Difference between revisions of "Faith and reason"
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==Richard Swinburne== | ==Richard Swinburne== | ||
| − | '''''Faith and Reason''''' is the title of an extensive book-length treatment by philosopher [[Richard Swinburne]].<ref>At the time this Conservapedia article was written, Swinburne's ''Faith and Reason'' was priced at over $200.00.</ref> ''Faith and Reason'' is the final volume in Richard Swinburne’s trilogy on the philosophy of [[religion]]. | + | '''''Faith and Reason''''' is the title of an extensive book-length treatment by philosopher [[Richard Swinburne]], published 8 December 2005.<ref>At the time this Conservapedia article was written, Swinburne's ''Faith and Reason'' was priced at over $200.00 amazon.com, $129.00 Barnes & Noble.</ref> ''Faith and Reason'' is the final volume in Richard Swinburne’s trilogy on the philosophy of [[religion]]. |
In ''The Coherence of Theism'' he examines the claims of theism and comes to provisional conclusions that [[theism]] is not demonstrably incoherent, and that a more feasible but indirect way of arguing for the coherence of theism is to provide grounds for thinking that theism is most probably true. | In ''The Coherence of Theism'' he examines the claims of theism and comes to provisional conclusions that [[theism]] is not demonstrably incoherent, and that a more feasible but indirect way of arguing for the coherence of theism is to provide grounds for thinking that theism is most probably true. | ||
Revision as of 03:25, August 31, 2019
Faith and Reason have each been considered to be sources of justification for religious belief. It has been a matter of much interest to philosophers and theologians how the two are related. Some hold that there can be no conflict between the two, while others maintain that faith and reason can be in genuine conflict, even contradiction when considering certain propositions or methodologies. The historical development of thought on the interrelation of religious faith and reason begins with Classical Greek conceptions of mind and religious mythology, continues through the medieval Christian theologians, the rise of modern science in the early post-Renaissance period, and the philosophical reformulation of the issue as one of ‘science versus religion’ in the twentieth and twenty-first century.
St. Paul, St. Peter, and Jesus
Perhaps the earliest Christian expression of the reasonableness of faith is found in the persuasive arguments of Saint Paul's Letters in the New Testament, and after him in the exposition of the message of Jesus Christ in The Gospels by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Indeed, the entire preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Christianity for almost two millenia has taken the form recommended by Saint Peter (1 Peter 3:15):
| “ | ...in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. | ” |
This is the role of Christian apologetics. The intuitive perception of faith as reasonable was expressed by Jesus:
| “ | My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; if any man's will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.[1]
He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.[2] If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.[3] |
” |
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II wrote Fides et Ratio Faith and Reason an Encyclical Letter to the bishops of the whole Catholic Church on the relationship between faith and reason (dated 14 September, 1998). He asserts that what is distinctive in the biblical text is the conviction that there is a profound and indissoluble unity between the knowledge of reason and the knowledge of faith, and therefore, reason and faith cannot be separated without diminishing the capacity of men and women to know themselves, the world and God in an appropriate way; thus there is no reason for competition of any kind between reason and faith: each contains the other, and each has its own scope for action.
Richard Swinburne
Faith and Reason is the title of an extensive book-length treatment by philosopher Richard Swinburne, published 8 December 2005.[4] Faith and Reason is the final volume in Richard Swinburne’s trilogy on the philosophy of religion.
In The Coherence of Theism he examines the claims of theism and comes to provisional conclusions that theism is not demonstrably incoherent, and that a more feasible but indirect way of arguing for the coherence of theism is to provide grounds for thinking that theism is most probably true.
Then in The Existence of God Swinburne examines the arguments for and against the existence of God and concludes that the preponderance of evidence indicates that God actually exists.
Finally, in Faith and Reason Swinburne is concerned with the relevance of such judgments of probability to the reasonableness of religious faith, the relevance of the carefully reasoned conclusion of the believer to the belief that ‘God exists’.
Faith and reason: Conservative Protestant view, Ligonier Ministries
- Faith and Reason, by Keith Mathison (ligonier.org) - Ligonier Ministries.
Keith Mathison argues that the vast majority of Christians throughout history have not rejected the right use of reason, stemming from their attempt to be faithful to the teaching of Scripture, which provides reasons to believe. He points out that John wrote his entire Gospel to provide reasons to believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 20:30–31); that John, Peter, and Paul appeal to evidence for the claims they make (1 Cor. 15:5–6; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1–4); the fact that all human beings believe certain things based on the testimony of others; and that Christians believe what they believe based on the testimony of the Apostles. He maintains that such faith is a gift, but it is not divorced from reason. - Faith and Reason, Resource by John Piper. Topic: Life of the Mind, Ligonier National Conference - Orlando, Florida (desiringgod.org)
John Piper's theme in this paper is faith and reason, beginning with reflections on reason and then on faith and then on the relationship between the two in the awakening of saving faith. He argues that even though our natural minds are depraved and darkened and foolish, nevertheless, the New Testament demands that we use them in coming to faith, and leading people to faith, and in the process of Christian growth and obedience. There is no way to awaken faith or strengthen faith that evades right thinking. John Piper passionately maintains that what should burden Christians on this issue is not only how to commend and defend Christianity to intellectuals, but how to proclaim it among a thousand unreached peoples around the world, many of whom are illiterate, who cannot wait for generations of education.
| “ | Unless men may come to a reasonable, solid persuasion and conviction of the truth of the gospel, by the internal evidences of it . . . by a sight of its glory; it is impossible that those who are illiterate, and unacquainted with history, should have any thorough and effectual conviction of it at all. They may without this, see a great deal of probability of it; it may be reasonable for them to give much credit to what learned men and historians tell them. . . . But to have a conviction, so clear, and evident, and assuring, as to be sufficient to induce them, with boldness to sell all, confidently and fearlessly to run the venture of the loss of all things, and of enduring the most exquisite and long continued torments, and to trample the world under foot, and count all things but dung for Christ, the evidence they can have from history [alone], cannot be sufficient. —Jonathan Edwards | ” |
See also
References
External links
Faith and reason - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (iep.utm.edu)
Early Christian Apologetics (copticchurch.net)
Faith vs. Reason, Dr. Jason Lisle (answersingenesis.org)
Faith and Reason, by Dick Sztanyo (apologeticspress.org) pdf
Kant: Critique of Pure Reason (Summary) - The-Philosophy.com