Journal: Week 4

1. One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.

I think the main idea of the Faith section can be summarized in the Catholic definition of Faith. Faith, Reason, and Revelation describes Faith as, “an intellectual assent to a loving God and His revelation.” (FRR 92) Faith is a difficult concept to understand because it is not something which you can either really possess or not, but it can be broken down into sections which make it easier to understand. Faith is a grace, requires a free human response, is a risk, is reasonable, is certain, seeks understanding, and is a virtue. Faith can also be described as a median of reason and belief. It is because Faith is all of these things that make having a strong Faith so special and so worthwhile, and why many people of Faith are regarded as heroes.


2. List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.

a. The Biblical Idea of Faith - I think the Biblical Idea of Faith is an important subject because it demonstrates through examples of the Bible what having real Faith in God is.

1. Faith is not totally intellectual; it is more a loving trust. This shows that having Faith means I cannot reason to it completely, that is, I cannot say, “I believe in God because I have certain proof that he in fact exists and that he loves me, etc.” This means that I have a combination of facts and beliefs that lead me to trust in God. If I said I have Faith, that means that I have reason to trust him as well as an emotional connection with God.

2. Faith involves periods of doubt and struggle. This is an important part of Faith, because it shows that having Faith in God is not an easy decision. Like Fr. Gabriel in The Mission, the path which leads to Faith is neither always clear nor the easiest path to take, and that choice of which way to head in life can be very difficult. I believe this is an important part of Faith because it tests people as to whether they have real Faith or not, for people without Faith will not feel they need to endure these periods of doubt and struggle.

3. Faith involves risk and periods of darkness. This aspect of Faith is the hardest to understand, however it is one of the most important. In the last section, I used a metaphor of the paths: taking the harder path will lead you through tough trials, places where you cannot see where you are going, etc. but if you have a strong Faith, you will be able to get through these challenges.

4. Faith is an ongoing series of decisions. Because there will always be people to challenge our Faith, we will continually have to make decisions on how to respond to these challenges: either with Faith-ful decisions or decisions without Faith.

b. Faith Is A Virtue - I think that of all the parts of Faith, the part about Faith being a virtue was the most important. I first think that it is important because it is important to realize that having Faith is not a passive obligation. We have to work very hard to gain and keep our Faith. We must exercise the Four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, and Justice) as well as the Three Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, and Love). Also, Faith and virtues are both noble qualities to have. The book described a virtue as, “general moral excellence.” (FRR 95) Finally, it is important because the idea is a balance between reason and emotion. To have good values, we must think about what the subject is, and feel what is best for us.

c. Faith: The Golden Way - The idea that Faith is a middle road between pure reason and pure belief is an important idea. The book first explains the ideas of having pure reason. These people are called nihilists because they believe that nothing (nihil) is certain in the world. They believe there is neither absolute truth nor absolute anything. Also, there are people called radicals who believe things without the proper reasoning to support it. It is dangerous being a radical because the blind obedience to a cause can lead to devastation (more often that of the radicals fighting for their beliefs). Faith is a happy medium of these two ideas. Faith supports reason and thinking, but it also supports beliefs and believing in things as well.


3. One image that reminds you of key ideas.


"The Mission" Robert De Niro. Picture from www.art.com

I think this picture represents Faith well because Roderigo in the movie is a perfect example of how a man converts from having no Faith to being a man of very strong Faith.


4. One question you should keep with you to ponder.

Am I a Faithful person? If I am, then how can I keep this virtue, and if not, how can I become a more Faithful person?


5. What should you try to do to make you a better person, a more faithful person, from this study?

I think the most important thing I can do to help myself grow as a better and more faithful person is to keep myself aware of the decisions I make and to determine if they are ones that are virtuous and help me become a more Faithful person. I think that if I can do this, I will become a more Faithful person. However, if I expect to make decisions that make me more Faithful, that will also mean that I am making difficult choices that may lead me into “risks and periods of darkness” (FRR 87). That will be the main obstacle to my goal of living as a more Faithful person.
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