6. Introduction
1. Faith and the Way Leading to Faith
Faith is an assent to the truths that God proposes to us. These truths have a supernatural character, or, at least, they are presented to us in a supernatural manner; thus, the assent must also be supernatural. Faith cannot be attained through a person’s natural powers alone, but only through the elevation of his powers to the supernatural order. This is what God does in the intellect through the supernatural virtue of faith.
Nevertheless, this assent is not forced upon the human intellect, whose autonomy is duly respected. The principle stating that grace does not destroy nature, but rather presupposes and perfects it, applies in this case. Certainly, one cannot reach faith through natural reasoning, no matter how rigorous it may be. Neither do we believe certain things because reason comprehends them with absolute certainty, nor because they are believable, but by the authority of God who reveals them. However, certain more or less explicit arguments make it reasonable for us to believe these truths.
Such arguments convince us that it is God who communicates certain truths to us. With this conviction, one finds it reasonable to accept these truths, as long as one has a clear idea of who God is: that God can neither deceive nor be deceived. The aim of this study is to show the scientific path to the conviction that God himself teaches us some definite or particular truths.
Although not all those getting ready to believe need to follow these arguments step by step, such logic is somehow always present as human confidence in the wisdom and goodwill of the person teaching the faith.
These arguments are only a preparation to receive the faith. We need special assistance from God to assent to a supernatural truth: the virtue of faith. As the First Vatican Council declares, faith is “a supernatural virtue. By that faith, with the inspiration and help of God’s grace, we believe that what he has revealed is true, not because we see its intrinsic truth with the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.”1
2. Faith and Theology
Faith gives us our supernatural religious knowledge. Since faith is not a product of human reasoning, supernatural religion does not have to be demonstrated by reason. Actually, it is not even possible to do so. However, it is possible to demonstrate that it is reasonable to believe what faith teaches (and that it is unreasonable to reject it); this is the goal of fundamental theology.
The role of reason in the field of religion does not end here. It is possible, fitting, and even necessary for reason—without attempting the impossible task of demonstrating religion “from within”—to try to understand faith as best as it can. Reason must study the truths of faith, see how they are related to one another, order them, and study them in relation to other known natural truths. This is the object of theology, which starts off from the datum of faith and can arrive at credible conclusions only by being loyal to faith, its foundation. Thus, a theology that questioned the faith, doubted it, was openly disloyal to it, or tried to create it out of its own reasoning would not make any sense at all. Its conclusions would be worthless.
3. Outline of this Work
We will consider the possibility of God’s revealing anything to humanity. After answering this question in the affirmative, we will examine if God actually revealed something, and the reasons for affirming such a conclusion. The conclusion will be that God revealed exactly what the Catholic religion teaches, that these teachings are contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and that they are authentically interpreted and made available to us by the Magisterium of the Church.2
Footnotes:
1. DS 3008.
2. Cf. CCC, 26–198.
Faith is an assent to the truths that God proposes to us. These truths have a supernatural character, or, at least, they are presented to us in a supernatural manner; thus, the assent must also be supernatural. Faith cannot be attained through a person’s natural powers alone, but only through the elevation of his powers to the supernatural order. This is what God does in the intellect through the supernatural virtue of faith.
Nevertheless, this assent is not forced upon the human intellect, whose autonomy is duly respected. The principle stating that grace does not destroy nature, but rather presupposes and perfects it, applies in this case. Certainly, one cannot reach faith through natural reasoning, no matter how rigorous it may be. Neither do we believe certain things because reason comprehends them with absolute certainty, nor because they are believable, but by the authority of God who reveals them. However, certain more or less explicit arguments make it reasonable for us to believe these truths.
Such arguments convince us that it is God who communicates certain truths to us. With this conviction, one finds it reasonable to accept these truths, as long as one has a clear idea of who God is: that God can neither deceive nor be deceived. The aim of this study is to show the scientific path to the conviction that God himself teaches us some definite or particular truths.
Although not all those getting ready to believe need to follow these arguments step by step, such logic is somehow always present as human confidence in the wisdom and goodwill of the person teaching the faith.
These arguments are only a preparation to receive the faith. We need special assistance from God to assent to a supernatural truth: the virtue of faith. As the First Vatican Council declares, faith is “a supernatural virtue. By that faith, with the inspiration and help of God’s grace, we believe that what he has revealed is true, not because we see its intrinsic truth with the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who can neither deceive nor be deceived.”1
2. Faith and Theology
Faith gives us our supernatural religious knowledge. Since faith is not a product of human reasoning, supernatural religion does not have to be demonstrated by reason. Actually, it is not even possible to do so. However, it is possible to demonstrate that it is reasonable to believe what faith teaches (and that it is unreasonable to reject it); this is the goal of fundamental theology.
The role of reason in the field of religion does not end here. It is possible, fitting, and even necessary for reason—without attempting the impossible task of demonstrating religion “from within”—to try to understand faith as best as it can. Reason must study the truths of faith, see how they are related to one another, order them, and study them in relation to other known natural truths. This is the object of theology, which starts off from the datum of faith and can arrive at credible conclusions only by being loyal to faith, its foundation. Thus, a theology that questioned the faith, doubted it, was openly disloyal to it, or tried to create it out of its own reasoning would not make any sense at all. Its conclusions would be worthless.
3. Outline of this Work
We will consider the possibility of God’s revealing anything to humanity. After answering this question in the affirmative, we will examine if God actually revealed something, and the reasons for affirming such a conclusion. The conclusion will be that God revealed exactly what the Catholic religion teaches, that these teachings are contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and that they are authentically interpreted and made available to us by the Magisterium of the Church.2
Footnotes:
1. DS 3008.
2. Cf. CCC, 26–198.