How might reason inform faith?
Definition of reason- Reason is a mental faculty (or ability) found in humans, that is able to generate conclusions from assumptions or premises. In other words, it is amongst other things the means by which rational beings propose specific reasons, or explanations of cause and effect. In contrast to reason as an abstract noun, a reason is a consideration which explains or justifies.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reason
Definition of philosophy- Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy
How does our thinking help/or not help in justifying our faith?
Can faith and reason work hand in hand? (Medieval synthesis)
Justin Martyr tried to explain Christianity using a reasonable argument not just faith.
“I found this (Christian faith) philosophy alone to be safe and profitable. Thus, and for this reason, I am a philosopher” Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, 8
Some people struggle to accept faith and reason together in Christianity, there’s the famous quote that goes “why do you need proof when the good Lord fills your heart with faith?” but Christians and non-Christians alike have the ability to question certain things in Christianity and faith can not answer all the questions, neither can reason but with I believe reason helps for a stronger faith
Aquinas taught and I paraphrase that by being able to think about things and question things we can know that God exists and is one but also faith is essential for such things as the holy trinity, Christ incarnation and life after death.
But there is the counter argument by Tertullian that “unaided philosophical enquiry, indeed almost any philosophical enquiry, is the source of error and heresy” and Calvin agrees with him and so do some theologians, they would argue that sometimes reason trumps faith and you must use intellectual questions to win people over to Christianity but if one believes that then you dismiss the most essential characteristic about the Christian faith which is that it is freely available to all, scholar or not, rich or poor, literate or illiterate. It is a “gift to the simple in heart”
I more or less agree that reason and faith go together; I think they have to go together. In the bible Jesus talks about blind faith- “Faith without seeing” when he rebukes “doubting Thomas” one of his disciples but when he was alive, the disciples asked him questions, they wanted answers, they wanted to know more who Jesus was and why he had come. God gave us the ability to reason for ourselves, he gave man free will so we could make our own decision.
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