What Does Christian Critical Thinking Look Like?

James Brown

Alright, let’s get honest—how many times have you heard someone throw around the phrase “critical thinking” and thought, you know, what does that even mean? Is it just criticizing stuff in your mind, or is it, like, something more deep? I’ll admit, when I was a kid, if a teacher said ‘use your critical thinking skills,’ I’d kind of freeze up, thinking it meant extra work, or that I was supposed to find something wrong with whatever they put in front of me. I mean, maybe you’ve felt the same, right?

James Brown

But if we strip all that confusion away, critical thinking is just about carefully evaluating messages—asking, “Is this worth believing?” For Christians, the conversation gets especially interesting, because, let’s be honest, sometimes folks think “critical thinking” is this secular thing, like, “Oh, it’s just humanists and atheists who care about logic and reason.” But, actually—stay with me here—our faith is built on the source of all wisdom and truth, like God Himself. Human reason on its own—well, we know how messy that gets, right? But the Bible gives us a foundation for logic, truth, and all those big ideas.

James Brown

Now, let me give you an old backyard analogy—I spent a lot of time outdoors growing up. My folks had this garden surrounded by these big old rocks, and it was my job to trim back the tall grass with a giant pair of pruners. Every time, I’d end up banging the pruners against those rocks. Would the rocks ever get chopped up? Not a chance! They were way too solid. And I think of critical thinking a little like those pruners—if you’re chopping at bad ideas or lies, you can clean up the garden, right? But when it comes to God’s Word, that rock, it’s unbreakable. Every tool, every test, you turn on it, the truth just stays put, unmoved.

James Brown

So for us as Christians, critical thinking isn’t about doubting for the sake of doubting—it’s about having the right tools to clear away the weeds so we can see the rock-solid truth underneath. It’s not about, “Well, I have faith so I never test anything.” It’s about, “Hey, God made us to use our minds and, honestly, that’s a gift.” And no matter what we bring up, God’s truth will always stand. That’s the foundation and that’s where real, biblical critical thinking gets its power.

James Brown

If you check out the Bible—yeah, the phrase “critical thinking” isn’t in there word for word, but what you do find are these calls to wisdom, discernment, testing stuff. Like, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Test everything, hold fast to what is good.” That doesn’t sound passive, does it? God pretty much gives us permission—no, He commands us—to check things out, to make sure what we’re hearing lines up with His Word.

James Brown

Another example, Acts 17. There’s this group called the Bereans—if you remember, they didn’t just take Paul’s preaching at face value. They were hitting the Scriptures daily to see if what he said matched up. And Scripture actually praises them for it—they’re called "noble-minded." Now, the whole point wasn’t to be cynical or to find every little flaw in someone else. It was about this eager, honest desire to validate what they heard against the Bible.

James Brown

And, you know, we touched on this pretty heavily a few episodes back—when we talked about false teachers and how messes get made in churches. It’s so easy to just go, “Well, that guy on YouTube sounds real spiritual,” or, “This is the teaching I grew up with, so it must be right,” but God wants us to examine the message itself, not just the messenger’s reputation or how it makes us feel. That’s discernment, and it’s really the backbone of critical thinking.

James Brown

And if you’re like me, I always need that reminder—this isn’t about picking fights or chasing debates, it’s staying close to Scripture. Whether it’s a popular sermon, a best-selling book, or even Christian podcasts like this one, the question is always: “Does this line up with God’s Word?” That urge to check, to test, it grounds us. Not in fear, but with eyes wide open and hearts wanting the truth.

James Brown

So, if we agree Christian critical thinking is crucial, the next question is: How do you actually do it? What does it look like, day-to-day, to be more discerning? Well, here’s something practical. There are seven big steps folks recommend when you’re trying to apply critical thinking—the kind anyone can use, in or out of church.

James Brown

First: you gotta identify the problem, or the big question. This could mean “Hey, I just heard a sermon and something didn’t sound quite right,” or “I’m scrolling past a viral video and it’s making bold claims.” Next, gather information. Not just opinions, but actual data—what’s the context, what’s the Scripture reference, who’s saying what?

James Brown

Step three is analyzing—you want to dig through all that info, toss out what doesn’t fit, notice patterns, ask if the evidence actually connects to the claims being made. Then, number four, consider other viewpoints. Man, this one is hard. We like to listen to the folks we already agree with, don’t we? But it’s healthy to check, “Are there solid biblical arguments on a different side?” Fifth, draw logical conclusions—does the evidence support what’s being said, or does it fall apart on closer inspection?

James Brown

After that, you communicate. Maybe it’s talking it out with a friend after church, or writing down what you learned, or just praying through it with God. And finally, reflection—take a step back, ask yourself, “What worked? What do I need to try differently next time?” These steps aren’t just for the big headline issues—they’re for filtering pop culture, evaluating advice, all that.

James Brown

Here’s something, too—the ultimate baseline for Christians, with all this thinking and testing, has to be: one, that Jesus really did live, die, and rise again for our sins, and two, our faith stands on God’s truth, not just arguments. Everything—literally everything—we filter must anchor back to those. Otherwise, we’re just playing mind games. Critical thinking, for us, is meant to help us live out faith with a full heart and a sound mind.

James Brown

And look, I get it—not every day is some giant showdown with false teachers or new philosophies. Sometimes it’s just, “Should I forward this message to a friend, or does it stretch the truth?” or “Is what the world says about happiness actually true, or is there something deeper in Scripture?” Wherever you find yourself, those steps, and ultimately the person of Jesus, that’s what you lean into.

James Brown

Alright, I know we covered a lot, but thanks for sticking around for another episode. Remember—test everything, hold on to what’s good, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty in the garden. There’s always more to learn, more weeds to trim, and a solid rock to stand on. Blessings till next time!