Religious faith & reason: general introduction

1. Religious faith & reason: general introduction • The philosophical issues of religious faith & reason • 1. The meaning of religious faith • 2. The relationship between religious faith & reason • 3. If religious faith goes beyond evidence & reason to some extent, is this “going beyond” justified? Faith & Reason: introduction & Kierkegaard, Clifford, Aquinas ~ slide 1

2. Religious faith & reason: general introduction • The significance of the issue of faith & reason & the Jesuit outlook • The main positions on the relationship between religions faith & reason • 1. Fideism • Tertullian, c.160-c.225 • His famous question • St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226 Faith & Reason: introduction & Kierkegaard, Clifford, Aquinas ~ slide 2

3. Religious faith & reason: general introduction • Søren Kierkegaard (Danish, 1813-1855) • 2. Hard rationalist & evidentialist position • Auguste Comte (French, 1789-1857 • The law of three stages • Positivism (Comte’s sense & the modern sense) • William Clifford (English, 1845-1879) Faith & Reason: introduction & Kierkegaard, Clifford, Aquinas ~ slide 3

4. Religious faith & reason: general introduction • 3. The harmony position • Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) • Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) • Aquinas (1225-1274) • And many others Faith & Reason: introduction & Kierkegaard, Clifford, Aquinas ~ slide 4