Faith and Reason – Finding the balance

Faith and Reason – Finding the balance

Stes de Necker

                                                                                          Author Dr. Willie Mc Load

A reasonable faith

It seems that the most rewarding form of Christian life is when faith and reason are both fully part of our lives.  It is not only rewarding in the sense that such a person can experience the joy of practical faith in the framework of intellectual integrity, but also in the sense that such a person could be successful in his or her existential desire to make a difference.  Although we understand that all human knowledge is partial and temporary, we also know that people's intellect require convincing them of the trustworthiness of the Christian faith. At the same time, their spiritual needs require a grounding in practical faith. But how is this balance accomplished in us?

During the modern epoch, some thinkers not only expressed dismay at the over-accentuation of reason, but also argued for some synthesis between opposites. One can think of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who's expressed his rejection of the non-existentialist reason-dominated state-Christianity of his time in a powerful way.  He proposed a synthesis of the "Apollonian" (rational) and "Dionysian" (non-rational, unconscious, including intuition). Nietzsche accentuated the instinctive drives within the framework of the "Dionysian"; it is passion that drives this synthesis.  Later Carl Jung (1875-1961) also formulated his theories on the synthesis of "consciousness" (rational) and "unconsciousness" (non-rational, including intuition).  It is interesting that these men saw themselves as philosopher/scientist-psychologists. This shows their deep conviction that the intellect should be integrated with the more basic aspects of our existence, leading to "wisdom" (Nietzsche) or a "deeper consciousness"/an integrated self (Jung) [3].

These insights are valuable to Christian living. Both the intellect and the deeper non-rational faculties should be integrated to form a "complete" person.  Reason and intuition (faith is intuitive trust) are not disconnected faculties - they are interconnected in a fundamental way, so that their development and integration into a balanced harmony forms part of the process of spiritual growth.  Their interconnectedness is clearly manifested in Christian life - our rational arguments about God are grounded in the intuitive trust in God's supernatural revelation in Scripture and in Jesus Christ, whereas our intuitive experience of God is grounded in our rational notions about God's existence and His workings in humans.  It is only when both the intellect and the inner intuitive experience of God are synthesized, that the ideal of the Christian who is both "wise" and "spiritual" could be realized.  It is only when the church accentuate both the practical experience of existential faith as well as intellectual excellence that it will have a real and lasting impact on society. 

What is existentialist faith? It a trust in God which is practiced and experienced in all aspects of daily life. This faith normally flows from a particular commitment to God. For such believers, this is a way of life - spirituality is at the center of their whole existence. For them it makes little sense to speak about spirituality if you do not experience it. The heart of spirituality is experience - the experience of God and his presence in a very intimate, intuitive way. 

This existential faith includes the desire to make a difference (it is in fact a very basic human desire). In a Christian context this manifests itself primarily as the desire to bring others to faith in Christ. To share one's experience and motivate others to also commit themselves to God. Although there is a way in which this could be done on a purely existential level, these believers typically find themselves confronted by a barrier - most people do not easily believe if they are not convinced. They must believe that the Biblical message is trustworthy (see Paul's writings in this regard in Romans 10:14; 1 Tim. 1:15). And to be convinced - especially in the present scientific era that we live in - these Christians need to argue, to use reason, to convince others. Although they ground their faith in an existential relation with God, they need reason to bring others to a similar faith. Like Paul, when he argued with the Greek philosophers in Athens.   
The desire to make a difference, the passion to be useful to God, should be present if we want to grow towards wholeness - this brings value and meaning to our lives.  In each of us this passion manifests itself in a different vocation, leading us along different routes.  The details of the route to wholeness differs for everyone - no two persons follow the same route. It is a livelong journey, which is never fully accomplished.  There could be times when the apparent conflict between faith and reason will lead one into the dark valley of doubt.  It is important, however, to keep the practical experience of faith alive.  It implies that one should keep praying - even when one feels no desire to do so. This kindles the flame of faith - even in the darkest hours of the intellectual struggle about one's faith. During this time we gain insights (maybe some metaphor that comes to mind will be of value) that enable us to overcome.  With these insights we can sensibly integrate our faith with our reasoning, allowing the process of growth to proceed.

With intellectual growth comes freedom from all the many rules and regulations of legalistic faith, but this freedom is contained within the boundaries of a spiritual relationship with God.  With spiritual growth comes the deeply personal intuitive knowledge of God that enables us to overcome and be victorious in all circumstances.  As we develop our own perspectives, the potential for conflict with long-held communal views will force us to involve others in our own process of growth - some will resist change, but others will accompany us on the way.

With time each one of us should develop into "spiritual-wise" persons who could contribute in a unique and special way to the growth of the Christian community where we are active. In this way we would follow in the footsteps of many others who's lives and wisdom had an impact on our own.  Eventually we will come to enjoy the pure experience of the Christ-like life in the fullest sense of the word.