Fideism is the position that separates faith from reason to the point of dispensing with reason. It is the faith that does not want to be examined.
The origin: Athens and Jerusalem
The most famous caricature of fideism comes from Tertullian, a Christian writer from the end of the second century, with the provocation: what does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? In other words, what does Greek philosophy have to do with the Gospel? Taken to the extreme, the phrase opposes faith to the work of intelligence.
Why fideism turns against faith itself
Taken to the limit, this attitude transforms faith into a blind feeling, which does not want to be examined because it fears it will not survive the examination. The problem is that the word faith, in origin, does not mean that. Faith comes from the Latin fides, grounded trust, not a leap in the dark. A faith that escapes reason gives up exactly what makes it firm.
Tradition's answer
The great Christian tradition never asked us to choose between believing and thinking. Augustine said: believe to understand, understand to believe. Anselm of Canterbury called this faith that seeks understanding. Fideism is the refusal of this path, and that is why the central tradition avoids it.
In-depth study
Church History Course, with Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Bitencourt
In-depth reading of the work of Daniel Rops, where the alliance between faith and reason and Augustine's conversion appear in full.
Discover the courseFrequently asked questions
What is fideism?
It is the position that dispenses with reason in the name of faith, treating belief as something that should not be examined. Taken to the extreme, it transforms faith into a blind feeling.
Who was Tertullian?
He was a Christian writer in the Latin language, active at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd centuries, in North Africa. He is attributed with the provocation that Athens has to do with Jerusalem.
Are fideism and Christian faith the same thing?
No. The great Christian tradition, from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas, rejects fideism and argues that faith seeks understanding, rather than dismissing it.
Continue: Faith and reason: rivals, separate or allies? · What is scientism · The origin of the words reason and faith
Home class (Community NousCast): Fé e Razão (Fides et Ratio)