Wittgenstein's lingering legacy: How language game theory separates reason from faith and how teaching natural theology can come to our rescue

Ludwig Wittgenstein's life and philosophy powerfully illustrate the point that ideas have consequences. Though Wittgenstein only published one book during his lifetime, his ideas continue to exert a powerful influence over western thought extending especially to the American university campus. Wittgenstein's theory of language games, found in his later work and published after his death, separates reason from faith by restricting meaning to the way we use words and isolating different language games from one another. His view has profoundly influenced the idea that faith has no place in the academic arena and that critical thinking should remain separate from campus ministry. Students therefore lack basic knowledge of natural theology, have weak trust in the reliability of truth, and display minimal confidence in speaking about their faith. This project represents a philosophical response to his theory demonstrating its insufficiency as a way of viewing the world, a theological response representing the Biblical view, and a practical response intended to address this issue among college students in our own ministry. The results of this project suggest that teaching natural theology to college students in a dynamic and interactive setting can help to gain knowledge, increase trust in the truth, and bolster confidence in speaking about faith.