretations. To make a statement of fact is to offer an interpretation of reality. There is no significant difference between a statement of fact and an interpretation of reality."
Since "all of our perceptions of the world are influenced by our interpretations," we encounter the world "through the mediation of our interpretations, and so the world we live in is to some extent of our own making." "To some extent," but not of course entirely: "The Christian knows by faith that this world is not of his own making, that there is a 'real world' - a world of facts - that exists apart from our intepretation of it." The only thing that "prevents us from construction an absolutely crazy world" is "our faith," which "assures us that there is a 'real world' that exists apart from out interpretation. Only God's revelation provides us with a sure knowledge of that world and so serves to check our fantasies." Unbelievers, however, "have no safeguards against such craziness," unless they live from borrowed Christian capital.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, October 09, 2006 at 02:30 PM
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