Faith and Reason

1 Peter 3:15: Always be prepared to make a defense (Greek: pros apologian) to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

I was born into a Catholic family and have been a practicing Catholic nearly all my life. In recent years I have tried to deepen my Christian faith through the study of theology and the Church’s teachings and in doing so I have become particularly interested in Catholic apologetics: the field of theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Catholic faith.

If I were going to try to explain the Catholic faith to someone then I would start with two things: faith and reason. Unlike other belief systems, the Roman Catholic Church does not force its believers to choose between faith and reason. In fact, the Church teaches faith and reason are two wings of the same spirit and both come to us from God.

There can never be a conflict between the truths of science and the truths of faith. All truth comes from God, who cannot contradict Himself. 1 

For example, the Bible says God created the world in seven days yet modern science tells us our planet was created over a period of billions of years. How do Catholics deal with this apparent contradiction? Well, for Catholics, it’s quite easy because there is no contradiction.

Nothing in the Bible can contradict scientific or mathematical truths. Nothing we know as certain from science or mathematics can contradict the Bible. Truth cannot contradict truth. The same God who inspired the Bible also created the universe and the laws of nature. If we see a contradiction between the Bible and science then we have either misread the Bible or misread science. 2

Therefore, as Catholics, we should reevaluate the passage in the Bible about God's creation of the world in seven days and not take it literally since there is a compelling argument to interpret it otherwise.  

Pope John Paul II

In his encyclical Faith and Reason (1998), John Paul II points out that growth in our Christian faith requires both faith and reason. He emphasizes that since both are gifts from God, faith and reason must never be pitted against each other. Faith enables reason to accept what it cannot fully understand. Reason in turn enables us to understand our faith better and defend it against error. 3

In conclusion, one should not read the Bible to learn about science or consult scientists to learn about God. Just be thankful we have both scientists and theologians to help us understand our world- and don’t trust anyone who would make you choose between your faith and your reason.

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1  Fr. Frank Chacon and Jim Burnham, Beginning Apologetics 4: How to Answer Atheists & New Agers (Farmington, NM : San Juan Catholic Seminars, 2010)
2  Fr. Frank Chacon and Jim Burnham, Beginning Apologetics 7: How to Read the Bible (Farmington, NM : San Juan Catholic Seminars, 2003)
3  Fr. Frank Chacon and Jim Burnham, Beginning Apologetics 4: How to Answer Atheists & New Agers (Farmington, NM : San Juan Catholic Seminars, 2010)


Recommended Links:

Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason)

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Theology and Sanity by Frank Sheed