4. Faith as Foundation: Definition, Necessity, and the Church's Role

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Definition of Faith #

Council Definition: Faith is a supernatural virtue and disposition of reason by which, through God’s grace inspiring and assisting us, we believe revealed truths not because we perceive their intrinsic truth by natural reason, but because of the authority of God himself who reveals them and can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Biblical Definition (Hebrews 11:1):

• “Substance of things hoped for” - substantia (ὑπόστασις/hypostasis) means foundation rather than mere standing-under
• “Conviction of things not seen” - argumentum (ἔλεγχος/elenchos) means conviction, not logical argument; originally meant refutation in Greek philosophy, but here conveys being convinced by what is seen to assent to what is not seen
• Note: Some English translations inadequately render these terms (e.g., “evidence” for argumentum)

Faith and Hope: “Things hoped for” references the will, not merely intellectual content. Hope is in the will; faith involves both reason and will coordinating toward assent.

The Two Revelations #

There are two senses of revelation:

1. Partial revelation corresponding to faith - incomplete seeing; God is not seen face to face; accepted on divine authority
2. Full revelation corresponding to beatific vision - complete seeing of God as He is; corresponds to eternal life (knowing God and Christ face-to-face)

Faith is the substance (foundation) of things hoped for because the partial revelation accepted by faith becomes the foundation for the full revelation in beatific vision.

Formed vs. Unformed Faith #

Unformed faith (fides informis): Faith without charity; still a supernatural gift of God and belongs to the order of salvation; represents true obedience to God when accepted

Formed faith (fides formata): Faith working through charity; more perfect; saving faith; what St. Paul refers to when he speaks of faith that saves

Charity completes faith: “Charity believes all, hopes all” - this represents the more perfect form of faith.

The Will’s Priority in Faith #

Key principle: The will is more proportioned to God than reason is

• God is the good itself (in things); truth is primarily in the mind
• The will tends toward God as He is in Himself; reason does not yet attain God as He is (this awaits beatific vision)
• Therefore, God moves reason through the will in this life
• The will, moved by divine grace, moves reason to assent
• Reason is helped by the gift of faith to make assent “more sweet”

Merit in faith’s assent: Although the assent is moved by the will (and ultimately by grace), it remains free - reason is not forced to assent. This freedom makes the ascent meritorious.

Faith and Reason: Not Blind Descent #

Faith is not caecus sensus (blind descent), but rather a reasonable service of faith. This is ensured by:

1. Internal aids:

   • Grace in the will
   • Gift of faith in reason itself (a habit/disposition making reason more amenable to assent)

2. External aids:

   • Miracles - sensible signs demonstrating God’s omnipotence
   • Prophecies - fulfilled future contingents demonstrating God’s infinite knowledge
   • These are “suited to the understanding of all” because they are sensible signs, accessible to most people unlike certain philosophical proofs

Grace elevates nature (super does not mean contra). The external signs establish that faith submission is in harmony with reason.

The Absolute Necessity of Faith for Salvation #

Vatican I’s strong statement: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6)

Consequences:

• No one can achieve justification without faith
• No one can attain eternal life unless they persevere in faith to the end
• This is not contrary to nature because even in human learning, belief in a teacher is necessary

Three reasons belief in a teacher aids learning:

1. The teacher knows the road to knowledge; the student cannot know the road leads somewhere until traveling it
2. The wise person emphasizes fundamental principles that illuminate many other things; their importance isn’t apparent until later
3. Difficult truths require persistent thinking to understand; the student must believe continued reflection will yield understanding

If this is true for human teachers (who can deceive), how much more for God (who cannot deceive)?

The Twofold Necessity of the Church #

First necessity - The Church as Guardian and Teacher:

• Founded by Christ to teach and preserve revealed truth
• Endowed with “clear notes” to be recognized as guardian and teacher
• Those who do not yet believe need the Church’s teaching
• Those who already believe need the Church’s nourishment and defense

Second necessity - The Church as Motive of Credibility:

The Church herself is a sign pointing to divine truth. Her characteristics establish credibility:

• Propagation despite difficulty: Unlike Muhammad (promising material rewards and using the sword), the Church propagates teachings that are above reason and proposes a way of life not pleasant to the flesh - yet spreads continuously
• Holiness and saints: Lives of extraordinary virtue
• Fertility in every kind of goodness: Continuous spiritual fruitfulness
• Catholic unity: Universal reach and organization
• Unconquerable stability: Perpetual endurance through opposition

These together constitute “a great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.”

Effect of this sign:

• On those inside: Assures the faithful that their faith rests on the firmest foundations; prevents assent from being blind
• On those outside: Attracts those not yet believing, like a standard lifted up for the nations

Theological Significance of Vatican II’s Focus #

It is providential that the two dogmatic constitutions of Vatican II address:

1. Divine Revelation (continuity with Vatican I)
2. The Church (completing Vatican I’s incomplete work)

This is appropriate for our age because:

• We live in the “age of disbelief” or “age of doubt” (not the “age of faith”)
• The Church as motive of credibility becomes increasingly important when people are questioning
• Understanding the mystery of the Church helps those troubled by faith

Key Arguments #

Against Rationalist Independence #

The rationalist claim: Human reason must be absolutely independent; no external authority can be imposed on the mind

Counter-argument from learning:

• Even natural learning requires belief in a teacher
• The most “independent” minds (Aristotle studying under Plato for 20 years; Mozart learning from Haydn) still needed teachers
• “Dimwits” must believe “wits” to make progress
• Independence of thought develops through learning, not before it

Example: Parents who refuse to teach children religion until age 21, claiming this preserves their “independence of mind” - this actually violates the natural order of learning.

On God’s Authority to Command Belief #

Why God can command faith, but human teachers cannot:

• We belong to God more completely than we belong to ourselves
• We belong to God more than children belong to parents (parents don’t create the soul)
• This complete dependence justifies divine command

Key canon: “If anyone says that human reason is so independent that faith cannot be commanded by God, let him be anathema.”

Note: This is the “obedience of faith” (obedientia fidei) - the will is involved, showing that while God can command, the assent remains free.

Against Fideism #

Canon on external signs: “If anyone says that divine revelation cannot be made credible by external signs and that therefore men and women ought to be moved to faith only by each one’s internal experience or prior inspiration, let him be anathema.”

This rejects pure subjectivism. Faith has objective supports in miracles and prophecies.

On Distinguishing Supernatural Faith from Natural Knowledge #

Canon: “If anyone says that divine faith is not to be distinguished from natural knowledge about God and moral matters, and consequently that for divine faith it is not required that revealed truth should be believed because the authority of God reveals it, let him be anathema.”

Key difference:

• Natural knowledge follows reason’s own principles
• Supernatural faith requires assent because of God’s authority who reveals
• The formal object (why we believe) is the authority of God, not intrinsic intelligibility

Important Definitions #

• Faith (Latin: fides): Supernatural virtue by which, moved by God’s grace, we assent to revealed truths not because we understand them but because of God’s authority
• Substance (Latin: substantia; Greek: ὑπόστασις/hypostasis): Foundation; etymologically means “standing under” (substare/hypostasis)
• Argumentum (Latin): Conviction; from Greek ἔλεγχος/elenchos (originally “refutation” in Greek philosophy)
• Obedience of faith (Latin: obedientia fidei): The will’s role in faith; shows that even commanded faith remains free
• Unformed faith (Latin: fides informis): Faith without charity
• Formed faith (Latin: fides formata): Faith informed by and working through charity
• Motive of credibility: A sign that rationally grounds assent to faith; not a proof, but a reasonable indicator

Examples & Illustrations #

The Ocean and the Mind (Augustine) #

Augustine walking on the seashore trying to understand the Trinity, encounters a boy putting ocean water into a hole. The boy asks: “Can you fit the ocean into that hole?” Augustine responds: “You can’t fit the Trinity into your mind either.”

Berquist’s application: You can’t put the ocean into yourself (intellect), but you can jump into the ocean. This is how love (will) operates - it goes into the thing loved. Therefore, the will is more proportioned to God than reason is.

The Banquet Metaphor (Convivium) #

St. Thomas uses convivium (banquet) to describe both the Eucharist and the beatific vision:

• Os sacrum convivium (O sacred banquet) - the Eucharist
• The Eucharist is the pignus (pledge) of eternal life
• Inexpressible banquet - the beatific vision in heaven

A banquet contains “everything” (all good things). The Eucharist anticipates and is a foretaste of the eternal banquet.

Psalm 62 (in correct numbering): The soul is said to be at a banquet, which can refer to both the Eucharist and eternal life, since they are connected by anticipation.

Division of Articles of Faith #

Following St. John 17 (eternal life is knowing God and Christ), Thomas divides articles of faith:

By Christ’s two natures:

• Six or seven articles concerning Christ’s divinity
• Six articles concerning Christ’s humanity: Incarnation, Passion (death), Descent to Hell, Resurrection, Ascension, Second Coming

Connection to Eucharistic prayer: In the Adorote Devote, Thomas writes: “In cruce latebat sola deitas” - “On the cross, the divinity alone is hidden.” But here (in the Eucharist), the humanity is also hidden. Yet we believe both in this mystical anticipation of eternal life.

Medieval Historians Converting to Catholicism #

Berquist notes that medieval historians studying the Middle Ages sometimes convert to Catholicism. Why? Because studying medieval history brings one into concrete contact with the mystery of the Church - seeing it as a living, historical reality. This experiential encounter has converted several historians.

The Consistency Example #

Berquist knows a man who came into the Church because the Church was the only institution consistently pro-life and reasonable about it. This consistency was itself a motive of credibility, especially when contrasted with Protestant churches that equivocated on the issue.

Contrast: Visiting an Episcopal service, Berquist noticed they had dropped the words about permanence of marriage from the Gospel reading to avoid offending divorcees. The Church maintains these truths despite social pressure; other denominations water them down.

Notable Quotes #

“Nothing is more necessary [than to begin well]. So to lose the faith, in some sense, is worse than to lose, what, hope or charity. Because it can be to some extent, although imperfect, without them, but they can’t be without it at all. So if you lose faith, you lose everything.”

“I don’t know what more I can have in heaven than I have now… our union is already complete.” — St. Thérèse of Lisieux (on why charity remains even in heaven while faith and hope are replaced by vision)

“It’s kind of a starting discovery. I suppose I belong somewhat to my wife, right? And to some extent, your children belong to you, right? Okay. But I belong more to God than to my wife. And my children belong more to God than to me, right?”

“Credo, quid, quid, dixi, Deus” — “I believe whatever God has said” (cited from Thomas Aquinas; Latin: Neohok verbo veritatis verius - “Nothing is more true than the word of truth”)

“It’s the substance of things hoped for… kind of like a foundation, right?”

Questions Addressed #

Q: What is the difference between “unformed faith” and “formed faith”? #

A: Unformed faith (without charity) is still a supernatural gift belonging to the order of salvation. However, formed faith (working through charity) is saving faith. St. Paul makes clear that charity is the greatest of the three theological virtues. Luther’s error was not distinguishing these; for Thomas, the saving faith is the faith formed by charity.

Q: How can faith be meritorious if it’s a gift of God? #

A: Although faith is a gift (from God’s grace), the assent of reason to revealed truth is free - not forced like a mathematical proof. The will, moved by grace, moves reason to assent. This freedom of assent makes faith meritorious, even though grace is necessary for it.

Q: How can God “command” faith when reason should be free? #

A: God can command because we belong to God fully - more than we belong to ourselves, more than our children belong to us. This complete dependence justifies divine command. Human teachers cannot command belief in this way because their authority is limited. The command respects human freedom; it invites obedience, which can be refused.

Q: Is faith reasonable or blind? #

A: Faith is a reasonable service (rationabilis obsequium), not blind descent (caecus sensus). It is supported by: (1) external signs - miracles and prophecies demonstrating God’s power and knowledge, accessible to all through the senses; (2) internal aids - grace moving the will and the gift of faith making reason more amenable to assent. These coordinate to make faith submission harmonious with reason.

Q: Why is the Church’s credibility important in an age of doubt? #

A: The Church’s propagation despite teaching things above reason and proposing a difficult way of life, her holiness, unity, and stability - these constitute a perpetual motive of credibility. When people question faith, understanding the Church as a sign pointing to truth becomes increasingly important. Vatican II appropriately focused on the mystery of the Church for this reason.