Faith, Reason, and Miracles

Is Religious Belief Rational?

  1. The Problem: what's the relationship between faith and reason?

    1. Two Modes of Belief -

      1. Rational Beliefs: Three Systems of Justification -

        1. Internalism

            Foundationalism -

            • Classical Foundationalism
            • Neo-Foundationalism

          1. Coherentism -

        2. Externalism -

      2. Revelatory Beliefs -

        1. Propositional Revelation -

          • Natural
          • Divine

        2. Personal Revelation -

          • Absolute
          • Progressive

    2. Are Reason and (Propositional) Revelation Compatible?

      1. Yes

        1. Reason and revelation are identical ('faith' and 'belief' are synonymous)
        2. Revelation transcends reason - St. Thomas

      2. No

        1. Revelation is non-rational -

          • Voluntarism - Pascal
          • Pragmatism - James

        2. Revelation is irrational -

          • Existentialism - Kierkegaard

  2. Reason and the Miraculous:

    1. What is a Miracle?

      1. Violation of Natural Law, or

      2. An improbable event consistent with Natural Law, or

      3. An Awe-inspiring natural event

    2. Are Miracles Consistent with Rational Belief?

      1. Miracles are logically impossible

      2. Miracles are empirically impossible

      3. Miracles are empirically possible, but do not occur

      4. Miracles are empirically possible, and do occur


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