Axiology is the philosophical study of value. It aims to understand the nature and grounds of value, what things or states of affairs are valuable, and why. The term was coined in the early 20th century from the Greek axios, meaning “worthy,” and logos, meaning “study.”
The questions axiology tries to answer include:
- What is value and what does it mean to say something is valuable or has value?
- What types of things can have value – is it limited to moral values or does it include other values too, like aesthetic value in art or economic value in prices?
- What makes something valuable – is it the properties of the thing itself, or does an agent have to value it?
- How do we know or judge what is valuable, and can such judgments be rationally defended or are they just subjective?
- Are there objective values that exist independently of what anyone happens to value, or is value always relative to a person or culture?
Different philosophical theories provide different answers here. Subjectivism argues that value depends on the attitudes of subjects – something is valuable if someone values it. Objectivism holds that there are objective values in the world outside of what people happen to think. Intrinsic value theories locate value in the intrinsic properties or nature of things, while instrumental theories say the value of something depends on what it leads to or its consequences.
The Bible has much to contribute to axiological questions, as it makes bold claims about what is ultimately valuable and how humans ought to live. Scripture teaches that God is the supreme source and ground of value. Things have value based on their relation to Him and His moral law. The Bible also gives us moral principles for discerning good and evil.
At the heart of biblical axiology are the twin themes of creation and redemption. God created the world and declared it good (Genesis 1). But it has fallen into sin and evil. God is now redeeming creation through Jesus Christ. This provides a moral compass for axiology – the original goodness of creation in its flourishing state reflects God’s values, as does Christ’s work of redemption which aims to restore creation.
Here are some key biblical axiological teachings:
1. God and His Nature as the Supreme Value
The Bible unequivocally states the objective and absolute value of God. Jesus said the most important command is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind” (Matthew 22:37). He is the source and summation of all that is good – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).
God’s moral law and character exemplify what is good – “The Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9). Things have value as they align with His holy and loving character. God Himself is the ultimate standard of value – His own glorious being and perfection is the highest good.
This biblical foundation orients axiology toward God-realization. To become holy as God is holy, to love Him with all we are, and to be united with Him in relationship is life’s supreme value.
2. The Value of Human Beings
The Bible grants objective and intrinsic value to human beings as made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). This sets human worth and dignity above the rest of creation. It makes human flourishing a fundamental moral value aligned with God’s purposes at creation.
Sin mars but does not erase the imago Dei. Thus human life remains sacred despite sin (Genesis 9:6). When in conflict, moral laws protecting human life take priority because “the life is more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Matthew 6:25). Redemption in Christ also demonstrates the value God still places on humans as His beloved creation.
3. Moral Values
God’s moral law is a primary source of ethical values. Passages like the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) define love, justice, purity, honesty and other moral qualities that align with God’s character. “Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2) ties moral value to imitating God Himself.
Moral conscience also discerns basic moral values – “they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts” (Romans 2:15). But Scripture remains the definitive authority for ethical reflection. Biblical values include justice, mercy, faithfulness, liberation of the oppressed, righteousness, truth, loyalty, and self-sacrificial love.
4. Aesthetic Values
The Bible depicts God as crafting a universe of splendor, richness and beauty. As His image-bearers, humans also create and appreciate aesthetic value. Biblical aesthetics appreciate the goodness of creation without idolizing it. Beauty directs attention back to the Creator as Augustine explained: “Men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty waves of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, yet pass over the mystery of themselves without a thought.”
Artistic expression like music and poetry is used in Scripture and worship. At its best, it awakens awe, joy and gratitude. But Scripture warns against vain art made for egotistic display rather than serving others and honoring God (Jeremiah 9:23-24). The aesthetic value of art and nature, though real, is relativized under the supreme value of God and spirit.
5. Wisdom and Knowledge
The Bible highly values wisdom and knowledge, centered on “fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom literature teaches pragmatic insights for successful living. But more fundamentally, wisdom is valued for aligning life with truth and virtue under God. Wisdom gains life, prosperity, and favor with God and man (Proverbs 3:13-18). Even secular fields like science and technology have value in expressing God’s ideal for human cultivation of the earth – “subdue it, and have dominion” (Genesis 1:28).
While all truth expresses God’s truth (John 1:3), Scripture gives preeminence to knowledge of salvation and spiritual truth. Paul expounds epistemic virtues like faith, self-control, steadfastness and godliness as means to “the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3-8). Living wisely and seeking truth glorify God as the font of truth, wisdom and knowledge.
6. Creation and Redemption
The biblical narrative arcs from God’s good creation to the Fall and curse of sin, culminating in Christ’s redemption of creation. This story provides an axiological framework: creation reflects God’s original intent for value and flourishing in the world. But sin and evil have damaged creation, causing it to fall short of God’s purposes.
Redemption restores humanity and creation to God’s ideals for life and goodness. In Christ all things are being made new (Revelation 21:5). Ethics thus aims for righteousness and justice, aligned with creational ideals. The church lives as a foretaste of the fully restored creation to come. Ultimate hope is the resurrection of the dead and a new creation cleansed of all evil, dysfunction and death.
7. Priorities and Tradeoffs
No single value exists in isolation. Conflicts arise requiring prioritization of biblical values like justice, mercy, obedience to authority, provision for one’s family, honesty, and more. Resolving value conflicts requires wisdom in applying principles to contexts. But Scripture provides guidance in ordering loves through concepts like moral absolutes and the greatest commandment, which subordinates all else under love for God.
Biblical narratives also show how moral agents navigated value dilemmas, like God sparing Nineveh despite their wickedness out of compassion (Jonah 3-4). Esther risking her life to save her people (Esther 4:16) illustrates situational tradeoffs. Principles like the Sabbath yielding before moral duties like healing (Luke 14:5) suggest a hierarchy of value.
8. Danger of Idolatry
Due to human fallenness, even things with legitimate value can become idols usurping the place of God. Money, sex, power, relationships, pleasure, security, human philosophies, cultures and institutions – Scripture warns against all becoming ultimates apart from God.
Idolatry exchanges the truth of God for a lie and worships created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). It elevates something relatively good in itself as an absolute value. Scripture exposes the self-centered roots of idols that enslave people and perpetuate sin (Ezekiel 14:3). Only by finding one’s ultimate value in God can a person relate all other values properly.
In conclusion, the Bible provides a rich axiological perspective centered on God as the objective ground of goodness and value. Made in His image, humans have intrinsic and sacred worth. God’s moral law expresses His character as the standard of goodness. Beauty, truth, and wisdom have real but subordinate value in relation to honoring God. The story of creation, fall and redemption shapes a biblical vision of value and human purpose. Idolatry is always a danger and values require careful negotiation. With God at the center, biblical axiology draws out the implications of His worth for all of reality.
