Faith Within ReasonIs it possible to think about religious beliefs philosophically? Should religious beliefs be viewed as a flight from reason or as capable of rational support? Can theologians learn from philosophers? Can philosophers learn from theologians? Is it possible to be both a good Christian and a good thinker? Can there be such a thing as reasonable faith? This book is chiefly concerned with these questions and others related to them. A collection of previously unpublished papers written by the late Herbert McCabe O.P., it examines the nature of religious belief, especially belief in God, with an eye on both theological and philosophical arguments. Some thinkers have sought to drive a wedge between philosophy and theology. Like Thomas Aquinas, whose writings he especially admired, McCabe seeks to show how the two can be systematically connected. Some religious truths, he argues, may defy our understanding. But this does not mean that they cannot be reasonably discussed. |
Contents
Chapter 1 Is Belief Wishful Thinking? | 1 |
Chapter 2 Are Creeds Credible? | 17 |
Chapter 3 Doubt is Not Unbelief | 33 |
Chapter 4 Why God? | 41 |
Chapter 5 Causes and God | 48 |
Chapter 6 On Evil and Omnipotence | 67 |
Chapter 7 A Very Short Introduction to Aquinas | 94 |
Chapter 8 Aquinas on God is Good | 112 |
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action activity alive answer Antony Flew Aquinas thought argument arrested development behaves believe bicycle bits body called cause certainly characteristic effect Christ Christian cockroaches contingent course created creative creatures creed dangerousness difference divine doctrine eternity eucharist evidence evil suffered exist fact failure faith forgiveness Free-will Defence freedom friendship gift God's love happens Herbert Herbert McCabe horse human animal immaculately conceived J. L. Mackie Jesus kind of thing language leopard living logical look maker matter mean merely moral Mother of Jesus natural units never notion omnipotence organs ourselves perfection philosophers potassium nitrate problem of evil Professor Flew proposition question reason recognize religious resurrection second-order seems self-moving sensations sense sharing in God's sheep simply sins society someone sort soul speak species St Thomas Aquinas story structure Summa Theologiae talk theologians theology true truth understand whole wishful thinking wolf word