Ep. #72 – Is Faith in Christ Irrational? w/ Fr. Gregory Pine
Summary
What is ‘faith’ in the Christian tradition? Is it irrational? How can it be rational if it goes beyond reason? What’s the difference between faith in Christ and faith in the Church? What does it mean when St. Paul argues that we’re justified by faith? How are we to understand faith as a gift? Fr. Gregory Pine O.P. joins us for an interview where he answers these questions and more.
Guest Bio
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. serves as Assistant Director for Campus Outreach at the Thomistic Institute. He served previously as an associate pastor at St. Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, KY where he also taught as an adjunct professor at Bellarmine University. Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, he attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying mathematics and humanities. Upon graduating, he entered the Order of Preachers in 2010. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds an STL from the Dominican House of Studies. Fr. Gregory is also a frequent contributor to the podcast Godsplaining and the video course Aquinas 101.
“For in scientific knowledge the movement of reason begins from the understanding of principles and ends there after it has gone through the process of reduction. Thus, its assent and discursive thought are not Parallel, but the discursive thought leads to assent, and the assent brings thought to rest.
But, in faith, the assent and the discursive thought are more or less parallel. For the assent is not caused by the thought, but by the will, as has just been said. However, since the understanding does not in this way have its action terminated at one thing so that it is conducted to its proper term, which is the sight of some intelligible object, it follows that its movement is not yet brought to rest. Rather, it still thinks discursively and inquires about the things which it believes, even though its assent to them is unwavering.”
St. Thomas Aquinas in the De Veritate, Chapter 14
Resources Mentioned
Aquinas’ De Veritate, Chapter 14 on Faith
Professor James Madden on Neuroscience and the Soul
Related Episodes
Ep. #36 – Is Faith Irrational? with Dr. Feingold
Ep. #71 – Why Take Jesus Seriously? w/ Michael Gormley
