Fides et Ratio

Faith and Reason

Fides et Ratio is an encyclical letter written by St. John Paul II on the 14th of September 1998. Pope John Paul II is known for his great works such as the theology of the body and of course Fides et Ratio.  The encyclical Fides et Ratio is concerned with the use of faith and reason and is addressed to the bishops of the Catholic Church. 

“Faith and Reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed iii the human heart a desire to know the truth in a word, to know himself so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” 

Faith and reason are extremely important in understanding the human condition. We live in a world that is plagued with flawed philosophy and the world where reason is based on emotions. Since man naturally philosophies, he is then driven to find truth, scripture tells us, …” the truth shall set you free.” Which is why man is constantly trying to find this truth, and since we know God to be truth, we must continue to move towards Him to obtain this truth. 

For this reason, Pope John Paul II attempts to guide us in this modernist society where materialism and material idolatry has taken over man. “The more human beings know reality and the world, the more they know themselves in their uniqueness…” Some if not all have fallen victim to the understanding that faith and reason are incompatible, that those who believe in God are not able to think logically or even worse use reason. 

“Faith intervenes not to abolish reason’s autonomy nor to reduce its scope for action, but solely to bring the human being to understand that in these events it is the God of Israel who acts.” It is then made clear when we look at where our society is, and how it has gotten there. The Church has then been persecuted for its inability to move through time and conform to it. Keeping science in the middle ages and not allowing any sufficient scientific advancements. We now know this to be false, we know that most of the greatest discoveries made by mankind were made at the hands of Catholics. 

The Church then attempts to reconcile the separation of faith and reason, calling for the use of not only natural philosophy, which is that which we can only perceive but to also use revelation in our search for wisdom and knowledge. “ The truth of Christian Revelation is found in Jesus of Nazareth, enables all men and women to embrace the “mystery” of their life.” 

Thomas Forstheoefel in his journal asked the questions, “How free are we to create new paradigms, models, and metaphors to respond to questions that are basic to our humanity and our vocation? What does it mean to be human? Who is Jesus for us, especially in light of non-Christian wisdom?” Furthermore, how do we answer these questions with our limited knowledge of the world and creation?

It would then be easier to remain at a surface level, to see the world from an empirical perspective. In doing so, the world might seem like an easier place to understand. But empiricism falls short in understanding all of the reality. Meaning that it can only observe the physical world, and theorize on what assumption is made from it. So in reality scientism makes the error to assume, that everything relies on theories because theories are nothing more than faith in something that can hypothetically be proven, but has yet to. 

“Wisdom knows all and understand all.” [wis 9:11] Pope John Paul II brings the point up about how the book of wisdom gives us cues on how wisdom and faith are ever intertwined. He goes on to explain how there is no reason for competition between faith and reason, but that they should work together so that man can reach his full potential. 

Finally, Pope John Paul II concludes by reiterating the importance of both faith and reason, saying the reason is built upon philosophical thought. “Philosophical thought is often the only ground for understanding the dialogue with those who do not share our faith.”[FR]148 Which leads to ecumenism and the interpretation of what ecumenism means. Michael Torre wrote an article about the reflections of thinking within a tradition. This is extremely important because it assures that we will not fall into error by attempting to make connections which do not exist or that cannot exist. He said, “One of the most common features of many, diverse, schools of contemporary philosophy is the common insistence that we think within a certain context. Thinkers are rightly opposed to the notion that we think in a vacuum, in some "abstract space" or from "God's point of view." We are creatures of time and place, language, and culture; we always think from and within that context. This, it seems, is quite true and virtually beyond dispute.”

Moreover, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World spoke about the importance of this dialogue, which cannot take place without the philosophical aspect of faith. “For our part, the desire for such dialogue, undertaken solely out of love for the truth and with all due prudence, excludes no one, neither those who cultivate the values of the human spirit while not yet acknowledging their source, nor those who are hostile to the Church and persecuted her in various ways.”  

In conclusion, faith and reason come together to bring the fullness of truth to man, understanding that uses all of creation and revelation, that which cannot be accomplished without the two. 

1. Paul, John. Encyclical Letter, Fides Et Ratio, of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II: To the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Relationship between Faith and Reason. Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1998. Print.

Forsthoefel, Thomas A. "FIDES ET RATIO AND THE FUTURE OF COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY." Journal of Ecumenical Studies 39.3/4 (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 25 July 2016.

Torre, Michael. "FIDES ET RATIO AND THE UNIVERSITY: REFLECTIONS ON THINKING WITHIN A TRADITION." Dialogue & Universalism 9.7/8 (1999): n. pag. Print