Fides et Ratio

INTRODUCTION: KNOW YOURSELF

• Man's questions [1]
• The Church accompanies man in seeking answers [2]
• Philosophy, one of the instruments in this search; connatural to man [3]
• Philosophy starts when man wonders, seeks universal principles [4]
• The Church sees Philosophy as an indispensable instrument; but it should seek Truth [5]
• Church reaffirms need to reflect upon Truth [6]

I. THE REVELATION OF GOD'S WISDOM

Jesus, Revealer of the Father

• The Church bears the message from God (Deposit of Faith) [7]
• There is a knowledge proper to Faith surpassing human reason [8]
• Truth of Philosophy and Truth of Revelation neither identical nor mutually exclusive [9]
• Christ reveals the Father [10]
• Revelation carried out in time [11]
• God becomes flesh and joins man [12]

Reason in the Face of the Mystery

• Still, Revelation is a mystery and therefore requires the obedience of Faith [13]
• Revelation stimulates the human mind [14]
• The theme of both Philosophy and Theology: the ultimate end of human existence [15]

II. CREDO UT INTELLEGAM--BELIEVING IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND

"Wisdom Knows All and Understands All" (Wis 9:11)

• Sacred Scripture shows intimate relation between Faith and reason [16]
• No reason for competition of any kind between reason and Faith [17]
• Three rules: a never-ending journey; the need for humility; grounded in fear of God [18]
• God reveals himself in nature [19]
• Reason, with Faith in the background [20]

"Acquire Wisdom, Acquire Understanding" (Prov 4:5)

• In the Old Testament: people search for what is Beautiful, Good and True [21]
• St Paul in the Epistle to the Romans confirms the possibility of knowing God with reason [22]
• Epistle to the Corinthians: the Cross can make or break the link between Faith and Philosophy [23]

III. INTELLEGO UT CREDAM--UNDERSTANDING IN ORDER TO BELIEVE

Journeying in Search of Truth

• Acts of the Apostles: men have a natural nostalgia for God [24]
• Every human being desires to know [25]
• Beginning with the meaning of life and of death [26]
• This applies to every man and woman of all places and times [27]

The Different Faces of Human Truth

• Results of this search; attitudes vis-a-vis Truth [28]
• The question implies the hope of an answer [29]
• The three levels or modes of Truth [30]
• Man lives by belief [31]
• Examples of belief [32]
• Man seeks an ulterior Truth, an Absolute Truth, assisted by the Christian faith [33]
• There can be no contradiction between Faith and Philosophy [34]
• Exploring the relationship between Philosophy and Faith [35]

IV. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND REASON

Important Moments in the Encounter of Faith and Reason

• From the beginnings of the Church [36]
• Gnosticism--Philosophy for a few [37]
• Priority of proclaiming the Faith in the early Church [38]
• Critical adoption of Philosophy [39]
• The first great synthesis of Philosophy and Theology by St Augustine [40]
• The Fathers purified and elevated Philosophy [41]
• St Anselm and Scholastic Theology [42]

The Enduring Originality of the Thought of St Thomas Aquinas

• St Thomas highlighted the harmony between Faith and reason [43]
• St Thomas spoke of the wisdom from the Holy Spirit, theological wisdom, and philosophical wisdom [44]

The Drama of the Separation of Faith and Reason

• The gradual separation of reason from Faith [45]
• Idealism; atheistic humanism; positivism; rationalism; nihilism [46]
• Abandonment of the search for Truth and turning towards subjective certainty or towards utility [47]
• Some good insights have arisen with the bad, but it is important to recover the unity between Faith and Philosophy [48]

V. THE MAGISTERIUM'S INTERVENTIONS IN PHILOSOPHICAL MATTERS

The Magisterium's Discernments as Diakonia of the Truth

• Philosophy has its own autonomy; reason is open to truth, including revealed Truth [49]
• The Magisterium examines elements which are consistent with the Truth [50]
• Church intervenes to stimulate philosophical enquiry lest it stray from the path to the Truth [51]
• The Church has spoken out in times past [52]
• Vatican Council I showed both the unity and the distinction between Faith and reason [53]
• Pope St Pius X, Pope Pius XII, and recently the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith [54]
• Present dangers: distrust of reason in Philosophy; rationalism in Theology; fideism and "biblicism" [55]
• Encouragement to trust in human reason and to bring it beyond isolation [56]

The Church's Interest in Philosophy

• Pope Leo XIIIs Aeterni Patris [57]
• Positive results of the papal encouragement to study St Thomas [58]
• Developments in Catholic philosophy other than Thomism [59]
• Vatican Council II [60]
• Factors contributing to the decline of the study of Thomism and Philosophy in general [61]
• Study of Philosophy is fundamental and indispensable for theological studies and formation of candidates for priesthood [62]
• Stating principles in criteria to restore harmony [63]

VI. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY

The Knowledge of Faith and the Demands of Philosophical Reason

• Human being by nature is a philosopher; Theology must relate to this fact [64]
• Philosophy prepares for a correct auditus fidei [65]
• Philosophy helps us for a correct intellectus fidei [66]
• The task of Fundamental Theology [67]
• Moral Theology also needs the contribution of Philosophy [68]
• The use of the particular sciences should not lead to the rejection of Philosophy [69]
• Unification from different cultures made possible by the Faith [70]
• Cultures and Revelation [71]
• The cultures of the East [72]
• The Word of God--starting point--and understanding of the Word [73]
• Proven by great Christian theologians who were also great philosophers [74]

Different Stances of Philosophy

• Philosophy independent of Revelation [75]
• Christian Philosophy--meaning, objective and subjective aspects [76]
• Ancilla Theologiae--Handmaid of Theology [77]
• Magisterium's insistence on St Thomas [78]
• The last part: what the Word of God requires of reason [79]

VII. CURRENT REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS

The Indispensable Requirements of the Word of God

• Sacred Scripture and the Incarnate Word of God bring Philosophy to its limits [80]
• The "crisis of meaning" [81]
• Hence an objective, not relativist, Philosophy is needed [82]
• Need for a metaphysical, transcendent Philosophy [83]
• Metaphysics even more important in hermeneutics and analysis of language [84]
• Towards a unified and organic vision of knowledge [85]
• Eclecticisn [86]
• Historicism [87]
• Scientism [88]
• Pragmatism [89]
• Nihilism [90]
• "Postmodernity" [91]

Current Tasks for Theology

• Two-fold task of Theology: renewing specific methods and looking to ultimate Truth [92]
• The chief purpose of Theology [93]
• Relationship between meaning and truth [94]
• Truth not confined to time and culture [95]
• Enduring validity of conceptual language in Conciliar definitions [96]
• Turning back to the Philosophy of Being [97]
• Truth is also of importance in Moral Theology [98]
• Proclamation of Faith and catechesis [99]

CONCLUSION

• Revisiting the issue of Faith and Philosophy [100]
• Recovering the relationship [101]
• Leading people to discover capacity to know the truth and their yearning for the ultimate and definitive meaning of life [102]
• Philosophy and the new evangelization [103]
• Philosophy as common ground and starting point for dialogue with non-believers [104]
• Encouraging theologians to pay attention to philosophical implications of the Word of God; philosophical preparation of candidates for the priesthood [105]
• Appeal to philosophers and scientists [106]
• Looking more deeply at man [107]
• Holy Mary, Seat of Wisdom [108]

For queries and comments, please e-mail jmomandia at gmail dot com.