Chapter 2 Question 9: Paraphrase Augustine’s perspective on faith and reason. Do you
agree? If so, why? If not, how do you see the two differently than he did?
Augustine attempted to answer the question of what roles faith and reason played in
learning and education, coming to his conclusion that would be labeled “spiritual idealism”
(Smith, 2020, p. 14). Within this concept Augustine believed that both faith and reason were
necessary for true learning, but that something had to be known in order for there to be faith in
that knowledge and because of this that reason was essential to faith. His concept held however,
that there are some issues that cannot currently be known by reason, such as salvation, but that
one day even those issues would be revealed to reason. It is in these ideals that faith must
temporarily go before reason, until a time that reason can explain what faith is invested in.
Augustine believed that reason itself was a gift from God and that through reason a person could
know truth without having to rely on sensory experiences. According to Smith (2020), this
would form Augustine’s epistemology that “God and His Word are the source of truth. Reason
through reflective contemplation is the practice of seeking truth, and divine illumination is the
required condition to arrive at truth” (p.14,15).
I do agree with this concept of faith and reason, in part because I believe that God has
given man the ability to reason and come to conclusion, even about knowledge of him. The
Bible tells us in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us2reason2together, saith the2Lord: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be
as wool” (King James Bible, 1769/2017). The Hebrew word for reason within this text means to
prove, decide or judge and this is the Lord speaking to his people, asking them to learn of his
grace and mercy through a combination of faith and reasoning (Strong & Kohlenberger, 2001).
God instilled in man the ability of freewill, or the right to choose, not based on sensory
experience but through the acts of both faith and reason.
I also agree with Augustine that there are ideals that must be taken on faith, such as
salvation. It is difficult to understand that an omniscient God, that knows what humans are
capable of, can still love us enough to send his son for our salvation. I believe that currently we
must accept this on faith alone, as reason is difficult to grasp in this matter. However, according
to 1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a2glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I
know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (King James Bible, 1769/2017),
which means that there will be a day when these concepts can be known, and that knowledge
will fulfill the faith that we have here on this earth.
Nelson, T. (2017). The King James Study Bible, Indexed, Full-Color Edition [Brown]. Thomas
Nelson.
Smith, S. J. (2020). Windows into the history and philosophy of education.
Strong, J., & Kohlenberger, J. R. (2001). The strongest Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the
Bible. Zondervan Publishing House.
