Course Content
DOES GOD EXIST?
The historical evidence for Christianity centers on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which are supported by early, well-attested documents such as the New Testament, as well as non-Christian sources like Josephus and Tacitus. The rapid growth of the early church, the willingness of the apostles to die for their claims, and the empty tomb all point to the resurrection as a real historical event, not a legend or myth.
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DOES OBJECTIVE TRUTH EXIST? – John 14:6b
Objective truth is truth that is true for all people, at all times, regardless of beliefs or feelings. In Christianity, Jesus is seen as the embodiment of objective truth. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." This means that truth is not just an idea, but a person—Jesus—who reveals the ultimate reality about God, humanity, and salvation. Christians believe that following Jesus is following the truth that applies to everyone, everywhere. In the late 1800s, objective truth was fragmented into 5 "truths": Perspectivism, Relativism, Subjectivism, Pragmatism, . Inspired by the idea of Immanuel Kant. Immanuel Kant changed the understanding of truth by arguing that we don’t experience reality directly as it truly is (the noumenal world), but only as it appears to us through our senses and mental categories (the phenomenal world). He claimed that the human mind actively shapes our experience of the world, meaning truth is not just discovered but filtered through our perception. This shifted the focus from purely objective truth to a more subjective, human-centered understanding of knowledge. While Kant affirmed that truth and reality exist, he believed reason alone cannot fully access them—especially when it comes to ultimate questions like the existence of God.
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IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY?
Religion is a set of beliefs and practices centered around the worship of a higher power or ultimate reality. It often includes moral teachings, sacred texts, rituals, and a sense of purpose or meaning in life. Religion helps people understand the big questions of life—such as where we come from, why we’re here, and what happens after death. Religion can be categorized into 4 major categories: Atheism/Agnostism Scientism Polytheism Monotheism How does Jesus fit into all these 4 categories?
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WHAT ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE?
IS THE BIBLE TRUSTWORTHY?
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Is Christianity True?
About Lesson
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Perspectivism is the philosophical view that all knowledge, truth, and interpretation are shaped by the perspectives of the individuals or groups who hold them. It argues that no one has a purely objective or “view-from-nowhere” understanding of reality—everything we perceive and believe is filtered through our personal, cultural, historical, or psychological lenses.

This idea is most famously associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, who claimed that there are no absolute truths, only interpretations. According to perspectivism, what we call “truth” is really a product of our unique standpoint in life, meaning truth is contextual and subject to change.


CORE PRINCIPLES OF PERSPECTIVISM:

  1. All knowledge is interpreted: We don’t encounter facts neutrally—we interpret them based on our background, language, experience, and worldview.

  2. There is no single objective truth: Each person or culture sees the world differently, and there’s no universal standard that applies to all perspectives equally.

  3. Truth is partial and dynamic: Since every perspective is limited, we can never claim a full or final grasp of truth. Our understanding changes as our perspective evolves.


STRENGTHS OF PERSEPECTIVISM:

  • Encourages humility: Recognizing that no one sees everything perfectly helps us stay open to learning from others and questioning our own assumptions.

  • Highlights diversity of thought: It values different cultural, personal, and historical viewpoints, acknowledging that they can reveal different aspects of truth.

  • Challenges arrogance and dogmatism: It pushes back against claims that only one group or system holds all truth, making room for dialogue.


WEAKNESSES AND PROBLEMS WITH PERSEPECTIVISM:

  1. Can lead to relativism: If all truth is perspective-bound, then all views may seem equally valid—even those that contradict one another or support injustice. This undermines the idea of moral or factual truth.

  2. Self-defeating: The claim “all truth is perspective” is itself a truth claim. If that statement is true for everyone, then it contradicts its own idea. But if it’s just one perspective, then it holds no weight over any other claim.

  3. Undermines rational discourse: If every belief is just a matter of perspective, then it becomes hard to argue for truth, reason, or evidence—since all arguments are just subjective standpoints.


A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PERSEPECTIVISM:

Christianity agrees that humans are limited in knowledge and shaped by their perspectives. In fact, Scripture teaches that we “see through a glass, dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12), and that human understanding is finite and often flawed. However, Christianity also asserts that truth is not just a human construct—it is revealed by God, who stands above all perspectives.

Key Christian affirmations:

  • God is the source of objective truth: He is not limited by human perspective, and His Word reveals eternal, unchanging truth.

  • Jesus is the truth: In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This means truth is not merely a viewpoint—it is embodied in a person who transcends all human limitations.

  • Human perspectives can grasp truth: While our knowledge is limited, it is still possible to know real truth through God’s revelation in Scripture, creation, and Jesus Christ.

Christianity balances the humility of perspectivism with the confidence that truth exists and can be known—not by our efforts alone, but because God has made it known.


IN SUMMARY:

Perspectivism rightly reminds us that all humans interpret the world through limited lenses. It encourages openness, humility, and cultural awareness. But taken too far, it can lead to confusion, contradiction, and a rejection of real truth. Christianity offers a more complete picture: while we all see in part, God sees fully, and in His love, He has revealed truth through His Word and His Son. That truth transcends perspective and provides a foundation for both understanding and transformation.

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