It is especially crucial to clarify our definitions of Faith and Reason, because these terms are often used either vaguely or equivocally.
Faith: We must distinguish the act of faith from the object of faith, believing from what is believed. The object of faith means all the things believed. For the Christians, this means everything God has revealed in the Bible; Catholic include all the creeds and universal binding teaching of the church as well. This faith is expressed in propositions. Propositions are not expressions of the act of believing but expressions of the content believed. Liturgical and moral acts express the act of believing. However, the propositions are not the the ultimate objects of faith, but only the proximate objects of faith.
The ultimate object of faith is not words but God's Word (singular) - indeed, God himself. The propositions are the map or stucture of faith; God is the real real existing object of faith. (God is also the author of faith- both the revealer of the objective doctrines believed and the one who inspires the heart to make the free choice to believe them. Without a live relationship to th living God, propositions are pointless, for their point is to point beyond themselves to God. But without propositions, we cannot know or tell others what God we believe in and what we believe about God.
The act of faith is more than merely and act of belief. Religious faith is something to die for and something to live every moment. It is much more than belief, and stronger, though belief is on of its parts or aspects. Continue...........
