Untying the knots of thinking: Wittgenstein and the role of philosophy in Christian faith

Abstract

This article deals with Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophy and how it can be properly applied in Christian theology. It provides useful tools for methodology in Christian thinking. According to Wittgenstein, philosophy deals primarily with critical examination, clarification and evaluation of the language we use. Wittgenstein's ideas − including the concept of mystery beyond linguistic forms, the idea of language game and its possible evolution, the impossibility of the ultimate truth and the concrete application of language − have the potential to play a very significant methodological role in every form of theological doctrinal expression.