Author(s): Curtis L. Hancock / Language(s): Polish
Issue: 2/2013
The underlying skepticism of ancient Greek culture made it unreceptive of
philosophy. It was the Catholic Church that embraced philosophy. Still,
Étienne Gilson reminds us in Reason and Revelation in the Middle Ages
that some early Christians rejected philosophy. Their rejection was based
on fideism: the view that faith alone provides knowledge. Philosophy is
unnecessary and dangerous, fideists argue, because (1) anything known by
reason can be better known by faith, and (2) reason, on account of the sin
of pride, seeks to replace faith. To support this twofold claim, fideists, like
Tertullian and Tatian, quote St. Paul. However, a judicious interpretation
of St. Paul’s remarks shows that he does not object to philosophy per se
but to erroneous philosophy. This interpretation is reinforced by St. Paul’s
own background in philosophy and by his willingness to engage intellectuals
critical of Christianity in the public square.
The challenge of fideism brings up the interesting question: what
would Jesus himself say about the discipline of philosophy? Could it be
that Jesus himself was a philosopher (as George Bush once declared)? As
the fullness of wisdom and intelligence, Jesus certainly understood philosophy,
although not in the conventional sense. But surely, interpreting
his life through the lens of fideism is unconvincing. Instead, an appreciation
of his innate philosophical skills serves better to understand important
elements of his mission. His perfect grasp of how grace perfects nature
includes a philosophy of the human person. This philosophy grounded in
common-sense analysis of human experience enables Jesus to be a profound
moral philosopher. Specifically, he is able to explain the principles
of personal actualization. Relying on ordinary experience, where good
philosophy must start, he narrates moral lessons—parables—that illumine
difficulties regarding moral responsibility and virtue. These parables are
accessible but profound, showing how moral understanding must transcend
Pharisaical legalism. Additionally, Jesus’ native philosophical power
shows in his ability to explain away doctrinal confusions and to expose
sophistical traps set by his enemies.
If fideism is unconvincing, and if the great examples of the Patristics,
the Apostles, and Jesus himself show an affinity for philosophy, then
it is necessary to conclude that Christianity is a rational religion. Accordingly,
the history of Christian culture is arguably an adventure in faith and
reason. Since God is truth and the author of all truths, there is nothing in
reality that is incompatible with Christian teaching. As John Paul II explains
effectively in the encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Christianity is a religion
that is rational and can defend itself. This ability to marshal a defense
makes Christianity a religion for all seasons.
More...