Here’s a great illustration for introducing the relationship between evidence, theories, and truth. It does a nice job of showing how evidence should lead us to refine our theories such that they come closer to the truth, even while remaining somewhat imperfect.
My only gripe with the illustration is that it doesn’t saying anything about how prior assumptions/theories affect how we perceive the evidence in the first place. Since I always perceive data through my existing “grid” of ideas and beliefs, there is no just thing as pure evidence.
Nonetheless, for a simple illustration that wants to show the relationship between evidence, theories, and the truth, I think it does a pretty good job. And, since biblical scholars and theologians rely on much the same process, I thought I’d pass it along.
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