The Religious Implications of Tacit Knowledge
Biblical philosophers like the Lord Jesus and Paul occasionally spoke about mysteries. On one occasion, when asked why He spoke a lot in parables, Jesus explained that the ability to understand the mysteries of the kingdom has been given only to His followers. In other words, if He did not illustrate spiritual realities with parables, most of His audience would not understand. In line with this, Paul asked the Ephesian church to pray for him to have the “right words” to communicate the mystery of the gospel[1]. Paul’s comment suggests an awareness of truth that is, mysteriously, sometimes difficult to communicate. It is this phenomenon that Polanyi, a Christian scientist-turned-philosopher refers to as tacit knowledge. So there’s the mystery of the gospel as well as the mystery of sometimes not knowing how to communicate the gospel.
I consider The Tacit Dimension a very insightful book but found portions of it difficult to understand. What seems clear is the book’s primary argument: “we can know more than we can tell[2].” Polanyi illustrates this by relating how we often know people’s faces well enough to distinguish that from several others but cannot explain how we are able to make that distinction. This intriguing reality draws my mind to the fact that while remembering faces is important for the police and personal relationships, the need for followers of Jesus to find a way to bridge the gap between the gospel that is known and what is told, has far greater implications.
Using the police method of presenting different faces as a help to witnesses that help identify alleged criminals, Polanyi suggests that “given adequate means for expressing ourselves,” we can communicate effectively. I can only imagine how many crime mysteries would have remained unsolved without this type of police intervention. This is an important innovation for security in many societies. Likewise, followers of Jesus need innovative ways of resolving the mandate of ensuring the security of our generation by effectively presenting Biblical truth in a culture where men have forgotten God. When we find ourselves short on innovative ways to communicate the gospel, we are invited to pray for wisdom, including the wisdom to transform tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge.
The reality of tacit knowledge may be one reason why the poor, although made in the image of God, struggle to communicate the value they have been blessed with. If this is the case, given my life calling and NPO, I certainly want to explore this more and help my community transform tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge.
I am also struck by the way Polanyi integrates faith with science and philosophy. In a culture where God is excluded and immoral pleasure is idolized, Polanyi contends that people “need a purpose which bears on eternity,” and urges us not to be “satisfied with our manifest moral shortcomings and with a society which has such shortcomings fatally involved in its workings.[3]” He concludes with the proposal that moral failure
cannot be resolved on secular grounds alone. But its religious solution should become more feasible once religious faith is released from pressure by an absurd vision of the universe, and so there will open up instead a meaningful world which could resound to religion”[4]
[1] Ephesians 6:19
[2] Polanyi, Michael. The Tacit Dimension. (Garden City, New York. Double Day & Company, 1966). 4
[3] Polanyi, 92
[4] Polanyi, 92.
About the Author
Henry Gwani
Follower of Jesus, husband, father, community development practitioner and student of leadership working among marginalized communities in South Africa14 responses to “The Religious Implications of Tacit Knowledge”
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Henry, I enjoyed reading your post, especially since I didn’t examine Polanyi through a theological lens.
There is a fascinating intersection between tacit learning and God’s identity woven into our DNA. What we should know, how we should be living, and how we should be interacting with others have been incorporated into our existence, yet our sinful nature rejects that tacit nature.
I also wonder how our tacit knowledge might shape our understanding of God, how God functions in the world, and our relationship with others, both in a healthy and unhealthy way.
Henry/Andy – I had a similar vein of thought to Andy on this and would actually like both of your input. In reading through your post, Henry, it made me consider “can we have tacit knowledge about God?” Sometimes we ‘just know’ that something that happened, a word that was spoken, a situation being resolved was a move by the Lord but it’s hard to explain explicitly. Do you think we could apply this towards our relationship to/with God or tacit knowledge is only on a horizontal level with other people?
Kayli I agree that several things in our walk with God cannot be explained explicitly. For example how do we explain scientifically about the transformation of Paul from a destroyer of the church to a passionate promoter of the gospel? How did Peter know that Ananias and Sapphira were not being fully truthful? How do we know the Holy Spirit resides in us? I guess we cannot scientifically explain these but are convinced of their realities by faith. So yes, I think we can have a tacit knowledge of God and the things of God
Andy I appreciate your insight into the “intersection between tacit learning and God’s identity woven into our DNA.” I think the concept of faith has to be embraced in a tacit way. For example in his conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus, thinking scientifically, asked Jesus about the practical reality of how people can be born again, and wondered whether one can go a second time into their mother’s womb after becoming an adult. Clearly he didn’t understand the concept, and I think even some of us today understand this tacitly and not explicitly. We’re getting there 🙂
Hi Henry…thank you so very much for your thoughtful post and the way you engaged Polanyi’s work on tacit knowing with what we tacitly know of the Gospel and then are challenged to express. You end with Polanyi’s powerful closing statement. I’m curious what you make of his thought: “once religious faith is released from pressure by an absurd vision of the universe”? What did you take this to mean? And how might that connect with your argument regarding what we tacitly know of the Gospel and are challenged to explicitly express?
Elmarie, much thanks for your kind words. I think Polanyi’s comments about “pressure” refers to the conflict between secular humanism and religious faith and the idea that moral failure can be overcome without God. This idea is strange because it disregards the fact that moral failure is instigated by spiritual being, Satan, and will need to be addressed spiritually, by the Holy Spirit. As Solzhenitsyn would argue, we have forgotten God in our perspective/vision of life/the universe. I think a key element necessary to experiencing a more effective explicit expression of the gospel is the heartfelt prayer James talks about in James 5:16. For me, prayer says we want to do God’s work in God’s way
Henry, I appreciate how you always make applications to your ministry. You wrote: “The reality of tacit knowledge may be one reason why the poor, although made in the image of God, struggle to communicate the value they have been blessed with.” Can you say more that this? I’m curious what your experience has been with this.
Much thanks Roy. My statement reflects how the poor may have some awareness of being made in God’s image, yet this knowledge seems to be often weakened by feelings of inferiority arising from their circumstances. In my little experience, those who fall into this trap of inferiority easily lean towards a needs-based, deficiency/dependency mindset instead of an assets-based, made-in-the-image of God mindset
HG: This was a difficult book to get through, not like the practically-orientated book by Boslinger from last week. I had never thought of your insight; you said, “The reality of tacit knowledge may be one reason why the poor, although made in the image of God, struggle to communicate the value they have been blessed with.” That’s a great point, especially how it relates to your NPO and our discussion about Liberation Theology last week. Perhaps you could add this book to your bibliography when it comes time to hand in your project portfolio.
Troy thanks for your kind words and suggestion about adding Polanyi to my bibliography. Yes, I think so. I hope you find it useful in your NPO research as well.
Thanks Henri. Can you tell me more about what you mean by this statement:
“The reality of tacit knowledge may be one reason why the poor, although made in the image of God, struggle to communicate the value they have been blessed with. ”
In light of our common work, I would love to hear more! Thanks!
Thanks Eric. Your question is similar to Roy’s so I’ll repost my response to him here.
My statement reflects how the poor may have some awareness of being made in God’s image, yet this knowledge seems to be often weakened by feelings of inferiority arising from their circumstances. In my little experience, those who fall into this trap of inferiority easily lean towards a needs-based, deficiency/dependency mindset instead of an assets-based, made-in-the-image of God mindset.
I appreciate your work with CLDI and I’m eager to read your NPO research when done
Henry,
The quote you ended your post with was one of my favorites as well. Despite you expressing that the book was difficult for you, you did a great job integrating into your personal learning. Can you further explain how the poor may know more than they express and what might that be? How might that knowledge fit with the biblical understanding of poverty?
Thanks for your kind words Denise. Your first question is similar to Roy’s and Eric’s, so I’ll refer you to my responses to them, if you don’t mind. About how this might fit with the biblical understanding of poverty, I think it shows that poverty is much more than being material, but, as several biblical scholars have shown, extends to one’s relationship with God and worldview. I would argue that reconciliation with God and adopting biblical business principles (the protestant work ethic) can bring transformation among the poor, as we see in the case of Israel after leaving 400 years of slavery in Egypt