Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

  - John 8.31, 32

I entreat Thee by all the holy disciples who learned the spiritual sciences both of Old and New Testament, with the seventy-two disciples...

  - Anonymous, Litany of Jesus, Irish, 15^th century

It seems strange – almost oxymoronic – to see the words “spiritual” and “sciences” as part of the same idea.

In our day, people tend to think of “science” as something hard, objective, measurable, manipulatable, and true; whereas matters “spiritual” are more subjective, ephemeral, and susceptible to private interpretation. The idea of a spiritual science thus is not something most people today would consider a valid idea.

But science only refers to a way of knowing, of getting at the truth of something so as to elucidate its character, purpose, and potential uses. In that respect, it should be easy to see, spiritual studies can be even more true than those conducted by unbelieving, naturalistic science.

There are ways of knowing and ways of knowing. The scientific method is a valid way of knowing, within limits, about the material world – of what it consists, how it works, what are the best uses to which it may be put, and so forth. But the method of material science is limited in what it can tell us, since it deals only with material things, follows material processes, and seeks material results. Science can say nothing definitive whatsoever about other kinds of realities.

But what if there actually are spiritual realities – such as God – and if those spiritual realities are in some ways concerned with or interested in the cosmos of material things? What if, in fact, God not only made the cosmos, but upholds it by His Word of power, and loves it so much that He sent His Son to die for its redemption and reconciliation?

Wouldn’t this give a whole new raft of meaning to the material world? And would it not also suggest some ideas about the proper use of the cosmos? And would we not need more spiritual ways of knowing such matters, to aid in filling out whatever material science might reveal?

Which is why spiritual sciences – ways of knowing that draw on spiritual resources (such as Scripture) in order to engage spiritual realities (such as God and Christ) for spiritual purposes and ends (such as the progress of the Kingdom and the glory of God) – are so very important. The better we understand these spiritual sciences, and the more consistent use we make of them, the more we may expect to live in the world according to the true purposes of Him Who made it.

Further, since these spiritual realities are the overriding, all-defining, all-sustaining realities, even of the material cosmos, we must allow them priority of place when it comes to the practice of all other sciences, or ways of knowing. Only the truth of God, which we come to know through faith in Jesus Christ, can set us free from the lies we might choose to believe in order to avoid the moral ramifications of spiritual realities.

We need to make good use of all the spiritual sciences available to us, beginning with reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God. The Bible is foundational to all other spiritual sciences – all other forms of theological study, as well as all disciplines of learning. Leave the Bible aside in any area of study, and you’ll be left with your own best ideas, or those of the age in which you live, for sorting out the truth about anything.

An early Harvard College rule declares the purpose of that institution as follows: “The main end of a student’s lilfe is to know God and Jesus Christ.” Would Harvard be a different university today if its directors, faculty, and administrators had held to that rule, and allowed the spiritual sciences, which were the original foundation of Harvard’s curriculum, to give proper guidance to all the rest?

As a follower of Christ and citizen of His Kingdom, make it your business to learn as much as you can. But make sure you keep the Word of God “in the bottom” (another early Harvard rule) of all your reading and study.

The more our knowing starts with Scriptures, progresses under Christ, and is targeted at God’s glory, the more all our knowing will be as God intends it to be.

Psalm 19.1-4, 7, 8 (St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
The heav’ns declare God’s glory, the skies His work proclaim!
From day to day and night by night they shout His glorious Name!
No speech, no words, no voice is heard, yet all across the earth
The lines of His all-present Word make known His holy worth.

The Law of God is perfect, His testimony sure;
The simple man God’s wisdom learns, the soul receives its cure.
God’s Word is right, and His command us pure, and truth imparts;
He makes our eyes to understand; with joy He fills our hearts.

Teach me how to know You, O Lord, and to know all Your truth.

The Laddership Curriculum
For a quick overview of the spiritual sciences available to us, watch the brief video introducing The Laddership Curriculum of The Ailbe Seminary (click here). Three courses are currently available, with more to come. The course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, provides a concise overview of and introduction to The Laddership Curriculum. It’s available at no charge, and you can study at your own pace and following your own schedule.

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T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.