Cypress Epistemology

The Monterey cypress grows in a few mottled groves along central California’s rocky coastline. It grows quickly, reaching heights of 40-70 feet. In its natural habitat, it is frequently buffeted by wind shear and the salty sea, which batters it into a “sculpted, windswept appearance.” As it grows, it yields to the forces of nature, and its mature shape is determined by its environment more than anything else.

Similarly, our experiences shape our beliefs and values, though we aren’t always aware of it. Because our experiences constitute unmediated reality, they influence us much more than the things which are mediated through other people’s experiences. Our experiences seem most real because they are the sum total of everything we ourselves have seen, heard, tasted, smelled, and touched — and, I should add, everything we have felt. All our experiences significantly shape who we become.

Their significance is not because they are compelling rationally. Rather, they are compelling existentially. We know what we saw. We know what we felt. We know what worked for us and what didn’t. We know the pain of failure and the thrill of success. Our mind, body, and soul are constantly being shaped by our daily experiences — and this is why they have a profound impact.

Since we’re talking about things that shape our thinking, it may seem odd to include experience because it is inherently subjective. But it is impossible to answer the question “why do we believe what we believe” without recognizing that we are inclined to accept certain ideas and reject others based on our experiences. So it is that the initial appeal of many of our beliefs is not rational arguments or overwhelming evidence, but rather because they come from someone who, through experience, we’ve learned to trust.

When John Piper was asked why he believes the Bible is true, he answered, “Because my mama told me it is!” I’m sure Piper could list a smattering of good empirical arguments for the Bible’s truthfulness, but instead he recognized the seismic impact his upbringing had on his beliefs. He learned that he could trust his parents, so he accepted what his mother taught him about the Bible. If instead, his parents were hypocritical or unreliable, he likely would have responded differently to their teaching.

Our experiences significantly impact whether or not we accept something as true. For example, what we think about our sin nature is often shaped by our experiences. I grew up in a healthy Christian family and was spared much sinful behavior, so I need a good deal more convincing that my heart really is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9), that I was born a slave to sin (Rom. 6:17, John 8:34), that I was a natural-born enemy of God (Rom. 5:10). By my experiences, I’m a pretty good person. But by the Bible, I am a hopeless sinner who depends wholly on God’s grace to me in Christ. If I rely only on my experience, I will not fully understand who I am as a fallen sinner, and therefore I will not appreciate who Christ is for me in the gospel.

Consider another example. The way parents teach and discipline their children is quite often shaped by their own experiences as children, particularly if those experiences were negative. Someone who was abused as a child is going to parent differently as a result. But this doesn’t always follow an expected pattern. An abused child may imitate his father by being abusive when he becomes a father, or he may refuse to exercise any discipline for fear of being abusive. Similarly, someone who was neglected may neglect her children too, or may react and become a controlling helicopter parent.

These negative experiences may also motivate someone to study Scripture to help him sort out the complex ideas and emotions which result from his experiences. An abused individual will ask particular questions because of his experience, like How could God allow this if He is good and sovereign?, Is authority good?, and What does it mean to forgive?. Experience not only shapes how we think, but it also shapes how we interact with Scripture.

Just like all the other spheres we’ve looked at, experience isn’t inherently negative. In fact, many times it’s good. But when our experiences replace Scripture or are preferred over it, we have a problem. The challenge is to submit them to God’s truth so we interpret them correctly through a biblical lens.