For the better part of my life I have been privileged to participate in the ongoing conversation about the issues involved in the relation between faith and philosophy, with both students and colleagues. This in no way makes me an expert, but it does put me in a position to pass on to others, especially those who may be just beginning their study of these issues, some reflections and insights concerning this broad and fascinating field of study. Thus this book is aimed at providing a brief, historical introduction to those thinkers and questions that have shaped the ongoing dialogue between reason and faith in Western thought.
When participating in this conversation, I have frequently encountered many who come to the subject with a minimal background in either philosophy or theology, or both. I have written this book with just such students in mind in order to provide them with a brief orientation to the dynamics and patterns that comprise what may well be the very heart of Western thought itself. The goal is a book that will serve as a ready-reference volume in courses of study involving philosophy and/or theology for those getting under way in this field. The book can, then, function as a brief textbook in introductory courses in both philosophy and theology, or as a helpful guide to those who may just be interested in the questions involved for their own sake.
The introduction, “Faith Seeking Understanding,” presents what are generally regarded as the main lines of approach to the central issues involved in this field throughout history. The idea here is to provide a backdrop against which the student can better understand the points of view outlined in the main body of the text. In the conclusion, “Reasons of the Heart,” I shall sketch out a few of the current trends on the present scene, as well as offering what seems to me to be the most helpful approach to take toward the relation between philosophy and matters of religious faith.
I have divided the main body of the text into chapters according to the traditional time periods of Western thought. In each of these I take up the key thinkers who down through the ages have influenced the direction that the dialogue between reason and faith has taken. In each case, as well, I have sought to ground my exposition of the thinker’s point of view in his own writings, including as many actual quotations as the short span of this sort of introduction will allow. In addition, I have consulted, and occasionally quoted, reliable secondary scholars as well.
Of course, in a brief orientation such as this only the most salient aspects of each thinker’s point of view can be treated. Nevertheless, my hope is that the