These words from St. Bonaventure begin one of St. John Paul II’s contributions to the Catholic Church, his encyclical, Fides et Ratio (FR):
Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.
The contributions of the 13th century theologian, and member of the Franciscan Order, were proclaimed throughout his work. His teachings based on man’s search for truth have long captured the attention of the Church, and the world. St. Bonaventure’s methods of using both philosophy and spirituality in this endeavor have been continuously studied and applied throughout history. Their vitality and credibility have always been confirmed, and their complimentary aspects, always evident.
St. Bonaventure, considered by many to be the second founder of the Franciscan Order, provided a concise approach to the disciplines of faith and reason in a manner that continues to inspire, educate, and invigorate our Church, and our world, today. His work has succeeded in providing a competent analysis of how these two distinct entities can be accepted on an equal plane, as they exist in harmony. Their theological synthesis is clear and concise, and both must be embraced if we are to ever obtain truth.
Faith and Reason Build a Bridge
Wisdom, for Bonaventure, does not happen by chance. It is recognized and affirmed through the experience of knowing God. Our beloved Franciscan placed contemplation as the cornerstone of his theology and it became the guiding force of his teaching. Though faith and reason seemed to reside on two separate levels, he believed otherwise. It was true that there existed between heaven and earth a separation where one could not possibly cross into the other realm. Nevertheless, there was an understanding of God’s intimacy within the world He created.
Man is created with an innate thirst to know and to acquire truth and these events do not occur within a vacuum. We can seek, experience, know, and become transformed by illumination when we prayerfully yearn for it. We want to know and understand our world. St. Bonaventure began to recognize that the fulfillment of our deepest ambitions is often associated with finding what is good. In addition, these elements of desiring truth and goodness are equally processed in the mind. They share a common thread.
For St. Bonaventure, faith and reason are united when it comes to achieving our ultimate goal – a truth that is united in love. This is at the heart of Franciscan spirituality. He believed that one who has faith holds onto truth more securely than one who simply wishes to know.
Faith and Reason Compliment
Catholicism does not need to separate faith from reason because we recognize that each compliments the other. Though faith does not necessarily consist of logical proofs, it does provide reasons for what it believes, and what it reveals. In addition, reason is good due to inception in God, who is the primary Author of all that exists. Bonaventure expressed this in his order of enlightenment. The light of God takes us from natural reason to a deeper comprehension of faith. This brings us to an encounter with grace. St. Bonaventure demonstrated that as one seeks, one begins to better understand how the philosopher, and the true believer, can coexist within the same person. This is evidenced by his writings:
The philosopher, proving by reason that there is a God, possesses all the certitude that can be acquired in that way. But let him be converted, and with the gift of faith thus acquired he receives a new illumination of grace, and therewith a knowledge of a new order. Admittedly this knowledge will not enable him to see the divine essence, nor the existence necessarily implied therein, for it is not the Beatific Vision; but it will confer upon his intellect a certitude in some degree comparable to the certitude of the Beatific Vision. And it will give rise to a new line of proof. The necessity of God’s existence, which we do not yet see in God’s essence, we begin to see in the idea of God which is in us as the image and imprint of His essence. Thus faith in God’s existence is added to the proofs of philosophy: it neither excludes them nor is excluded by them, but it inaugurates a higher order of knowledge, leading them to their point of perfection.
Faith and reason must be united if they are ever to be brought to fulfillment. In continuing this ideal of St. Bonaventure, regarding this relationship between faith and reason, we must offer insight into how this connection is understood.
Throughout time, many have felt it necessary to divide philosophy from spirituality in order to explore philosophy in its own respective and untainted arena. St. John Paul II referred to this as philosophical pride (FR). This has proven to be impossible, and often dangerous, yet has been and continues to be executed, often with much fanfare from the secular world. However, this willful turning away from faith so that society can embrace a more desirable form of truth has only led to a deeper, and more corrupt, view of both.
Faith and Reason Confer Grace
This has caused irreparable harm as witnessed throughout history when individuals have abandoned the divine search for truth, in favor of a more temporal venture. It is for this reason that our late Holy Father felt obligated to mention: “Therefore, reason and faith cannot be separated without diminishing the capacity of men and women to know themselves, the world and God in an appropriate way” (FR). The results are an inferior style that does not build up the world, but rather, weakens it.
It is important to emphasize that divorcing faith from reason can also destroy the essential element of grace. St. Bonaventure is adamant about this. Philosophy leads us deeper by asking questions, which are necessary to arrive at truth. However, this great Saint warned, that those who only utilize philosophical components, and disregard the other, resemble Adam before the Fall – another implication of pride.
Faith carries within it the virtues that prepare one to decipher the intricacies of God’s plan, eventually leading to Him. This builds into an eventual cascade of illumination, which pours forth from our Divine Creator and raises us to new heights. Simply put, we must also practice humility by allowing ourselves to be led by God; otherwise we will remain stagnant.
Faith and Reason Provide Light
Philosophy pertains to the things as they exist, while theology deals with them in light of revelation from the Holy Spirit. On account of this understanding of Bonaventure’s, the relationship between faith and reason (within theology) must constantly be discerned. This is due in part to the lumen that exists within both. One is innate (reason), the other infused (faith).
Reason is through the intellect and involves utilizing a natural process of judgment offered to us by God. Faith is infused, by the power of His grace. The results provide a clear recognition of the Creator, the revelation of the Savior, and the overall message of the Holy Spirit. (This also reinforces Bonaventure’s view of moral philosophy.)
Many within our world today like to offer their own unique systems of acquiring knowledge and enlightenment. Bonaventure pioneered his teachings centuries ago, proving that knowledge is truly embedded within revelation, and is the noble pathway for the soul’s pilgrimage to all that is good. His theology is essential to knowing how faith and reason can be more fully understood and applied in our everyday lives.
