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Fides et Ratio / On the Relationship between Faith and Reason

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In Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II is addressing Catholic bishops regarding the value and relationship philosophy holds in regards to theology. The purpose of the encyclical letter is to stem certain abusive tendencies among theologians that distort divine revelation and to urge a new interest in philosophy as a means of articulating Christian truth. Divine revelation by its very nature proposes to man certain truths not naturally accessible to man from the standpoint of pure reason. Methodical reason, however, can explore these revealed truths in relation to established universal objective principles. A symbiotic relationship can therefore develop between theology and philosophy in which theology provides direction to the human quest for meaning and understanding and philosophy provides the language and method for articulating divine revelation. Divine and natural truth cannot be at odds since they both emanate from the God who is Truth, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Father addresses the fact that much of modern philosophy bears a mistrust of reason and has abandoned metaphysical studies, having no confidence in the existence of universal truths. This has led to a crisis of meaning and contributes to the phenomenon of widespread despair and the culture of death. Finding universal truths to be confining, and limiting as regards freedom, modern philosophy has abandoned their pursuit and focuses upon utilitarian endeavors. The Holy Father warns that such a path, as embodied in such philosophies as the will to power, are ultimately self-destructive and lead to a disintegration of the human community. To deny the existence of universal truth is ultimately to deny existence. Nothing could be said to exist, not even one's own phenomenological experience. Truth, conversely, does not bind freedom, but is rather freedom's sole path. Any philosophy that denies the existence of truth is ultimately of no human value since it is absolutely at odds with lived experience. Human beings base their lives, their existence, upon what they know - whether through reason or divine revelation. If nothing can be know, as so much of modern philosophy contends, then our lives, our civilization, is groundless and doomed to fall. Truth, however, is inherently sought after by the human person and no matter what the philosophers say, man will not allow it to die. The Church for its part must insure that the articulation of revealed Christian truth proceeds within linguistic methods of reasoning, themselves based upon natural truth that in its own manner proceeds from God.

In the Christian tradition, Philosophy and Theology have not always sat together easily. While theologians from Clement of Alexandria to Augustine to Aquinas have embraced Philosophy eagerly and used it extensively in their theology, for others such as Tertullian, Luther, Calvin, or Nygren, Philosophy has been a source of corrupting errors which ruin faith or of poisonous skepticism which destroys faith and endangers salvation itself.

In the Catholic tradition however, Philosophy has often been an essential tool used to clarify issues and matters of faith. In this regard, Catholicism is often strongly condemned by both the Orthodox, who claim (particularly when it came to utilising philosophical logic in trying to understand God) from departing from the Patristic 'mindset' of the Fathers, or from Protestants, who claimed Philosophy and Logic were unbiblical or distorted plain scriptural truths and merely put a massive man-made barrier between God and the Christian believer, as well as corrupting pure Apostolic and Biblical Christianity by introducing ideas from Greek philosophy or metaphysics into the faith itself (a claim strong amoung thinkers ranging from Luther and Calvin to Karl Barth, Adolf Von Harnack, and Anders Nygren, all very powerful theologians in their own right, whose insights cannot lightly be disregarded).

Pope John Paul's encyclical is an important defence of the role reason and philosophy have to play in theology, especially in the sense of participating in God's wisdom. This concept goes back to Augustine and Aquinas, and also to an extent in the Eastern tradition, whereby the mind of the Christian partakes in the mind of God or God's attribute of wisdom, and in so doing learns to understand the mysteries of faith better and thus grows in faith. The main difference is in Western Catholicism this process takes place through a mixture of mystical contemplation mixed with philosophical analysis and logic, while in Eastern Christianity the ascent to God is mostly liturgical and mystical and God's essence is strongly protected against any human logic by a powerful veil of apophaticism. The same also occurs in many strands of Catholic spirituality also (especially in Eckhart and John of the Cross), but John Paul is keen for Catholic theologians and scholars to utilise and engage in Philosophy as a part of seeking understanding in faith.

To the philosopher, this encyclical represents a valuable encouragement of the spirit of Philosophical inquiry, which in my view is essential, especially in religion, to make sure intellectual systems have some sort of vitality and relevance to the modern world and life. Unless Christian scholars creatively and constructively engage in an active and critical reflection on our past heritage, and use it to deal with today's difficult questions, then the faith risks becoming outmoded and boring in the face of modern questions and challenges. Yet the wisdom of God searches out and reaches us in unexpected ways, and the strong revival of classical questions in current philosophy around those of religion, mysticism and metaphysics, as well as a more critical examination of the foundations of cognition and science, show us there is hope yet new great philosopher-theologians will rise to the intellectual challenges of the present time.

The book titled FIDES ET RATIO/ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND REASON is a well written compact book based on the late Pope John Paul's (1978-2005)1998 Letter to the Bishops. Pope John Paul II informed the Bishops of the responsibity of Catholic teachers and scholars to seek bona fide knowledge and to use such in teaching the Faith. The fact that the dialogue and debate re Faith and Reason has been ongoing for about 2,000 years was not lost on Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II was clear that the Catholic Church has been no stranger to debate, intellectual confrontation, etc. He was clear that one of the problems that distorted scholarship, teaching, and study has been philosophical pride which Pope John Paul II warned could warp serious learning and an honest quest for honesty and truth. He expressed dismay of what could be called indifferent pluralism which can lead to distrust of knowlege. Pope John Paul II wrote what Catholic scholarship is not based on false self imposed speculation but reaches to what could be called God's Truth.

Pope John Paul II made a good case that what Catholics have known was that reason was important, but above reason was what may be termed the Great Unknown or God. In other words, philosophy and faith were not hostile to each other. What Pope John Paul II wanted readers to know was that reason, knowledge, etc. brought men closer to God. Another tenet that Pope John Paul II held was that the better men and women studied knowledge the closer they could be to God and freer of ignorance. Such a quest should be done without arrogance because more is not known than is known. As men know more, the more they realize what they do not know.

Pope John Paul II was further concerned with language and wisdom and that there was the language of wisdom and words of wisdom. Pope John Paul II commented on an incident when the Apostle Paul supposedly visited Athens, Greece and viewed a statue with an inscription about The Unknown God (Acts 17: 22-23). This was an interesting anecdote and showed that some of the early Christian Apologists were familiar with Greek Philosophy. The implication was that men can know more if only because of what they have already learned. Many of the Early Church Fathers knew they had to be learned to avoid as appearing stupid and ignorant. Otherwise, the Catholic Faith could have been historically insignificant.

Pope John Paul II used St. Justin (100-165) and St. Clement of Alexandria (d. 215 AD) as examples of early Church Fathers who were learned and yet devout Catholics. Probably the best example of a leanred man who added much to the Catholic Faith was St. Augustine (354-430) who wrote the Catholic Classic titled THE CITY OF GOD.

Pope John Paul II then examined the contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) who has "pride of place" in the Catholic Church. St. Thomas Aquinas was and is respected because he entered a dialogue with Muslim, Jewish, and Greek Orthodox scholars. As Pope John II noted, Aquinas argued that truth is where we find it even among those with whom we may disagree. Pope John Paul clearly explained that Aquinas made a good case that knowledge, reason, and learning could lead to God or truth is where God leads us.

Pope John Paul II then explained why the Catholic Church's Magisterium or teaching authroity is important. The newer concepts of pragmatism and utilitarianism undermined truth and distorted reason. Yet, Pope John Paul critisized what he termed radical traditionism because such tried to refute reason. Pope John II mentioned that Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) announced a renewal of the logic, reason, and Thomism to revive the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas and to give reason its proper place.

Basically Pope John Paul II tried to explain was that Catholic learning was more about truth than about any philosophical system. Catholic Theology needs reason and clear thinking and should be an inquiry about truth and life. Pope Paul II argued that reason and learning led to the "seat of wisdom."

This is a compact book which requires careful reading and thought. Pope John Paul could have included the work of Father Lemaitre (1894-1966)whose work in physics was admired by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) and Father Jaki (1920-2005)who did advanced work in physics. Both Fathers Lemaritre and Jaki were devout Catholics who were learned men. Those who have limited exposure to the supposed "debate" between religion and science would have a better understanding by reading this book. An excellent companion book is Father Duffy's book titled QUEEN OF THE SCIENCES:THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CATHOLIC THEOLOGY AND LIBERAL EDUCATION.

James E. Egolf

August 16, 2010

Between its Introduction ("Know Yourself) and Conclusion, this magnificent encyclical is divided into 7 chapters
1. The Revelation of God's Wisdom
2. Credo Ut Intellegam
3. Intellego Ut Credam
4. The Relationship between Faith & Reason
5. The Magisterium's Interventions in Philosophical Matters
6. The Interaction between Philosophy & Theology
7. Current Requirements & Tasks
The following excerpts merely constitute my own favorite quotes....

The Revelation of God's Wisdom
"the truth made known to us by Revelation is neither the product nor the consummation of an argument devised by human reason. It appears instead as something gratuitous, which itself stirs thought and seeks acceptance as an expression of love. This revealed truth is set within our history as an anticipation of that ultimate and definitive vision of God which is reserved for those who believe in him and seek him with a sincere heart. The ultimate purpose of personal existence, then, is the theme of philosophy and theology alike. For all their difference of method and content, both disciplines point to that `path of life' (Ps 16:11) which, as faith tells us, leads in the end to the full and lasting joy of the contemplation of the Triune God."

Credo Ut Intellegam
* "With the Revelation of God Israel could plumb the depths of all that she sought in vain to reach by way of reason. On the basis of this deeper form of knowledge, the Chosen People understood that, if reason were to be fully true to itself, then it must respect certain basic rules. The first of these is that reason must realize that human knowledge is a journey which allows no rest; the second stems from the awareness that such a path is not for the proud...; a third rule is grounded in the `fear of God'....
* "If human beings with their intelligence fail to recognize God as Creator of all, it is not because they lack the means to do so, but because their free will and their sinfulness place an impediment in the way.....
* "The preaching of Christ crucified and risen is the reef upon which the link between faith and philosophy can break up, but it is also the reef beyond which the two can set forth upon the boundless ocean of truth. Here we see not only the border between reason and faith, but also the space where the two may meet."

Intellego Ut Credam
* "In acting ethically, according to a free and rightly tuned will, the human person sets foot upon the path to happiness and moves towards perfection....
* "Hypotheses may fascinate, but they do not satisfy. Whether we admit it or not, there comes for everyone the moment when personal existence must be anchored to a truth recognized as final, a truth which confers a certitude no longer open to doubt....
* "People can even run from the truth as soon as they glimpse it because they are afraid of its demands....
* "Only the sense that they can arrive at an answer leads them to take the first step. This is what normally happens in scientific research. When scientists, following their intuition, set out in search of the logical and verifiable explanation of a phenomenon, they are confident from the first that they will find an answer, and they do not give up in the face of setbacks....
* "Human beings are not made to live alone. They are born into a family and in a family they grow, eventually entering society through their activity. From birth, therefore, they are immersed in traditions which give them not only a language and a cultural formation but also a range of truths in which they believe almost instinctively. Yet personal growth and maturity imply that these same truths can be cast into doubt and evaluated through a process of critical enquiry. It may be that, after this time of transition, these truths are `recovered' as a result of the experience of life or by dint of further reasoning. Nonetheless, there are in the life of a human being many more truths which are simply believed than truths which are acquired by way of personal verification. Who, for instance, could assess critically the countless scientific findings upon which modern life is based? Who could personally examine the flow of information which comes day after day from all parts of the world and which is generally accepted as true? Who in the end could forge anew the paths of experience and thought which have yielded the treasures of human wisdom and religion? This means that the human being--the one who seeks the truth--is also the one who lives by belief....
* "It is the nature of the human being to seek the truth. This search looks not only to the attainment of truths which are partial, empirical or scientific; nor is it only in individual acts of decision-making that people seek the true good. Their search looks towards an ulterior truth which would explain the meaning of life. And it is therefore a search which can reach its end only in reaching the absolute.(28) Thanks to the inherent capacities of thought, man is able to encounter and recognize a truth of this kind. Such a truth--vital and necessary as it is for life--is attained not only by way of reason but also through trusting acquiescence to other persons who can guarantee the authenticity and certainty of the truth itself. There is no doubt that the capacity to entrust oneself and one's life to another person and the decision to do so are among the most significant and expressive human acts. It must not be forgotten that reason too needs to be sustained in all its searching by trusting dialogue and sincere friendship....
* "From all that I have said to this point it emerges that men and women are on a journey of discovery which is humanly unstoppable--a search for the truth and a search for a person to whom they might entrust themselves. Christian faith comes to meet them, offering the concrete possibility of reaching the goal which they seek. Moving beyond the stage of simple believing, Christian faith immerses human beings in the order of grace, which enables them to share in the mystery of Christ, which in turn offers them a true and coherent knowledge of the Triune God. In Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, faith recognizes the ultimate appeal to humanity, an appeal made in order that what we experience as desire and nostalgia may come to its fulfilment....
* "It is the one and the same God who establishes and guarantees the intelligibility and reasonableness of the natural order of things upon which scientists confidently depend,(29) and who reveals himself as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"

The Relationship between Faith & Reason
* "One of the major concerns of classical philosophy was to purify human notions of God of mythological elements....it was the task of the fathers of philosophy to bring to light the link between reason and religion. As they broadened their view to include universal principles, they no longer rested content with the ancient myths, but wanted to provide a rational foundation for their belief in the divinity....
* "In tracing Christianity's adoption of philosophy, one should not forget how cautiously Christians regarded other elements of the cultural world of paganism, one example of which is gnosticism. It was easy to confuse philosophy--understood as practical wisdom and an education for life--with a higher and esoteric kind of knowledge, reserved to those few who were perfect.....
* "The Bishop of Hippo succeeded in producing the first great synthesis of philosophy and theology, embracing currents of thought both Greek and Latin....
* "the Fathers of East and West....were not naive thinkers....It is...minimalizing and mistaken to restrict their work simply to the transposition of the truths of faith into philosophical categories. They did much more.... Purified and rightly tuned..., reason could rise to the higher planes of thought, providing a solid foundation for the perception of being, of the transcendent and of the absolute....They fully welcomed reason which was open to the absolute, and they infused it with the richness drawn from Revelation....Recognition of the points of convergence did not blind them to the points of divergence.....
* "Saint Anselm underscores the fact that the intellect must seek that which it loves: the more it loves, the more it desires to know....
* "A quite special place in this long development belongs to Saint Thomas, not only because of what he taught but also because of the dialogue which he undertook with the Arab and Jewish thought of his time. In an age when Christian thinkers were rediscovering the treasures of ancient philosophy, and more particularly of Aristotle, Thomas had the great merit of giving pride of place to the harmony which exists between faith and reason. Both the light of reason and the light of faith come from God, he argued; hence there can be no contradiction between them.... Just as grace builds on nature & brings it to fulfilment,(45) so faith builds upon & perfects reason....Although he made much of the supernatural character of faith, the Angelic Doctor did not overlook the importance of its reasonableness....
* "In the field of scientific research, a positivistic mentality took hold which not only abandoned the Christian vision of the world, but more especially rejected every appeal to a metaphysical or moral vision. It follows that certain scientists, lacking any ethical point of reference, are in danger of putting at the centre of their concerns something other than the human person and the entirety of the person's life. Further still, some of these, sensing the opportunities of technological progress, seem to succumb not only to a market-based logic, but also to the temptation of a quasi-divine power over nature and even over the human being. As a result of the crisis of rationalism, what has appeared finally is nihilism. As a philosophy of nothingness, it has a certain attraction for people of our time. Its adherents claim that the search is an end in itself, without any hope or possibility of ever attaining the goal of truth....Nihilism is at the root of the widespread mentality which claims that a definitive commitment should no longer be made, because everything is fleeting and provisional.....
* "Deprived of reason, faith has stressed feeling and experience, and so run the risk of no longer being a universal proposition. It is an illusion to think that faith, tied to weak reasoning, might be more penetrating; on the contrary, faith then runs the grave risk of withering into myth or superstition. By the same token, reason which is unrelated to an adult faith is not prompted to turn its gaze to the newness and radicality of being. This is why I make this strong and insistent appeal--not, I trust, untimely--that faith and philosophy recover the profound unity which allows them to stand in harmony with their nature without compromising their mutual autonomy. The parrhesia of faith must be matched by the boldness of reason."

The Magisterium's Interventions in Philosophical Matters
* "It is not only in recent times that the Magisterium of the Church has intervened to make its mind known with regard to particular philosophical teachings. It is enough to recall, by way of example, the pronouncements made through the centuries concerning theories which argued in favour of the pre-existence of the soul,(56) or concerning the different forms of idolatry and esoteric superstition found in astrological speculations,(57) without forgetting the more systematic pronouncements against certain claims of Latin Averroism which were incompatible with the Christian faith.(58) If the Magisterium has spoken out more frequently since the middle of the last century, it is because in that period not a few Catholics felt it their duty to counter various streams of modern thought with a philosophy of their own. At this point, the Magisterium of the Church was obliged to be vigilant lest these philosophies developed in ways which were themselves erroneous and negative. The censures were delivered even-handedly: on the one hand, fideism (59) and radical traditionalism,(60) for their distrust of reason's natural capacities, and, on the other, rationalism (61) and ontologism (62) because they attributed to natural reason a knowledge which only the light of faith could confer. The positive elements of this debate were assembled in the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius, in which for the first time an Ecumenical Council--in this case, the First Vatican Council--pronounced solemnly on the relationship between reason and faith. The teaching contained in this document strongly and positively marked the philosophical research of many believers and remains today a standard reference-point for correct and coherent Christian thinking in this regard....
* "The Magisterium's pronouncements have been concerned less with individual philosophical theses than with the need for rational and hence ultimately philosophical knowledge for the understanding of faith. In synthesizing and solemnly reaffirming the teachings constantly proposed to the faithful by the ordinary Papal Magisterium, the First Vatican Council showed how inseparable and at the same time how distinct were faith and reason, Revelation and natural knowledge of God. The Council began with the basic criterion, presupposed by Revelation itself, of the natural knowability of the existence of God, the beginning and end of all things,(63) and concluded with the solemn assertion quoted earlier: `There are two orders of knowledge, distinct not only in their point of departure, but also in their object'.(64) Against all forms of rationalism, then, there was a need to affirm the distinction between the mysteries of faith and the findings of philosophy, and the transcendence and precedence of the mysteries of faith over the findings of philosophy. Against the temptations of fideism, however, it was necessary to stress the unity of truth and thus the positive contribution which rational knowledge can and must make to faith's knowledge: `Even if faith is superior to reason there can never be a true divergence between faith and reason, since the same God who reveals the mysteries and bestows the gift of faith has also placed in the human spirit the light of reason. This God could not deny himself, nor could the truth ever contradict the truth'.(65)...
* "In our own century too the Magisterium has revisited the theme on a number of occasions, warning against the lure of rationalism. Here the pronouncements of Pope Saint Pius X are pertinent, stressing as they did that at the basis of Modernism were philosophical claims which were phenomenist, agnostic and immanentist.(66) Nor can the importance of the Catholic rejection of Marxist philosophy and atheistic Communism be forgotten.(67) Later, in his Encyclical Letter Humani Generis, Pope Pius XII warned against mistaken interpretations linked to evolutionism, existentialism and historicism. He made it clear that these theories had not been proposed and developed by theologians, but had their origins `outside the sheepfold of Christ'.(68) He added, however, that errors of this kind should not simply be rejected but should be examined critically: `Catholic theologians and philosophers, whose grave duty it is to defend natural and supernatural truth and instill it in human hearts, cannot afford to ignore these more or less erroneous opinions. Rather they must come to understand these theories well, not only because diseases are properly treated only if rightly diagnosed and because even in these false theories some truth is found at times, but because in the end these theories provoke a more discriminating discussion and evaluation of philosophical and theological truths'.(69) In accomplishing its specific task in service of the Roman Pontiff's universal Magisterium,(70) the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has more recently had to intervene to re-emphasize the danger of an uncritical adoption by some liberation theologians of opinions and methods drawn from Marxism.(71) In the past, then, the Magisterium has on different occasions and in different ways offered its discernment in philosophical matters. My revered Predecessors have thus made an invaluable contribution which must not be forgotten....
* "Surveying the situation today, we see that the problems of other times have returned, but in a new key. It is no longer a matter of questions of interest only to certain individuals and groups, but convictions so widespread that they have become to some extent the common mind. An example of this is the deep-seated distrust of reason which has surfaced in the most recent developments of much of philosophical research....In theology too the temptations of other times have reappeared. In some contemporary theologies, for instance, a certain rationalism is gaining ground, especially when opinions thought to be philosophically well founded are taken as normative for theological research. This happens particularly when theologians, through lack of philosophical competence, allow themselves to be swayed uncritically by assertions which have become part of current parlance and culture but which are poorly grounded in reason.(72) There are also signs of a resurgence of fideism, which fails to recognize the importance of rational knowledge and philosophical discourse for the understanding of faith, indeed for the very possibility of belief in God. One currently widespread symptom of this fideistic tendency is a `biblicism' which tends to make the reading and exegesis of Sacred Scripture the sole criterion of truth. In consequence, the word of God is identified with Sacred Scripture alone, thus eliminating the doctrine of the Church which the Second Vatican Council stressed quite specifically....Scripture...is not the Church's sole point of reference. The `supreme rule of her faith' (75) derives from the unity which the Spirit has created between Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church in a reciprocity which means that none of the three can survive without the others.(76) Moreover, one should not underestimate the danger inherent in seeking to derive the truth of Sacred Scripture from the use of one method alone, ignoring the need for a more comprehensive exegesis which enables the exegete, together with the whole Church, to arrive at the full sense of the texts....Other modes of latent fideism appear in the scant consideration accorded to speculative theology, and in disdain for the classical philosophy from which the terms of both the understanding of faith and the actual formulation of dogma have been drawn....
* "In brief, there are signs of a widespread distrust of universal and absolute statements, especially among those who think that truth is born of consensus and not of a consonance between intellect and objective reality. In a world subdivided into so many specialized fields, it is not hard to see how difficult it can be to acknowledge the full and ultimate meaning of life which has traditionally been the goal of philosophy. Nonetheless, in the light of faith which finds in Jesus Christ this ultimate meaning, I cannot but encourage philosophers--be they Christian or not--to trust in the power of human reason and not to set themselves goals that are too modest in their philosophizing. The lesson of history in this millennium now drawing to a close shows that this is the path to follow: it is necessary not to abandon the passion for ultimate truth, the eagerness to search for it or the audacity to forge new paths in the search. It is faith which stirs reason to move beyond all isolation and willingly to run risks so that it may attain whatever is beautiful, good and true. Faith thus becomes the convinced and convincing advocate of reason.....
* "The Second Vatican Council, for its part, offers a rich and fruitful teaching concerning philosophy. I cannot fail to note, especially in the context of this Encyclical Letter, that one chapter of the Constitution Gaudium et Spes amounts to a virtual compendium of the biblical anthropology from which philosophy too can draw inspiration. The chapter deals with the value of the human person created in the image of God, explains the dignity and superiority of the human being over the rest of creation, and declares the transcendent capacity of human reason.(80) The problem of atheism is also dealt with in Gaudium et Spes, and the flaws of its philosophical vision are identified, especially in relation to the dignity and freedom of the human person.(81) There is no doubt that the climactic section of the chapter is profoundly significant for philosophy; and it was this which I took up in my first Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis and which serves as one of the constant reference-points of my teaching: `The truth is that only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a type of him who was to come, Christ the Lord. Christ, the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his love, fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling'.(82)....
* "If it has been necessary from time to time to intervene on this question, to reiterate the value of the Angelic Doctor's insights and insist on the study of his thought, this has been because the Magisterium's directives have not always been followed with the readiness one would wish. In the years after the Second Vatican Council, many Catholic faculties were in some ways impoverished by a diminished sense of the importance of the study not just of Scholastic philosophy but more generally of the study of philosophy itself. I cannot fail to note with surprise and displeasure that this lack of interest in the study of philosophy is shared by not a few theologians ....
* "I wish to repeat clearly that the study of philosophy is fundamental and indispensable to the structure of theological studies and to the formation of candidates for the priesthood"

The Interaction between Philosophy & Theology
* "The word of God is addressed to all people, in every age and in every part of the world; and the human being is by nature a philosopher.....
* "Moral theology has perhaps an even greater need of philosophy's contribution. In the New Testament, human life is much less governed by prescriptions than in the Old Testament. Life in the Spirit leads believers to a freedom and responsibility which surpass the Law. Yet the Gospel and the Apostolic writings still set forth both general principles of Christian conduct and specific teachings and precepts. In order to apply these to the particular circumstances of individual and communal life, Christians must be able fully to engage their conscience and the power of their reason. In other words, moral theology requires a sound philosophical vision of human nature and society, as well as of the general principles of ethical decision-making....
* Reference to the sciences is often helpful, allowing as it does a more thorough knowledge of the subject under study; but it should not mean the rejection of a typically philosophical and critical thinking which is concerned with the universal. Indeed, this kind of thinking is required for a fruitful exchange between cultures. What I wish to emphasize is the duty to go beyond the particular and concrete, lest the prime task of demonstrating the universality of faith's content be abandoned. Nor should it be forgotten that the specific contribution of philosophical enquiry enables us to discern in different world-views and different cultures `not what people think but what the objective truth is'.(93) It is not an array of human opinions but truth alone which can be of help to theology.....
* "The fruitfulness of this relationship is confirmed by the experience of great Christian theologians who also distinguished themselves as great philosophers, bequeathing to us writings of such high speculative value as to warrant comparison with the masters of ancient philosophy. This is true of both the Fathers of the Church, among whom at least Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Augustine should be mentioned, and the Medieval Doctors with the great triad of Saint Anselm, Saint Bonaventure and Saint Thomas Aquinas. We see the same fruitful relationship between philosophy and the word of God in the courageous research pursued by more recent thinkers, among whom I gladly mention, in a Western context, figures such as John Henry Newman, Antonio Rosmini, Jacques Maritain, Étienne Gilson and Edith Stein and, in an Eastern context, eminent scholars such as Vladimir S. Soloviev, Pavel A. Florensky, Petr Chaadaev and Vladimir N. Lossky. Obviously other names could be cited; and in referring to these I intend not to endorse every aspect of their thought, but simply to offer significant examples of a process of philosophical enquiry which was enriched by engaging the data of faith....
* "It was not by accident that the Fathers of the Church and the Medieval theologians adopted non-Christian philosophies....It is again the Fathers who teach us this: `To believe is nothing other than to think with assent... Believers are also thinkers: in believing, they think and in thinking, they believe... If faith does not think, it is nothing'.(95) And again: `If there is no assent, there is no faith, for without assent one does not really believe'.(96)"

Current Requirements & Tasks
* "Another threat to be reckoned with is scientism. This is the philosophical notion which refuses to admit the validity of forms of knowledge other than those of the positive sciences; and it relegates religious, theological, ethical and aesthetic knowledge to the realm of mere fantasy. In the past, the same idea emerged in positivism and neo-positivism, which considered metaphysical statements to be meaningless. Critical epistemology has discredited such a claim, but now we see it revived in the new guise of scientism, which dismisses values as mere products of the emotions and rejects the notion of being in order to clear the way for pure and simple facticity. Science would thus be poised to dominate all aspects of human life through technological progress. The undeniable triumphs of scientific research and contemporary technology have helped to propagate a scientistic outlook, which now seems boundless, given its inroads into different cultures and the radical changes it has brought. Regrettably, it must be noted, scientism consigns all that has to do with the question of the meaning of life to the realm of the irrational or imaginary. No less disappointing is the way in which it approaches the other great problems of philosophy which, if they are not ignored, are subjected to analyses based on superficial analogies, lacking all rational foundation. This leads to the impoverishment of human thought, which no longer addresses the ultimate problems which the human being, as the animal rationale, has pondered constantly from the beginning of time. And since it leaves no space for the critique offered by ethical judgement, the scientistic mentality has succeeded in leading many to think that if something is technically possible it is therefore morally admissible....
* "These considerations apply equally to moral theology. It is no less urgent that philosophy be recovered at the point where the understanding of faith is linked to the moral life of believers. Faced with contemporary challenges in the social, economic, political and scientific fields, the ethical conscience of people is disoriented. In the Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, I wrote that many of the problems of the contemporary world stem from a crisis of truth....Throughout the Encyclical I underscored clearly the fundamental role of truth in the moral field. In the case of the more pressing ethical problems, this truth demands of moral theology a careful enquiry rooted unambiguously in the word of God. In order to fulfil its mission, moral theology must turn to a philosophical ethics which looks to the truth of the good, to an ethics which is neither subjectivist nor utilitarian. Such an ethics implies and presupposes a philosophical anthropology and a metaphysics of the good. Drawing on this organic vision, linked necessarily to Christian holiness and to the practice of the human and supernatural virtues, moral theology will be able to tackle the various problems in its competence, such as peace, social justice, the family, the defence of life and the natural environment, in a more appropriate and effective way."

Conclusion
* "More than a hundred years after the appearance of Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Ęterni Patris, to which I have often referred in these pages, I have sensed the need to revisit in a more systematic way the issue of the relationship between faith and philosophy....I have judged it appropriate and necessary to emphasize the value of philosophy for the understanding of the faith, as well as the limits which philosophy faces when it neglects or rejects the truths of Revelation. The Church remains profoundly convinced that faith and reason `mutually support each other'; (122) each influences the other, as they offer to each other a purifying critique and a stimulus to pursue the search for deeper understanding....
* Insisting on the importance and true range of philosophical thought, the Church promotes both the defence of human dignity and the proclamation of the Gospel message. There is today no more urgent preparation for the performance of these tasks than this: to lead people to discover both their capacity to know the truth (124) and their yearning for the ultimate and definitive meaning of life. In the light of these profound needs, inscribed by God in human nature, the human and humanizing meaning of God's word also emerges more clearly. Through the mediation of a philosophy which is also true wisdom, people today will come to realize that their humanity is all the more affirmed the more they entrust themselves to the Gospel and open themselves to Christ."

Pope John Paul II's encyclical letter Fides et Ratio (1998) aims to, as the title suggests, study the relationship between faith and reason. More specifically, the Pope works to defend and reinforce the Roman Catholic Church's dependence upon philosophy and, more particularly, the Greco-Roman philosophy that so influenced the Christian faith in its early centuries. The Pope shows how philosophy and theology are interrelated and laments the decreasing influence held by philosophy in our time. He encourages both philosophers and theologians to confidently advance philosophy in the marketplace of ideas as offering solutions to life's most important issues in ways that the sciences and other disciplines can never reach.

This encyclical is set against the backdrop of Western modernism and postmodernism. (Eastern worldviews are given comparatively minor attention.) The Pope desires to counteract the lingering effects of the typical modernistic trust in humanity apart from God's revelation and faith. He also decries the weight postmodernism gives to uncertainty and strongly defends absolute truth. The philosophy that the Pope commends is one grounded in the Christian faith and that offers absolute truth to humanity.

This lengthy letter has mixed audiences in mind, despite the fact that it is expressly addressed to Roman Catholic bishops. The first four chapters, detailing the relationship between faith and reason, seem written for a general audience, both Christian and non-Christian. Chapters 5 through 7 seem more authored with the bishops in mind, but with the aforementioned general audience as a secondary readership. It will almost certainly prove a difficult read at many points for those not well versed in Roman Catholic theology and philosophy. Christians from other traditions (such as myself) particularly should be careful not to read theological understandings from their faith backgrounds in interpreting this encyclical -- it is thoroughly Roman Catholic in ways that may be unfamiliar to other Christians. It is also essential more times than not to read any given point in the context of the entire document in order to get a right understanding of what the Pope is saying.

Perhaps the main benefit of the work is that it gets you to think about the relationship between philosophy and theology, which proved critical in relation to the great controversies in the early centuries (though those controversies are not discussed). The Pope's arguments also refreshingly point to conciliatory relations between the Christian faith and philosophy (and, by extension, other disciplines) while still not compromising the substance of the faith. Indeed, one of the amazing things about this letter is how the Pope expects philosophy and other disciplines to embrace Christian truth in order to reach their highest potential.

While this work is far more accessible to Roman Catholics than to others, it will prove quite worthwhile to most readers who take the time to carefully track the arguments. When you review the work and look at the details in light of the whole, you can see that Pope John Paul II elucidates a complex but unified line of thought within Fides et Ratio that has many important things to say about not only the Roman Catholic Church, but Christianity as a whole and, indeed, the world around us.

This edition is economical but well done. The encyclical is a great example of John Paul II's thought: penetrating, faithful, yet worldly. It is the work of a man of deep and wide learning. I really enjoy it.

It is not light reading, but it is accessible to the non-specoialist, like me.

About a year ago, a Jesuit priest delivered a sermon on EWTN that denigrated philosophy, saying it was a ladder up which the mind climbed only to find nothing at the top. A longtime lover of philosophy, I sent EWTN an email in rebuttal but was told that this priest was not accepting any communications because of "the high-profile nature of his position." This pretty much sums up conservative Catholic opinion about modern philosophy, that it a futile dive into relativism and results in nothing but blasphemy.
Upon the beatification of John Paul II, I decided to paint his portrait and, in so doing, got inspired to look into his writings. I didn't expect to find anything profound, since he was said to be the Apostle of Conservatism, but the title of this Encyclical caught my eye. I started to read it online, and then decided to buy a copy. I was surprised to see that he actually criticized fideism, the view that theology should depend solely on faith and revelation.
Fideism is especially strong today in light of the demise of metaphysics and the lack of trust in reason and philosophy to resolve the radical question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" But this question, so profoundly brought to light by Martin Heidegger (whom John Paul II does not recognize, but Benedict XVI does), is undeniable and unshakeable. It is not an evil desire that results from the Fall, but a gift from God that leads us toward faith and the conquest of despair.
Of significant interest is the claim that the Catholic Church does not espouse any particular philosophy or philosopher, yet St. Thomas Aquinas looms large in any philosophical stance the Magisterium takes. This is ironic in light of the fact that the medieval philosophers were as opposed to one another as Aristotle and Plato, realist and idealist. Though taught in Catholic colleges, this philosophical war is not promoted by the Church primarily because, if one digs deep into the writings of Aquinas, Augustine, and Bonaventure, one will find statements that refute the idea that human life begins at conception, i.e., God would never infuse a human soul into a thing that looks like a pollywog. Their concepts of the human soul differed greatly, which led to the inevitable Cartesian discourse on method, the Kantian critique of pure reason, and the Husserlian bracketing of phenomena.
Apologetic and officious, this Encyclical gives marching orders to Catholic bishops to promote soul-searching philosophy, as if it were at a standstill. It ignores the works of Emmanuel Levinas, Teilhard de Chardin, Jacques Derrida, and Jean-Luc Marion. Great philosophers are not molded, and neither are they born again. They just happen. This Encyclical gives Christian philosophers room to think without following the Summa Theologica. After all, Aquinas abandoned it also.

This book reflects the depth of Pope John Paul's scholarship. It should be read by all those interested in philosophy and theology, whether they are Roman Catholic or not.

This is an interesting essay on the relationship between philosophy and theology. The essayist, Pope John Paul II, viewed each discipline as legitimate in its own sphere and as mutually reinforcing in combination. Philosophy, according to the Pope, lends conceptual precision to theology and enables theology to speak in a universal voice; theology, for its part, provides philosophy with a problem set and explains its ultimate meaning. Since truth is unitary and derived from God, philosophy and theology can never come into conflict.

This last statement will seem pretty outrageous to anyone acquainted with Western philosophy, especially as the field developed after 1600. It would be even tougher to reconcile Christian revelation with Buddhist philosophy, with its denial of unchanging essences. Perhaps it's telling that the Pope simply asserts (repeatedly) that faith and reason form a harmonious whole. Since he never tries to demonstrate the truth of this assertion (how could he?), his essay will seem unconvincing to anyone not already a committed Christian.

However, the Pope did offer many valuable observations on man's orientation towards truth, on the human need for metaphysics, and on the historical relationship between Catholic theology and philosophy. He also has some nice pointed remarks about fundamentalism and attempts to identify Christianity with particular cultures. As always, the Pope was more interesting than religious conservatives would like to admit.