Spiritual foundationalism
Spiritual foundationalism is a philosophical stance within epistemology and theology that holds that spiritual beliefs must be grounded in certain, basic beliefs or experiences that do not require further justification, rather than an infinite chain of inferential support or a self-contained system of beliefs. These foundational spiritual beliefs can be, for instance, direct experiences of God, the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, or properly basic religious beliefs like the existence of God, which are seen as self-evident or rationally self-supporting.
Core Concepts
Foundational Beliefs:
Like general foundationalism, spiritual foundationalism posits that some beliefs are “basic”—meaning they are not justified by other beliefs.
Properly Basic:
A belief is considered “properly basic” if it is self-evident, incorrigible, or evident to the senses, or in this context, to spiritual experience.
The Regress Problem:
Foundationalism seeks to solve the problem of epistemic regress, where every belief must be justified by another belief, and so on infinitely. Spiritual foundationalism argues that religious beliefs must ultimately rest on such basic beliefs.
Examples:
Reformed Epistemology: Philosophers like Alvin Plantinga argue that religious beliefs, particularly belief in God, can be “properly basic” and do not need justification through arguments or evidence from other beliefs.
Spiritual Experience: A direct experience of God’s presence or the inner witness of the Holy Spirit could serve as a foundational belief.
Revelation: Some foundationalists argue that certain aspects of God’s revelation, such as Scripture, can provide foundational knowledge.
Spiritual Foundationalism vs. Other Epistemological Theories
This view holds that a belief is justified if it coheres with a larger system of beliefs, rather than resting on a foundation of basic beliefs.
Beyond Foundationalism:
Some theologians, like James Grenz and Robert Franke, propose alternatives to foundationalism, suggesting theological methods that emphasize the role of the Spirit, tradition, community, and contemporary culture rather than just foundationalist approaches.