fides et ratio pdf

It is as if we had come upon an implicit philosophy, as a result of which all feel that they possess these principles, albeit in a general and unreflective way. In philosophical terms, we could say that this important Pauline text affirms the human capacity for metaphysical enquiry. Rom 1:21-32), the Apostle judged it wiser in his speech to make the link with the thinking of the philosophers, who had always set in opposition to the myths and mystery cults notions more respectful of divine transcendence. 26. At the center of this discussion is John Paul’s subtle philosophical discourse in his 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio.4 My thesis is that this encyclical has brought to light an unprecedented prospect for rapprochement between these two great traditions. I judge it necessary to do so because, at the present time in particular, the search for ultimate truth seems often to be neglected. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, sent as 'a human being to human beings', 'speaks the words of God' (Jn 3:34), and completes the work of salvation which his Father gave him to do (cf. 28. It is not by chance that the curriculum of theological studies is preceded by a time of special study of philosophy. The second aspect of Christian philosophy is objective, in the sense that it concerns content. Hence we see among the men and women of our time, and not just in some philosophers, attitudes of widespread distrust of the human being's great capacity for knowledge. Adopting the language of the philosophers of his time, Paul comes to the summit of his teaching as he speaks the paradox: “God has chosen in the world... that which is nothing to reduce to nothing things that are” (cf. In that act, the intellect and the will display their spiritual nature, enabling the subject to act in a way which realizes personal freedom to the full.15 It is not just that freedom is part of the act of faith: it is absolutely required. Theological work in the Church is first of all at the service of the proclamation of the faith and of catechesis. There the sacred author speaks of God who reveals himself in nature. How could the Church not be concerned by this? The practice of philosophy and attendance at philosophical schools seemed to the first Christians more of a disturbance than an opportunity. From the teaching of the two Vatican Councils there also emerges a genuinely novel consideration for philosophical learning. God's Revelation is therefore immersed in time and history. She sees in philosophy the way to come to know fundamental truths about human life. These are the Council's words: “The philosophical disciplines should be taught in such a way that students acquire in the first place a solid and harmonious knowledge of the human being, of the world and of God, based upon the philosophical heritage which is enduringly valid, yet taking into account currents of modern philosophy”.83, These directives have been reiterated and developed in a number of other magisterial documents in order to guarantee a solid philosophical formation, especially for those preparing for theological studies. In interiore homine habitat veritas).21. Recognition of the points of convergence did not blind them to the points of divergence. This is what normally happens in scientific research. I cannot fail to note with surprise and displeasure that this lack of interest in the study of philosophy is shared by not a few theologians. In Sacred Scripture are found elements, both implicit and explicit, which allow a vision of the human being and the world which has exceptional philosophical density. On this basis alone is it possible to overcome divisions and to journey together towards full truth, walking those paths known only to the Spirit of the Risen Lord. Here we see not only the border between reason and faith, but also the space where the two may meet. Nonetheless, in the light of faith which finds in Jesus Christ this ultimate meaning, I cannot but encourage philosophers—be they Christian or not—to trust in the power of human reason and not to set themselves goals that are too modest in their philosophizing. If the intellectus fidei wishes to integrate all the wealth of the theological tradition, it must turn to the philosophy of being, which should be able to propose anew the problem of being—and this in harmony with the demands and insights of the entire philosophical tradition, including philosophy of more recent times, without lapsing into sterile repetition of antiquated formulas. THE REVELATION OF GOD'S WISDOM. Within visible creation, man is the only creature who not only is capable of knowing but who knows that he knows, and is therefore interested in the real truth of what he perceives. Consider, for example, the principles of non-contradiction, finality and causality, as well as the concept of the person as a free and intelligent subject, with the capacity to know God, truth and goodness. The great Pope revisited and developed the First Vatican Council's teaching on the relationship between faith and reason, showing how philosophical thinking contributes in fundamental ways to faith and theological learning.78 More than a century later, many of the insights of his Encyclical Letter have lost none of their interest from either a practical or pedagogical point of view—most particularly, his insistence upon the incomparable value of the philosophy of Saint Thomas. Anthropology, logic, the natural sciences, history, linguistics and so forth—the whole universe of knowledge has been involved in one way or another. The search for truth, of course, is not always so transparent nor does it always produce such results. Underlying all the Church's … In the wake of these cultural shifts, some philosophers have abandoned the search for truth in itself and made their sole aim the attainment of a subjective certainty or a pragmatic sense of utility. It is there that we learn that what we experience is not absolute: it is neither uncreated nor self-generating. The Liturgy of Good Friday recalls this powerfully when, in praying for those who do not believe, we say: “Almighty and eternal God, you created mankind so that all might long to find you and have peace when you are found”.22 There is therefore a path which the human being may choose to take, a path which begins with reason's capacity to rise beyond what is contingent and set out towards the infinite. It is necessary therefore that the mind of the believer acquire a natural, consistent and true knowledge of created realities—the world and man himself—which are also the object of divine Revelation. For Adam, the first man, was a type of him who was to come, Christ the Lord. 102. If this technology is not ordered to something greater than a merely utilitarian end, then it could soon prove inhuman and even become potential destroyer of the human race.98. As a search for truth within the natural order, the enterprise of philosophy is always open—at least implicitly—to the supernatural. You can read Fides Et Ratio On The Relationship Between Faith And Reason Encyclical Letter Of John Paul Ii Pope PDF direct on your mobile phones or PC. From different quarters, then, modes of philosophical speculation have continued to emerge and have sought to keep alive the great tradition of Christian thought which unites faith and reason. This revealed truth is set within our history as an anticipation of that ultimate and definitive vision of God which is reserved for those who believe in him and seek him with a sincere heart. Developing further what the Magisterium before me has taught, I intend in this final section to point out certain requirements which theology—and more fundamentally still, the word of God itself—makes today of philosophical thinking and contemporary philosophies. The thirst for truth is so rooted in the human heart that to be obliged to ignore it would cast our existence into jeopardy. For between the vocation of the Blessed Virgin and the vocation of true philosophy there is a deep harmony. In short, Christian Revelation becomes the true point of encounter and engagement between philosophical and theological thinking in their reciprocal relationship. The dynamic of this quest for liberation provides the context for great metaphysical systems. He pursues her like a hunter and lies in wait on her paths. Venerati Fratelli nell'Episcopato, salute e Apostolica Benedizione! The approach to this mystery begins with reflection upon the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God: his coming as man, his going to his Passion and Death, a mystery issuing into his glorious Resurrection and Ascension to the right hand of the Father, whence he would send the Spirit of truth to bring his Church to birth and give her growth. Although he continued to hold Greek philosophy in high esteem after his conversion, Justin claimed with power and clarity that he had found in Christianity “the only sure and profitable philosophy”.32 Similarly, Clement of Alexandria called the Gospel “the true philosophy”,33 and he understood philosophy, like the Mosaic Law, as instruction which prepared for Christian faith 34 and paved the way for the Gospel.35 Since “philosophy yearns for the wisdom which consists in rightness of soul and speech and in purity of life, it is well disposed towards wisdom and does all it can to acquire it. In the nihilist interpretation, life is no more than an occasion for sensations and experiences in which the ephemeral has pride of place. The encounter with the Gospel offered such a satisfying answer to the hitherto unresolved question of life's meaning that delving into the philosophers seemed to them something remote and in some ways outmoded. It is true that Jesus, with his entire life, revealed the countenance of the Father, for he came to teach the secret things of God.13 But our vision of the face of God is always fragmentary and impaired by the limits of our understanding. It cannot be said that the Catholic tradition erred when it took certain texts of Saint John and Saint Paul to be statements about the very being of Christ. It is the Gospel which imposes this sapiential task directly upon her Pastors, and they cannot shrink from their duty to undertake it. If I come to the end, I am still with you” (139:17-18). Już w Piśmie Świętym znajdujemy zaskakująco trafne intuicje, które ukazują, jak głęboka jest więź między poznaniem wiary a poznaniem rozumowym. Therefore, if that which until now has been a matter of debate concerning the highest essence has been established on the basis of due reasoning, then the foundation of one's certainty is not shaken in the least if the intellect cannot penetrate it in a way that allows clear formulation. For the Bible, in this foolishness there lies a threat to life. These are tasks which challenge reason to recognize that there is something true and rational lying far beyond the straits within which it would normally be confined. This happens particularly when theologians, through lack of philosophical competence, allow themselves to be swayed uncritically by assertions which have become part of current parlance and culture but which are poorly grounded in reason.72, There are also signs of a resurgence of fideism, which fails to recognize the importance of rational knowledge and philosophical discourse for the understanding of faith, indeed for the very possibility of belief in God. Believers then share in this mystery by their assent of faith. Although times change and knowledge increases, it is possible to discern a core of philosophical insight within the history of thought as a whole. Set within the Christian metaphysical tradition, the philosophy of being is a dynamic philosophy which views reality in its ontological, causal and communicative structures. This is a complex theme to ponder, since one must reckon seriously with the meaning which words assume in different times and cultures. La fede e la ragione sono come le due ali con le quali lo spirito umano s'innalza verso la contemplazione della verità. It should be clear in the light of these reflections why the Magisterium has repeatedly acclaimed the merits of Saint Thomas' thought and made him the guide and model for theological studies. Nonetheless, there are in the life of a human being many more truths which are simply believed than truths which are acquired by way of personal verification. We know that Greek religion, like most cosmic religions, was polytheistic, even to the point of divinizing natural things and phenomena. Now, in Christ, all have access to the Father, since by his Death and Resurrection Christ has bestowed the divine life which the first Adam had refused (cf. This opening to the mystery, which came to him through Revelation, was for him, in the end, the source of true knowledge. This means that the human being—the one who seeks the truth—is also the one who lives by belief. Through this Revelation, men and women are offered the ultimate truth about their own life and about the goal of history. 77. This also confirms the principle that grace does not destroy nature but perfects it: the assent of faith, engaging the intellect and will, does not destroy but perfects the free will of each believer who deep within welcomes what has been revealed. People can even run from the truth as soon as they glimpse it because they are afraid of its demands. There is also the reality of sin, as it appears in the light of faith, which helps to shape an adequate philosophical formulation of the problem of evil. Reflection Paper: Fides Et Ratio, On the Relationship Between Faith and Reason, Chapters 2 and 3 Joseph J. Serwach Exegesis Paper for PT 50 December 1, 2016 SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary One powerful question about truth filled my mind while spending numerous hours watching Polish language films at the Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival. Eph 4:15). 0000005271 00000 n An extreme form of eclecticism appears also in the rhetorical misuse of philosophical terms to which some theologians are given at times. May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, be a sure haven for all who devote their lives to the search for wisdom. 31. There is a pressing need, therefore, that the relationship between fact and meaning, a relationship which constitutes the specific sense of history, be examined also from the philosophical point of view. This was a truth which the holy monks of Christian antiquity understood well when they called Mary “the table at which faith sits in thought”. Truth and freedom either go together hand in hand or together they perish in misery. The knowledge which the Church offers to man has its origin not in any speculation of her own, however sublime, but in the word of God which she has received in faith (cf. In the years after the Second Vatican Council, many Catholic faculties were in some ways impoverished by a diminished sense of the importance of the study not just of Scholastic philosophy but more generally of the study of philosophy itself. Główny wątek encykliki Fides et Ratio dotyczy zagadnienia wzajemnych odniesień rozumu i wiary, którym tradycyjnie zajmowała się apologetyka - dzisiaj na wielu uczelniach nazywana teologią fundamentalną.Ojciec święty wzywa wszystkich wierzących, a zwłaszcza teologów do przemyślenia bogactwa Bożego Objawienia, którego domaga się rozumny akt wiary, godny człowieka. vỀ nhỮng tƯƠng quan cỦa ĐỨc tin vÀ lÝ trÍ. Regrettably, it must be noted, scientism consigns all that has to do with the question of the meaning of life to the realm of the irrational or imaginary. adresovaná biskupům katolické církve O VZTAZÍCH MEZI VÍROU A ROZUMEM z 14. září 1998 ZVON ýESKÉ KATOLICKÉ NAKLADATELSTVÍ PRAHA 1999 . In the New Testament, especially in the Letters of Saint Paul, one thing emerges with great clarity: the opposition between “the wisdom of this world” and the wisdom of God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Magisterium's intention has always been to show how Saint Thomas is an authentic model for all who seek the truth. The same must be equally true of the search for truth when it comes to the ultimate questions. He camps near her house and fastens his tent-peg to her walls; he pitches his tent near her and so finds an excellent resting-place; he places his children under her protection and lodges under her boughs; by her he is sheltered from the heat and he dwells in the shade of her glory” (Sir 14:20-27). Other forms of rationality have acquired an ever higher profile, making philosophical learning appear all the more peripheral. I wish to repeat clearly that the study of philosophy is fundamental and indispensable to the structure of theological studies and to the formation of candidates for the priesthood. Moreover, anthropology itself is severely compromised by a one-dimensional vision of the human being, a vision which excludes the great ethical dilemmas and the existential analyses of the meaning of suffering and sacrifice, of life and death. Where have I come from and where am I going? It is unthinkable that a search so deeply rooted in human nature would be completely vain and useless. Whether we admit it or not, there comes for everyone the moment when personal existence must be anchored to a truth recognized as final, a truth which confers a certitude no longer open to doubt. Philosophy presents another stance worth noting when theology itself calls upon it. His theology allows us to understand what is distinctive of wisdom in its close link with faith and knowledge of the divine. However, the encyclical contains a number of references to, and short discussions of, science. The term was first used with reference to aesthetic, social and technological phenomena. Today, as the Gospel gradually comes into contact with cultural worlds which once lay beyond Christian influence, there are new tasks of inculturation, which mean that our generation faces problems not unlike those faced by the Church in the first centuries. A philosophy denying the possibility of an ultimate and overarching meaning would be not only ill-adapted to its task, but false. In countering the attacks launched by the philosopher Celsus, Origen adopts Platonic philosophy to shape his argument and mount his reply. Conscience is no longer considered in its prime reality as an act of a person's intelligence, the function of which is to apply the universal knowledge of the good in a specific situation and thus to express a judgment about the right conduct to be chosen here and now. Theology needs philosophy as a partner in dialogue in order to “confirm the intelligibility and universal truth of its claims” (no. He said then: “In line with the keen expectation of those who sincerely love the Christian, Catholic and apostolic religion, this doctrine must be known more widely and deeply, and souls must be instructed and formed in it more completely; and this certain and unchangeable doctrine, always to be faithfully respected, must be understood more profoundly and presented in a way which meets the needs of our time”. Either way, the grounding principles of autonomy which every science rightly wants guaranteed would be seriously threatened. In reaffirming the truth of faith, we can both restore to our contemporaries a genuine trust in their capacity to know and challenge philosophy to recover and develop its own full dignity. At times, this happens because those whose vocation it is to give cultural expression to their thinking no longer look to truth, preferring quick success to the toil of patient enquiry into what makes life worth living. With the Revelation of God Israel could plumb the depths of all that she sought in vain to reach by way of reason. Jn 1:14, 18). Sir 1:14). Among these lands, India has a special place. Where might the human being seek the answer to dramatic questions such as pain, the suffering of the innocent and death, if not in the light streaming from the mystery of Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection? People cannot be genuinely indifferent to the question of whether what they know is true or not. Eclecticism is an error of method, but lying hidden within it can also be the claims of historicism. In my first Encyclical Letter I stressed the danger of absolutizing such an approach when I wrote: “The man of today seems ever to be under threat from what he produces, that is to say from the result of the work of his hands and, even more so, of the work of his intellect and the tendencies of his will. La fede e la ragione sono come le due ali con le quali lo spirito umano s'innalza verso la contemplazione della verità. If the Magisterium has spoken out more frequently since the middle of the last century, it is because in that period not a few Catholics felt it their duty to counter various streams of modern thought with a philosophy of their own. Recalling the teaching of Saint Paul (cf. Saint Paul, the Fathers of the Church and, closer to our own time, philosophers such as Pascal and Kierkegaard reproached such presumption. The ultimate answers to m… the force of the metaphor used by … In Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, faith recognizes the ultimate appeal to humanity, an appeal made in order that what we experience as desire and nostalgia may come to its fulfilment. Sull’enciclica “Fides et ratio”. This truth, which God reveals to us in Jesus Christ, is not opposed to the truths which philosophy perceives. Having recalled that the word of God is present in both Scripture and Tradition,73 the Constitution Dei Verbum continues emphatically: “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture comprise a single sacred deposit of the word of God entrusted to the Church. At the end of the last century, the popes had to defend the legitimacy of supernatural faith against the pretensions of secular rationalism; now, at the end of the 20th century, it takes a pope to defend reason against unreason. While it demands of all who hear it the adherence of faith, the proclamation of the Gospel in different cultures allows people to preserve their own cultural identity. At this point, the Magisterium of the Church was obliged to be vigilant lest these philosophies developed in ways which were themselves erroneous and negative. The symbol is clear: man was in no position to discern and decide for himself what was good and what was evil, but was constrained to appeal to a higher source. And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? As a work of critical reason in the light of faith, theology presupposes and requires in all its research a reason formed and educated to concept and argument.
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