Religious faith & reason: general introduction The philosophical issues of religious faith & reason 1. The meaning of religious faith 2. The relationship between religious faith & reason Faith & Reason: general introduction - 1

Religious faith & reason: general introduction The main positions on religions faith & reason 1. Fideism Tertullian, c.160-c.225 His famous question: “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” His answer St. Francis of Assissi, 1181-1226 Faith & Reason: general introduction - 2

Religious faith & reason: general introduction Søren Kierkegaard (Danish, 1813-1855) A brief critique of Fideism How does one decide which religious faith to jump to? The value of Fideism: religious faith is more than assent to cognitive claims; involves passion & trust & relationship with a person Faith & Reason: general introduction - 3

Religious faith & reason: general introduction 2. Hard rationalist & evidentialist position Auguste Comte (French, 1789-1857 The law of three stages theological metaphysical scientific (or positive) Positivism Faith & Reason: general introduction - 4

Religious faith & reason: general introduction A brief critique of hard rationalism & evidentialism Comte has a naïve view of science-- a narrow empiricist view He assumes that scientific method is the only avenue to truth The self-reflexive move: can Comte’s law be established by the scientific method? Faith & Reason: general introduction - 5

Religious faith & reason: general introduction 3. The harmony position Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) Aquinas (1225-1274) And many others Faith & Reason: general introduction - 6

Aquinas on faith & reason The harmony position Thomas Aquinas (Tommaso d’Aquino) (Italian, 1225-1274) born near Aquino to local gentry at age of 5 sent to the Abbey of Monte Cassino University of Naples introduced to the writings of Aristotole Faith & Reason: general introduction - 7

Aquinas on faith & reason Joined the Dominican order in c.1242 Went to the University of Paris; studied under Albert the Great 1256, received license to teach at Paris Wrote two Summa Died on way to the Second Council of Lyons Faith & Reason: general introduction - 8

Aquinas on faith & reason Heritage Turned medieval philosophy from Plato to Aristotle Because the Council of Trent (1545-1563) cited Aquinas as one of the leading theologian-philosophers of the Roman Church, his influence has been immense. Faith & Reason: general introduction - 9

Aquinas on faith & reason Overview of Aquinas’s position on the relationship between religious faith & reason 1. Faith precedes reason 2. Reason alone cannot arrive at many of the propositions of religious faith; but once these propositions are available (by revelation), reason can show that they are reasonable. Faith & Reason: general introduction - 10

Aquinas on faith & reason 3. Religious faith is partly propositional; it makes truth-claims 4. In principle, religious faith & reason are in harmony (chapter 7). 5. In practice, they may conflict but when they do, reason must be wrong (chapter 7). Faith & Reason: general introduction - 11