This document provides a summary of Pope John Paul II's encyclical Fides et Ratio. Some key points: - Philosophy has an important role in forming thought and culture by appealing to the search for truth. However, excessive skepticism about reason has led to problems. - Faith and reason are not opposed, as shown by thinkers like Augustine who saw philosophy as a path to faith. Revelation perfects reason but does not destroy its autonomy. - The separation of faith and reason in modern times has impoverished both. A renewed relationship is needed where each supports the other. - The Magisterium discerns philosophical matters to avoid errors but respects philosophy's autonomy. It encourages philosophical

1. Welcome to the
Presentation on Fides
et Ratio of Pope John
Paul II
Prepared by VJ Thomas MSc MPhil PhD

2. Introduction: Know Yourself
Appeal to the Search for Truth
# Without a foundation for personal and
communal life, many people stumble through life
to the very edge of an abyss.
# With its enduring appeal to the search for truth,
philosophy has the great responsibility of forming
thought and culture; and now it must strive
resolutely to recover its original vocation (#6).
# There is also the danger of falling into
excessive pessimism like agnosticism and
emphasis on the limitations of knowledge (#5&8).
# According to Fides et Ratio, philosophy
is defined as “rigorous speculative
thought that is systematic.” The human
desire for knowledge and moral theory is
born of wonder.
# Characteristics of contemporary are:
(a) Excessive pessimism
about the power of reason like scepticism,
relativism & agnosticism
(b) Emphasis on limitations of
human knowledge. The result is
undifferentiated pluralism.
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3. Chapter 1: The Revelation of God’s
Wisdom (7-15)
Jesus the revealer of the
Father (7-12)
# The primacy of revelation and God’s
gratuitous and historical self-revelation
where truth is communicated in Christ. So
it’s not confined to a place or culture.
# Through revelation men and women
have got the ultimate truth of their own life
(#12). The incarnate Word takes on the
light.
3

4. Reason before the Mystery (13-15)
# Our vision of God is still fragmentary and impaired by the limits of our
understanding. Faith is an obedient response to God that makes it possible for us to
understand the mystery (#13). # The knowledge proper to faith does not destroy the
mystery (#13). # Revelation cannot be ignored. In this context, faith surrounds
reason with two reference points – the meaning of life and the mystery of God. Both
are revered by Christ. Revelation summons humans to be open to the transcendent
(Anselm).
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5. Chapter 2 Credo Ut Intellegam (16-23)
Wisdom knows all and understands all (Wis 9: 16) # 16-20
# According to the Wisdom literature there is a relation between knowledge by faith and
knowledge by reason. The wise man is the one who loves and seeks the truth.
# There is a profound and indissoluble unity between the knowledge of reason and the
knowledge of faith (# 16).
# There is a close relationship between philosophy and natural reason (# 19). So the
Sacred Scripture values human reason without overvaluing it.
# “The results of reasoning may in fact be true but these results acquire their true
meaning only if they are set within the large horizon of faith” ( # 20).
5

6. Acquire wisdom & understanding (Prov4:5)
# The opening to the mystery which came to the human being through revelation
was the true source of knowledge.
# Paul has affirmed the human capacity for metaphysical inquiry (Rom 1:20). It is
due to sin that we do not reach God easily through natural reason. (# 22).
# Paul contrasts the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world.
# The true point which challenges every philosophy is the death of Jesus on the
cross. It is here that the Father’s saving plan to purely human logic is doomed to
failure (1 Cor 1: 20).
# Reason can not eliminate the mystery of love that the cross represents, while the
cross can give to reason the ultimate answer that it seeks (# 23).
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7. Journeying in search of truth
(24-27)
# Natural reason as a preparation for
the Gospel. Example: Luke’s account of
Paul in Athens. There is a search for
God in the human heart. The need for
self-transcendence and moral theory is
equal to metaphysics and natural
science. Values of one’s life need to be
true. It comes by opening oneself to the
truth at all levels. Any meaning in life?
Chapter 3 Intellego Ut Credam (24-34)
The different faces of human
truth (28-34)
# The search for the ultimate truth is
rooted in us. Ignoring it can bring perils
ins our existence.
# Truth has got different models: truth
from immediate evidence and truth from
philosophy the colour of ebony and outer
space. It has been the symbolic colour of
elegance, solemnity and authority.
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8. Acquire wisdom & understanding-Cont'd.
A Frame of Trust
# One who seeks the
truth is one who lives by
trusting in the other.
# Human perfection is a
relationship of faithful
self-giving with others.
# Truth is by reason.
Trusting Dialogue
# Dialogue and
friendship are good
for sound
philosophical inquiry.
# At this point of
search, Christ comes
to us. He is the truth.
Unity of Truth
# Unity of truth is the
fundamental principle
of human reasoning.
# What human reason
seeks is Christ who is
revealed as the full
truth (Acts 17:23, Jn
1: 14-16 & Col 1:17).
8

9. Chapter 4 Relationship
between Faith & Reason
Important moments in the encounter
of faith and reason (36-43)
# It was the task of the fathers of philosophy to
bring to light the link between reason and faith.
# They were no longer content with myths but
wanted to provide a rational foundation for their
belief in God. They allowed the development of
the demands of universal reason.
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10. The encounter of faith & reason (Cont’d)
10
# Superstitions were recognized for what they were.
# Religion at least in part was purified by rational analysis.
# Wariness about Gnosticism. Philosophy attempted to distinguish it.
# There were non-philosophical paths as well as philosophical to search for
the truth.
# Justin and Clement of Alexandria used philosophy cautiously.
# Origen’s use of Platonism to ward off the attack of Celsus.
# Pseudo-Dionysius and Augustine helped in the development of Christian
thought.
# Augustine embraced the Christian faith because its mysteries are not
accessible to natural reason. The reason could rise to higher planes of
thought.

11. # The Fathers of the Church reflected how reason could find the way
away from myth and be open to the transcendent.
# The Fathers welcomed reason and acknowledged the Absolute.
# It came to the point of meeting creature and creature as it would have
happened in the depths of the human soul.
# Anselm began scholasticism by reason to find meaning so that
everyone could come to a certain understanding of faith.
# Anslem here underlines the fact the intellect seeks that which it loves
and desires to know. So the desire for truth always goes further than
what it has already achieved.
The Encounter of Faith & Reason (Cont’d)
11

12. The originality of thought of Aquinas
# St. Thomas has maintained interaction of faith & reason (# 43).
# Magisterium has recognized Aquinas’ passion for transcendent truth.
# The realism of truth in Aquinas recognizes the objectivity of truth.
# Philosophy’s proper concern could contribute to faith.
# The primacy of Wisdom as a gift the of Holy Spirit over philosophical
and theological wisdom.
12

13. The separation of faith & reason (45-48)
# Albert & Aquinas insisted on the link between philosophy & theology.
# Spinoza, Kant, Hegel and atheistic humanism thru’ Marx & Nietzsche.
# Finally it led to a crisis of rationalism which led to nihilism.
# As well as the autonomy for each. This separation was fateful.
# As a result exaggerated rationalism grew. Demythologization..........
13

14. The separation of faith & reason (Cont’d)
Phil. is marginalized
It led to inappropriate ends
such as pleasure or power or
wealth. Good ends were
replaced.
Cultural Shifts
Some philosophers left their
search for truth and looked for
subjective certainty or
pragmatic utility.
The true dignity of
Reason
This loss has obscured the search for
truth as well as the Absolute (# 47).
14
Reexamination of the
link between Fides et
Ratio.
Because each without the other is
impoverished and enfeebled.
Deprived of Revelation
Deprived of what revelation offers
reason has taken side-tracks which led
to the loss of its final goal.
Deprived of Faith
Faith has stressed feeling and
experience and so it has come
across the risk of being a
universal proposition.

15. Chapter 5 Magisterium and Phil. Matters
Magisterium’s Discernment as diakonia of the truth (49-56)
Philosophy retains
its autonomy
It can go wrong and can lead to
conflict with revelation.
Rationalism & Fideism
have been condemned
Church insists on the distinction
between the mysteries of faith and
the findings of Philosophy.
The truth of One
method in Sacred
Scripture
Those who study the Scripture
must always remember that the
many hermeneutical approaches
have got their philosophical limits.
15
The danger of One
Method
Seeking truth by one method is
dangerous. It requires a
comprehensive exegesis with
the Church (# 55). We find the
ultimate meaning in Jesus
Christ.
Condemnation of
Fideism and radical
traditionalism
That we cannot know God by natural
reason.
Preparation of Faith
The study of traditional ways
must go on hand in hand with
philosophical inquiry. An inquiry
which allows positive wisdom of
the Gospel must be respected.

16. The Church’s interest in philosophy (57-63)
The Magisterium is
not critical of
philosophy
On the contrary, it has worked for
philosophical renewal as it has been
recommended by Aquinas & others.
Vatican II continues it
in Gaudium et Spes
The nos. 14-15 speak where it
speaks of Biblical anthropology
where philosophy can draw
inspiration. The dignity of human
beings!
The importance of Phil
for Priestly Formation
One should study philosophy with
readiness. There are some
theologians who express
displeasure in the study of
philosophy.
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Condemnation of
Fideism and radical
traditionalism
That we cannot know God by
natural reason.
Distrust of Reason
There is a distrust of reason found
in contemporary philosophy.
Because it abandons the
metaphysical study of the ultimate
reality.

17. Chapter 6 The Interaction between
Philosophy and Theology (64-79)
# The knowledge of the faith and the demands of philosophical reason
(64-74)
# Every human being by nature is a philosopher. The word of God is addressed to
everyone for a reflective elaboration of it in the light of faith. Theology for its part
must relate to philosophy.
# Theology demands recourse to philosophical inquiry (#64).
# Formal properties of wisdom as shown by classical philosophy are ideals for a
complete understanding of theology. Philosophy does not exhaust theology.
# Philosophy aids both auditus fidei (faith from hearing the word of God) & intellectus fidei
(faith from understanding the word of God) are necessary.
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18. # The knowledge of the faith and the demands of
philosophical reason (64-74) Cont’d
# The Pope discusses the role of philosophy in different branches of theology. For
example, it is necessary for dogmatic or systematic theology and it helps in
understanding the concepts critically in a way that fits communication by learners.
# The same holds good for moral theology – understanding law, conscience, and
freedom within a philosophical foundation is required. So we can understand concepts
with a rational foundation.
# The social sciences as important in theology cannot be upheld and so the value of
the discipline of philosophy stands. Social science discusses a particular issue, but
theology brings in the universality of faith (#69). Further discussions on the topic
pursue the following nos. #70-73.
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19. Different stances (status) of Philosophy (75-79)
# 1. Philosophy is completely independent of Gospel revelation. Philosophy is
autonomous. In a search for truth within the natural order, philosophy is open
at least implicitly to the supernatural (#75).
# 2. It’s the Christian Philosophy which is philosophical speculation conceived
in dynamic union with faith (#76) that comes in the second stance.
# The 2nd point has got subjective dimension i.e. faith as a theological virtue
purifies the individual’s reason and liberates the intellect from assumptions.
which can discover but probably would not without the assistance of faith guiding it.
# The 2nd point also has got objective dimension i.e. faith suggests hints about truths
19

20. Different stances (status) of Philosophy (75-79) Cont’d
# 3. The third stance is philosophy is as called upon by theology i.e. in all the
research of theology, the reason is needed to form concepts & arguments.
# Further theology needs philosophy as a partner in dialogue (#77).
# The Pope makes an interesting remark here that philosophy like theology
also comes under the purview of the Magisterium due to the implications it
has got for an understanding of Revelation.
# For example, suppose a Catholic philosopher writes a thesis on the
metaphysics of incarnation, he/she is engaging in a theological as well as a
philosophical task.
# The Pope seeks Aquinas as the real model the one who seeks the truth
(#78). Revelation can never debase discoveries/ legitimacy of reason (#79).
20

21. Chapter 7 Currents Requirements & Tasks (80-99)
The indispensable requirements of the word of God (80-91)
The Conviction
# The fundamental conviction
of philosophy found in the
Bible is that the world and the
human life have got a
meaning and they look
forward to fulfilment that
comes from Christ.
The mystery of the
incarnation is a point of
reference here.
Crisis of Meaning
It has come due to
pessimism with respect
to reason and the
breaking up of the
academic disciplines.
So it makes meaning
difficult and often
fruitless and can lead
to nihilism, and
scepticism (# 80-81).
First Requirement
To go along with the word of
God, philosophy has to recover
the sapiential (wisdom)
dimension. It will conform to its
true nature. So philosophy
engages in the natural search
for meaning in life which is
equal to the religious desire in
every person. Suppose
philosophy denies it, it is going
to be a fate. So sapienza is a
need of the day. 21

22. The indispensable requirements of the word of God (80-91) Cont’d
Second Requirement
# Sapienza brings us to the second requirement.
# Philosophy can verify the human capacity to know
the truth.
# It can reach the objective truth through adaequatio
rei et intellectus i.e. it is the epistemological principle
of adequation by Augustine & Aquinas.
# Meaning: The intellect of the knower must be
adequate to the thing known.
Accordingly, each plane of reality corresponds to an
instrument of knowledge adequate to the task of
knowing that particular level of reality.
Scriptures assume that even if a person is guilty
he/she can know and grasp clear and simple truth
(#82).
22
1st & 2nd Requirements call for 3rd.
# The need for a metaphysical inquiry that transcends to the
ultimate search for truth in virtue of spiritual nature (83).
# A human being’s interiority, spirituality and speculative
thinking must be the spiritual core. Metaphysics is a MUST.
# We must not stop short at hermeneutics. The text must go
beyond the reality it stands for. The interpretation of the must
lead us to a true statement, otherwise no revelation (#84).
# We are in a professional philosophy today but we must go
by the teaching of the Church like CCC.
# We can have a unified knowledge. So chances of a
fragmented approach must be given up.
# Pastors ought to take up a sapiential task according to the
Gospel and do not shy away (#85).
# Dangers: eclecticism, historicism, scientism etc. not OK.

23. Current tasks for theology (92-99)
23
Theology through
Philosophy is dominant.
Vatican II’s twofold task:
Renew methods of
evangelization and look up to
the ultimate truth.
Purpose of Theology
It is to provide an
understanding of revelation
and the content of faith (93).
Across the range of cultures,
concepts developed for the
upkeep of such values.
Philosophy must play a good
role to avoid errors.
Epistemological Values
Otherwise, such
communications could not be
possible. It amounts to God’s
universality (95-96) which
transcends beyond time and
cultures.
Communicate with each other.

24. Current tasks for theology (92-99) Cont’d
24
Hermeneutical Problems
exist but are not insoluble
(#96)
The value of many concepts
does not show that their
meaning is often imperfect.
Interpretation of Sources
What is more vital than it, it is
the understanding of revealed
truth or the articulation of the
intellectus fidei.
If the intellectus fidei wishes to
absorb all the wealth of
tradition, it must turn to the
philosophy of being which …
Propose a new problem of
being in harmony
Christian metaphysical tradition
is open to reality as a whole and
is confirmed by the relationship
between faith and reasoning.
Metaphysics and Moral
Theology

25. Conclusion of Fides et Ratio (100-108)
25
PHIL. & ETHICAL
VALUES
REALIZATION
OF SELF
CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRESS OF
HUMANS
AUTHENTIC WISDOM &
TRUTH
MOST DISTINCTIVE TREASURE
SAPIENZA IN SCIENCE
Theology has challenged reason to remain open to radical
newness in God’s Revelation. It is in search of truth.
The bond between theological wisdom and philosophical
wisdom is one of the Christian tradition’s treasures.
Philosophers need to follow a valid philosophical foundation
for authentic wisdom and metaphysical truth.
As brave pioneers, scientists must follow Sapienza in their
inquiry and research.
Scientific & technological achievements are wedded to
philosophical and ethical values.
Different philosophical systems have lured human beings but
true fullness and truth come thru’ the realization of self in
Christ.
A POWERFUL INFLUENCE Relationship between faith, reason, theology, phil.
culture & social behaviour. One influences the other.

26. Thank you for your patience
26