Digital Commons Network^™

Human Reason Allows Faith, Justin Cerniello

Writing Across the Curriculum

The question of are faith and reason compatible has been argued over extensively. Those who claim that the two are not compatible are often hung up on the things that we cannot understand, causing them to think faith is irrational. They say that faith and reason can never be used together because one will always push away the other. In this paper, by analyzing Augustine’s Confessions , Dante’s Divine Comedy , and Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Contra Gentiles I will show that the exact opposite is actually the case. All three of these authors exemplify how it is nearly impossible to …

St. Augustine’S Journey To Faith, Bridget Hughes

Writing Across the Curriculum

Augustine’s Confessions detail the Catholic philosopher’s reflection on his faith journey, a journey that would encompass much of his youth and early adulthood. Despite being raised by a devout mother, Augustine struggled to balance faith and purpose in his life. He practiced several different philosophies and religions throughout his life. Through his writings, Augustine elaborates on several of the Four Claims of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. His introspection on his own relationship with the divine relates to the first claim that states the Catholic belief in the relationship between mankind and a Triune God. In addition, his contemplations of life, …

Faith And Reason, Stefanie Guglielmo

Writing Across the Curriculum

The authors Augustine, Aquinas, and Dante represent the Catholic Intellectual Tradition claim that human reason and faith are compatible. Augustine struggled to find God because of his sinful behavior during his youth. On his journey to converting to Catholicism, Augustine reasons through his questions regarding God to find the truth. Aquinas writes about how humans do not have the capacity to ever reach the full knowledge of God. After Dante describes his journey through hell and purgatory, he finally reaches heaven and is incapable of describing God because it is beyond human comprehension. Augustine, Aquinas, and Dante each embody the …

Seeing With Feeling, Michael W. Higgins

Mission Integration & Ministry Publications

Book review by Michael W. Higgins.

Haughey, John C. In Search of the Whole: Twelve Essays on Faith and Academic Life. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2011.

Who Is Marc Ouellet?, Michael W. Higgins

Mission Integration & Ministry Publications

Cardinal Ouellet, in spite of his capacity for stirring resistance, is approachable, personable, and a man of deep faith.

Defined By Spirituality?, Michael W. Higgins

Mission Integration & Ministry Publications

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a man of intense, intelligent, and reflective faith, and this critical dimension of the man needs to be rightly considered when assessing his role and impact on Canadian society.