Christian Ideas Topic IV – Faith and Reason
Spring 2008
Reading list:
Plato, Phaedo
Book of Wisdom (Not always found in Protestant Bibles. Sometimes entitled The Wisdom of Solomon and included as part of the Apocrypha.)
St. Paul, Romans, Chapter 1-5
Pascal, Pensées (Number 233 – The Wager)
Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio (Introduction and Chapters I, IV, and VI)
Pope Benedict XVI, Faith, Reason, and the University (Speech at University of Regensburg, 12 Sept 2006)
C. S. Lewis, ‘Til We Have Faces (Not available on-line)
Summary of Readings and Discussion
The relationship between faith and reason is a natural topic for the Christian Ideas group, as our fundamental purpose is to examine some of the ideas – the reasoning – of two millennia of Christian faith. This topic by itself presents a rich variety of thinking. One common view holds that faith and reason are complementary – that faith starts only where reason leaves off. Others hold that one or the other cannot be trusted. The two may overlap, or the two must overlap. Even the definitions are worth examining, as “reason” is variously thought of as logic, as science, as wisdom, or as philosophy. The readings presented many of these issues and yielded a wealth of discussion.
Plato, Phaedo, written about 350-400 B.C.
Plato’s narrative of the execution of Socrates has been a fixture in Western culture for centuries. (More mothers than my own, I am sure, have presented his calmly drinking hemlock as a worthy example to a child balking at Brussels sprouts.) He spends his last hours with his distressed friends discussing the afterlife, using logic in various arguments to prove the immortality of the soul. In the context of faith and reason, this is an early example of addressing such questions through reason alone (unless, as Socrates said, one has access to a divine revelation). He, not surprisingly, never reaches a convincing conclusion – but nonetheless remains steadfastly convinced that an afterlife does exist. This dialogue also introduces the notion of absolutes, especially that of absolute truth. Absolute truth exists, and we know that it exists, but we are inherently incapable of reaching it in our mortal lives. Absolute truth and our inability to grasp it fully is a recurring theme in this topic.
Book of Wisdom
Book of Proverbs
These two books of the Old Testament (one of which may be in the Apocrypha, depending on whose Bible one reads) present not only articles of faith, but also cultural wisdom. Much of the text, in fact, seems a Biblical version of Poor Richard’s Almanac. A few concepts stand out. One is the notion of seeing God in the beauty of his creation (Wisdom 13:1-5), indicating that with reason alone we can know that God exists. Another concept is the relationship between God and wisdom. Parts of the text portray wisdom as God’s interaction with his people (Wisdom 10). Proverbs 8 personifies wisdom, begotten of God but existent prior to creation; wisdom becomes God’s will that man should follow. Extending “wisdom” to “reason” suggests that reason is God’s will that we can grasp through rational thought. A stern warning is present, though, in Wisdom 2, against the prospect of faithless reason leading one astray into wanton sinfulness. Without the guidance of faith, reason can delude us into making our own rules (as Lucifer argued to his recruited angels in Paradise Lost), from which our appetites lead us to licentiousness, greed, and oppression.
St. Paul, Romans 1-5
Paul’s letter to the Romans is interesting in that it not only uses philosophical reasoning, but also addresses philosophy as a topic. As with the author of Wisdom, he states that we can know God through knowledge of his creation. He also gives his own account of the sinfulness that arises in the absence of faith – similar to Wisdom 2, but aimed more at idolatry than simple denial of God’s authority. Chapter 2 elaborates, stating that Gentiles lack the revelation of the law (scripture) but nevertheless hold the concepts of the law (morality) in their hearts and consciences. Thinking back to our reading of St. Thomas Aquinas, this is the notion of natural law. As created beings with the gift of reason, we have access to God’s will, as evidenced by our innate understanding of moral principles. This is a good example, then, of faith (divine revelation of scripture) and reason (rational understanding of right and wrong) leading to the same end, an understanding and acceptance of basic morality.
Blaise Pascal, Penseés (number 233 – The Wager), written sometime around 1660
This is a famous example of applying reason to the question of faith. Pascal accepts outright that the existence of God can be neither proven nor disproven, but then attempts to show logically why faith is the only rationally justifiable choice. Two particularly interesting points stand out. One is the person to whom this is addressed – a person who respects science and logic and therefore refuses to accept faith alone without some sort of rational proof. Pascal argues that there will never be proof, but that reason nonetheless requires belief. Resistance to faith does not stem from reason, therefore, but from one’s passions. (Ego? Pride?). Acting on faith will, by itself, lessen these passions and increase one’s faith. Lastly, the outcome of this submission is in itself beneficial. “You will be faithful, honest, humble, grateful, full of good works, a sincere, true friend.” In short, reason supports faith, and makes one happier in the bargain.
Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, issued in 1994
Pope Benedict XVI, Faith, Reason, and the University, delivered in 2006
Both of these works, the encyclical by Pope John Paul II and the speech by Pope Benedict (yes, the one that received much press coverage), deal directly with the topic of faith and reason. As one would expect of the encyclical (addressed to the bishops of the Catholic Church), it is a detailed academic document, extensively footnoted, and not light reading. From its opening sentence, however, it clearly proclaims that both reason and faith are valid and necessary approaches to “contemplation of truth.”
Here we see the absolute truth of Socrates with the added twist of its unity. Truth not only exists, it is objective. It exists independently of whether we believe it or whether we can fully grasp it. Most importantly, there is only one truth, so many approaches, executed correctly, will lead towards that truth. There is no conflict, and there can be no conflict, between faith and reason (or faith and science), because there is only one Truth. Conflict can only arise due to an error in following either (or both) of the paths.
The encyclical takes much time to explore how reason is necessary to a life of faith, and equally how faith is necessary to a life of reason. In the first case, reason and philosophy are tools with which we explore and communicate our faith. It is not the only tool, and there are certainly many schools of philosophy from which to choose, but much of our faith has been developed through reason and expressed philosophically. Understanding this reasoning and philosophy enables taking advantage of this rich treasure of two thousand years of learning. Furthermore, reason is the only tool that will effectively communicate concepts of our faith to nonbelievers. This is particularly true with ethical questions. Claiming that an act is wrong because it is contrary to God’s will is not a persuasive argument to a nonbeliever. But demonstrating the wrongness through reason or philosophy is far more promising, as our innate notions of morality are themselves fruits of our rationality (there’s that natural law again).
In the other direction, faith is necessary to anchor our reason, avoiding the devastating consequences of unbridled materialism or nihilism. Reason and faith, in fact, work synergistically. Reason by itself reaches a limit when logical proof cannot be extended – much as Socrates’ logic could not prove the immortality of the soul. Modern philosophy reaches this limit and abandons searching for objective truth, opting instead to explore the subjective – how we experience faith or know truth or act on our beliefs. Tenets of faith and revelation, however, allow reason to continue far beyond the limits of empirical proof, opening up tracts of knowledge unreachable by reason alone.
These two themes form the heart of the more recent speech by Pope Benedict. His controversial citation of an early Christian writer was in the context of demonstrating how faith and reason – both being manifestations of God’s will – must coincide. Far more emphasis is placed on contemporary trends that elevate reason (without faith) or science as our sole criteria for evaluating truth. This positivist mindset (believing only that which is empirically verifiable) is not only limiting but dangerous and a significant hindrance to cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.
C. S. Lewis, ‘Til We Have Faces, written in 1956.
Phew. After Plato, Pascal, and a Papal encyclical, a modern novel in easy language was a relief. Faith and reason is a major theme of this retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The world of faith is dark and mysterious and, in a word, creepy – in part, but only in part, due to the plot’s pagan setting. Reason, on the other hand, is personified in a Greek philosopher, teacher, and slave. The story positions reason as an island of enlightenment, surrounded by a much more foreboding sea of mysticism and ritual. As the characters and plot mature, however, the picture changes. The relationship between faith and reason becomes far more complex. The book is readable, enjoyable, and thought provoking. One might hesitate to recommend Plato or Pascal or an encyclical to a friend for interesting reading, but you could recommend this without worry.
Our modern Western world places a premium – almost exclusive premium – on reason and science. This tendency exists within Christianity, too. Our readings in this session demonstrate, if nothing else, that one need not turn off one’s reason to embark on a life of faith. One need not fear that science will prove God obsolete, nor fear that faith places a roadblock in the growth of human knowledge. One certainly need not muzzle faith – or God himself – as too unseemly or unsophisticated for enlightened conversation. These readings also challenge us with absolute Truth and its implications. If we believe that there is one truth, then the concepts of “true for me” or “true for you,” while polite, are problematic. As Christians, we believe Christ is the full revelation of objective truth. It is to know this truth that we are created with the divine gifts of faith and reason.