Salvation Through Faith and Reason
The concepts of faith and reason hold opposing view points when used in the context of religion. Faith by definition is the firm belief in something for which there is no proof ("Faith," def. 3). On the contrary reason is defined as something that supports a conclusion or supports a fact ("Reason," def. 1c). Though faith centers on the abstract and reason focuses on the concrete, St. Thomas Aquinas argues that only through the union of both can salvation be obtained (Kreeft 40).
Regardless of the denomination, religion requires faith from the congregation. Within any religion there are abstract concepts and ideas presented to the people that are expected to be accepted as fact though they cannot be proven. Aquinas argues that salvation depends on more than faith alone. "It is necessary for man's salvation that there be a knowledge revealed by God, besides philosophical science built up by reason (Kreeft 40). He urges people not to rely......
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