Richard Muller on the Ministerial (or Instrumental) Use of Reason
There are two common extremes regarding the relationship between faith and reason. The first is rationalism, which attempts to base theological claims on universal principles of reason and absolute knowledge, The second is fideism, which makes theological claims with no attempt at arguing their basis, usually in opposition to reason and knowledge.
However, “faith seeking understanding” is the proper relationship between belief and knowledge. This is consistent across the arts and sciences: in every pursuit of truth a basic interpretation of reality is presupposed.
The Christian faith is not opposed to reason, but to its suppression and perversion in unrighteousness against the truth of God. Therefore, faith must not be opposed to knowledge. Every Christian doctrine transcends reason’s comprehension, but does not contradict reasonable apprehension. A “ministerial” or “instrumental” use of reason in which God’s revelation is apprehended and interpreted is necessary to understand the basic teaching of the Bible. But a “magisterial” use of reason (in which human reason seeks to discover truth apart from divine revelation) is to be rejected. It is this magisterial use of reason against which Martin Luther railed,
“Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.”
According to Richard Muller, the “Reformed orthodox go to some length to emphasize the biblical foundations of their claims concerning the instrumental use of reason.” As generally understood, an instrumental use of reason served five distinct functions, summarized by Muller as follows:
“In the first place, reason can be used to make clear points in divine revelation, as was the case when Christ demanded of his disciples, “Have you understood all that has been said to you?” They responded, “yea” (Matt. 13:15).
Second, reason must be used in discussion and argument with others, as when the Bereans compared the words of Paul with Scripture (Acts 17:11).
Next, reason is necessary in the work of explication, even as Ezra and Nehemiah taught the people reasonably (Neh. 8:9).
Fourth, in order to discern falsehood it was necessary to “explore the things that differ” (Phil 1:10).
Finally, reason is useful to vindicate the truth from objections, as Paul himself does in the ninth chapter of Romans.
Muller concludes, “Although fallen reason cannot be the principium fidei [the foundation of faith] it is also clear that faith can occur only in rational creatures and that even in Scripture, rational process—both the subjective capacity and the objective light according to which concepts are formed—is integral to the life of faith.”
From Richard A. Muller, Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 1: Prolegomena to Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987), 243. The same appears in an expanded form in the revised edition of Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 1: Prolegomena to Theology, 2nd. ed (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), 399.