Through a Glass Darkly - How Certain is Faith? | Prof. Matthew Ramage
Dec 10, 2019
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Prof. Matthew Ramage discusses faith through the lens of Thomas Aquinas and Pope Benedict XVI, exploring doubt, trust, and the experiential nature of belief. He highlights the role of faith in personal experiences, including marriage and suffering, and emphasizes the value of embracing suffering and finding inspiration in ordinary saints.
Faith offers certainty above human intellect, grounded in trustworthiness of divine authority.
True understanding of faith arises from lived experience, emphasizing transformative love and personal engagement.
Deep dives
Understanding the Certitude of Faith Through Aquinas and Benedict XVI
Faith is examined through the insights of Thomas Aquinas and Benedict XVI, focusing on the surety it provides in religious beliefs. Aquinas defines faith as an activity of the intellect accepting divine truths through the will moved by God's grace. He distinguishes faith's certitude from scientific or intellectual knowledge, highlighting that faith is above human intellect but ultimately more certain. Aquinas's Aristotelian analogy and emphasis on God's role in faith underscore the absolute certainty faith can offer.
Navigating Doubt and Faith in Thomas Aquinas's Perspective
Aquinas acknowledges the presence of doubt in faith, suggesting that while doubt may momentarily arise, faith remains unwavering in its trust in divine authority. He differentiates doubt from full-fledged uncertainty, noting that faith ultimately relies on the trustworthiness of God. Aquinas's understanding accommodates moments of questioning or seeking clarity within faith, seeing them as opportunities for deeper understanding and unwavering commitment.
Benedict XVI's Emphasis on Faith as Existential Trust
Benedict XVI offers a different approach to faith, emphasizing it as an existential commitment beyond intellectual acceptance. He views belief as entrusting oneself to a reality beyond personal creation, compelling believers to build their lives on this foundation. Benedict explores doubt not as a hindrance but as a precipice for greater understanding when approached with sincerity and humility.
Living the Experiment of Faith: Insights from Aquinas and Benedict XVI
Both Aquinas and Benedict XVI highlight the experiential aspect of faith, suggesting that true understanding of faith comes through living it. The 'experiment of faith' involves a total commitment and allegiance to God, allowing individuals to find truth through personal engagement and transformative love. Benedict's emphasis on the role of love and experience in comprehending faith parallels Aquinas's assertion that faith is best understood through a lived encounter with its truths.
This lecture was given at the University of Kansas on November 14, 2019.
For more events and info please visit thomisticinstitute.org/events-1.
Dr. Matthew Ramage is Associate Professor of Theology at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. He is author, coauthor, or cotranslator of several books, including Dark Passages of the Bible: Engaging Scripture with Benedict XVI and Thomas Aquinas (Catholic University of America Press, 2013) and Jesus, Interpreted: Benedict XVI, Bart Ehrman, and the Historical Truth of the Gospels (CUA Press, 2017). Dr. Ramage's articles have appeared in a variety of scholarly journals including Nova et Vetera, Scripta Theologica, Cithara, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review as well as popular online venues such as Strange Notions, The Gregorian Institute, and Crisis. Dr. Ramage has been interviewed by news outlets including the National Catholic Register and First Things and has made periodic appearances on the EWTN programs Catholic Answers Live, Catholicism on Campus, and The Son Rise Morning Show. Dr. Ramage lives in Atchison, Kansas, with his wife, Jennifer, and five children. For more on his work and his CV, visit Dr. Ramage's website www.truthincharity.com.
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