Faith
Meaning
The word faith, pitis in the Greek, and fides in the Latin, connotes a conviction,confidence, trust or inner attitude towards a greater power or force in the universe than oneself. The object of faith varies among people and can be seen as a person, an inanimate object, a state of affairs, or a proposition such as a religious credo. One may have faith in God or faith in others, but the common denominator is a level of conviction in an object of faith. Faith can also be used as a synonym for religion, such as in the Buddhist faith or the Christian faith. For many people, faith or the lack thereof, is an important part of their identities.
The word 'faith' is closely linked to the concept of "fidelity" as in commitment or loyality to a diety. Such faith need not be blind or submissive: For many Jews, for example, the Hebrew Bible and Talmud depict a committed but contentious relationship between their God and the Children of Israel. Faith can also mean 'loyalty' to one's religion and accepting that the religious tenets of the religion as true. For non-creedal religions, faith often means that one is loyal to a particular religious community. Some religious believers use the term "absolute faith" as the affirmation of belief without an ongoing test of evidence, and even despite evidence apparently to the contrary. Most Jews, Christians and Muslims admit that whatever particular evidence or reason they may possess that their God exists and is deserving of trust, is not ultimately the basis for their faith or believing. Thus, in this sense faith refers to belief beyond evidence or logical arguments, sometimes called "implicit faith".
Faith" might then be considered as 'hope in action.' This perspective is summed up in what many Christians consider the great chapter in the New Testament on faith, Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen."
Another form of this kind of faith is fideism: one ought to believe that God exists, but one should not base that belief on any other beliefs; one should, instead, accept it without any reasons at all. Faith in this sense, grounded simply in the sincerity of faith, belief on the basis of believing, is often associated religious thinkers; his views are presented in Fear and Trembling.
Faith vs Belief
The terms faith and beleif are often used interchangeably and there is a dynamic interplay between the two. Belief is a mental acceptance or assent to something offered as true, with or without certainty. Belief can not be spoken of so confidently,
It follows from an "I have faith in God because . . . " type of statement. This relates more to indirect evidence of experience than more personal experience. A faith in God resting upon such more intellectual and rational foundation might not, during a severe test, hold-up as well as a faith which is grounded in real religious experience. In this way, belief is understood as a more cognitive function and faith as a unique commitment to an ultimate fundamental decision, or "ultimate concern," to borrow a phrase from Paul Tillich, which stands upon real personal religious experience and around which life is organized.
Faith in Religious Contexts
In Biblical Judaism faith is considered to be mostly juridical. In means the adherence of the people of Israel to the Convenant created by God and thus the Covenant between God Jehovah and his people Israel. The notion of faith in Christianity and Islam which are rooted in historical experience and tradition, is similar. Faith (IMAN in Arabic) in Islam distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. In the Qur'an (10:100), it is proclaimed that "None can have faith except by the will of Allah." And in Christianity, the Apostle Paul defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1); and that it is a gift of God ((1 Corinthinas 12:8-9).
Faith in Christianity is central to salvation, with Catholic notions apparently adhering to the premise that humankind can be saved by faith alone, referring to faith in Jesus as the Savior and Messiah of all humankind; while Protestant groups generally agree that salvation is dependent on faith in Jesus as the Savior, God the creator, and on works, although there are myriad variations on these points within the hundreds of denominations in Protestantism. While the precise meaning and content of faith in Christianity differs in some respects between the various Christian traditions, there is much common ground. Hebrews Chapter 11, Verse 1 begins the "great chapter" on faith in the New Testament of the Holy Bible: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen," (discussed above). It is observed that the contribution of Christianity to the religious world, is its clarification of the "object" of faith and the "goal" of faith. Clearly, the object of faith in Christianity is Jesus, the Messiah, and the goal is the salvation he ultimately offers to those who have faith in him.
In both the Theravada and [[Mahayana] traditions of Buddhism, faith is known as (saddha/ sraddha) and is an important constituent element of the teachings of the Buddha. While not of the blind variety and on occasion linked with insight (prajna), Buddhist faith (as advocated by the Buddha of the various scriptures) nevertheless requires a degree of trusting confidence and belief primarily in the spiritual attainment and salvational knowledge of the Buddha. Faith in Buddhism centres on belief in the Buddha as a supremely Awakened being, on his unexcelled role as teacher of both humans and gods, in the truth of his Dharma (spiritual Doctrine), and in his Sangha (community of spiritually developed followers). Faith in Buddhism functions as a form of motor, which propels the Buddhist practitioner towards the goal of Awakening (bodhi) and Nirvana.
Faith Development and the contributions of Psychology
Critics of faith often describe it as being irrational and they argue that one should only accept what is directly supportable by logic or evidence.
Many traditions understand that God, the Creator, whether known as God, Heavenly Father, Jahovah, Allah, et al, uses central individuals on earth to facilitate the development of faithful individuals, families and communities. Thus, have arisen the various notions and personages from Prophets, Priest and Kings, to Messiah, Savior, Son of Man, etc, in the Old and New Testaments of the Judeo-Christian traditions, and by the Meitreya in Buddhism, Avatar in Hinduism, Saoshyans in Zoroastrianism , and Imam-Mahdi in Islam, to mention a few examples from other religious traditions. A question found in the New Testament of the Christian tradition, asks: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8) This is a Biblical example of a sentiment found within Christianity, which appears to embrace the need for some precondition in man (faith) and the coming of a human vehicle, Savior, understood as a core element of faith, through whom God works to establish a gateway for the reunion (this topic is discussed further in articles linked here, and others on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc). And, this question of "faith on earth," also insinuates the notion that faith is a developmental process, or at least, that there exist different qualities or levels of faith and hence, faithfullness. Of Course, world religions vary on their teaching of the core element of faith through which, we assume, one's faith would develop and grow. While some emphasize a messianic figure, leader, or teacher, others emphasize scripture, tradition, a covenant or covenants, the religious hierarchy, or other objects of faith. Most religions have some variant of one or more of these, including Islam which emphasizes faith in the Koran (scripture), in addition to a concept of Imam-Mahdi (which corresponds to savior). Other traditions also maintain that some human preconditions, or demonstrations of faithfulness, including prayer, fasting, study, community service, celebacy and other spiritual exercises are required before spiritual elevation and human improvement can occur, or new revelations of truth can be given and received.
Meanwhile, many in Christian traditions, as well as some in other traditions, draw upon the field of psychology to enhance understandings of faith as a developmental process that evolves in certain definable stages. These faith development theorists, chief among them being James Fowler, stand upon the foundation of moral development stage theorists like the pioneering Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, and others. See these articles for further discussion.
Conclusions
Having "Faith" in something greater than oneself appears to be a common strand in the major religious traditions, if not all religious traditions. Thus, faith works to create unity and a community of the faithful.
Links to Faith in other Traditions
- Faith in Islam
- Faith in Judaism
- Apostasy
- Belief
- Religious conversion
- Rationalism
- Faith Development
Writings on Faith
- Martin Buber I and Thou
- Paul Tillich The Dynamics of Faith
- John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion
- R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone
- Michael Novak, Faith and Belief
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