The distinctive contribution that Christianity makes to investigations of culture and science is that of a coherent vision of truth―a unifying truth that takes flight on the two wings of faith and reason. Against methodological reductionism, philosophical nihilism, and postmodern skepticism, such a vision affirms that the unity of truth is ultimate and personal and that science and culture participate therein according to their own geniuses.
On Wings of Faith and Reason provides reasons for a unified vision of truth, while giving examples of the roles that faith and reason play in scientific activities and cultural expressions. Contributing authors from the fields of medicine, ethics, philosophy, and theology argue that Christianity makes a difference, not only in providing an understanding of the ultimate origin and end of the human person, but in contributing to practical applications. Christianity offers assurance about the course of scientific and cultural inquiry, while encouraging creative expression and personal excellence in its execution.
Against fideists, it is argued that reason has a differentiated role to play in Christian efforts and theological investigations. Against rationalists, it is argued not only that faith builds up reason without making it a-rational or irrational, but also that it is a source of knowledge, the denial of which restricts not only our passive reception and active observation of reality, but also our creative responses to it. The image of two wings affirms that faith and reason exercise distinct roles, not the same role, in a unified flight of knowledge. It refutes the idea that isolated one-dimensional theories of truth will satisfy.
The contributors are Jude Dougherty, Kevin L. Flannery, John Haas, Peter Kreeft, Richard John Neuhaus, Edmund Pellegrino, and Robert Sokolowski.
ABOUT THE
Craig Steven Titus is research professor at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, as well as lecturer and researcher at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He is coeditor of The Pinckaers Reader and author of Resilience and the Virtue of Fortitude, both published by CUA Press. He is also editor of the first volume in the John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture Series, titled The Person and the Polis.
PRAISE FOR THE
"This wonderfully readable volume collects seven essays delivered by leading Catholic scholars in the 2002-2003 John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture Series sponsored by the Institute for the Psychological Sciences."―Matthew Levering, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly
This book out of all in the series I believe needs to be read first! This book states it well, "Culturally our understanding of religion is that of Protestantism" At the end of the day, almost all of us generalize religion to the Protestant worldview of Religion, wherein Faith and Reason are enemies of each other, where Faith is seen as Irrational and Reason as Rational, yet time and again this book says, "NOT SO FAST!" The Catholic Position is not the Protestant Position espoused by that Heretic Martin Luther, Faith is Above Reason, not below Human Reason, its not Ir-rational its Supra-rational but its not dominating its complimenting to human reason.
However in our society there is a false dichotomy between Science and Religion that is proposed which is unnecessary and this book sets out to successfully prove it and I believe for someone intellectually honest they will read this book and either be amazed for the first time or will say, "Telling Me Something I Don't Know" for those who are suspicious of modern academia this book will be a great primer for additional unfolding. I was especially a fan of these 3 of the 7 essays: (1) Peter Kreeft on Jesus' Concept on Happiness in which this Catholic-convert Philosopher discusses The Beatitudes of Christ from His Sermon on the Mount, (2) John Haas Christ, The Redeemer of Culture who discusses The Modern Culture and its weak points and why these weak points need to be Redeemed by the Philosophical Implication found in the Gospel under a Catholic as opposed to Protestant understanding, and finally (3) Jude P. Dougherty on Wretched Aristotle in which is discussed the relation between Theology and Faith with Reason and Philosophy as it manifests itself in Society.