Journal: Michigan Theological Journal
Volume: MTJ 02:1 (Spring 1991)
Article: An Appraisal Of The Leap Of Faith
Author: Gary R. Habermas

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MTJ 2:1 (Spring 1991) p. 82

An Appraisal Of The Leap Of Faith

Gary R. Habermas

Where has the leap of faith concept come from? What has it fostered? Does it provide an adequate foundation for the Christian faith? This article will critique the development of the leap of faith through Lessing, Kant and Kierkegaard. It will then evaluate the theological and philosophical positions that have grown from it and its present status in light of the Scriptures.

In contemporary theological thought, few concepts have had more influence than that of the leap of faith.1 As formulated by philosophers like Gotthold Lessing, Immanuel Kant and Soren Kierkegaard,2 such approaches have contributed to a fideistic foundation which has served at least as a partial epistemological basis for the theological systems of Karl Barth and others in the twentieth century theological spectrum.

We will first analyze the leap of faith as presented by these three thinkers. Then we will briefly address some of the influences that these teachings have had, followed by a general critique of this concept.

Analysis

Gotthold Lessing (1729-1781)

While working as a librarian at Wolfenbuttel, Lessing acquired a 4,000 page manuscript entitled An Apology for the Rational Worshippers of God, written by German rationalist Hermann Reimarus. Lessing anonymously published seven fragments from this work between 1774 and 1778. In his manuscript, Reimarus had depicted Jesus not as the miracle per—

MTJ 2:1 (Spring 1991) p. 83

forming Son of God, but as a basically disillusioned apocalyptic preacher. Thus, Reimarus denied the supernatural aspects of the life of Jesus as they are depicted in the New Testament.3 In answer to Reimarus’ denials, Lessing countered in a seeming halfhearted manner by saying that many replies could be given. But Lessing thought that it was not crucial that Reimarus’ challenges be refuted because the truth of Christianity did not depend upon objective defenses of the faith, but on the value of Jesus’ teachings. In other words, Lessing judged that Reimarus therefore provided no threat to Christianity because faith is not based upon history, and on whether certain events really occurred, but on the truthfulness of the teachings presented by Jesus.4

Lessing explained further that if he had lived during Christ’s time and had witnessed His miracles and fulfilled prophecy firsthand, then he could accept these as proofs since he would have been an eyewitness to these evidences. Lessing’s probl...

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