Seven Ways Faith and Reason Work Together (Aquinas 101)

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Faith does not frustrate reason. They are in harmony, which can be spelled out in seven principles.
Harmony of Faith and Reason: Seven Principles (Aquinas 101) - Fr. James Brent
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This video was made possible through the support of grant #61944 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

[@ys6358]

This is how our catholic faith should be taught at christian schools. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!

[@masterlee9822]

Believing in god is like believing in faeries and unicorns?

[@masterlee9822]

I have to agree with the faith who follow a ancient Germanic god. Humans are a filthy animal like species compared to the more advanced species. Always wash your exposed skin after being around them. Humans are a breeding ground for all kinds of germs. Humans are unclean in flesh and soul. Distasteful creatures.Humans smell horrible, holding your nose is only slightly effective in blocking out the stench. Work is a unfortunate sufferance when one must be around such creatures and cannot avoid them. The goal is gold and treasure. The holy scrolls teach us about such abominations like humans. Lowly earthly creatures servants of the darkness forever denied the glory of the light marked by darkness on their skin. The unclean ones. The pale ones, are the sons of the frost mother, who where first formed in the light, shaped from gods essence. The soul had a life in the kingdom of the light before entering the chosen body? The soul can only enter gods chosen vessels and no others. God souls have never entered to flesh of the unclean, the dark ones. The souls where a gift to the pale ones, sons of the frost mother in the times of the ice. Gods vessels where tested in ice and freezing winds of death. Eons passed before the souls where giving to the pale ones. The ice times , snow times is where god tested the worthy before the earth shook and the sky rained fire. The ice temples fell. Many times passed before the times of the farms. The ice temples had to be made of stone.

[@NaruIchiLuffy]

Fantastic series with an incredible ending. Thank you for all you do in service of our God.

[@masterlee9822]

Some people want god to exist, seems to be about convincing yourself.

[@MaranathatoJesusthroughMary]

If only everyone knew the free stuff you guys are teaching here. I pray for that to happen or at least as many people as possible. Thanks guys God bless, protect and guide you all.🙏❤

[@masterlee9822]

Do you think he hears voices in his head?

[@masterlee9822]

The soul had a life in heaven before entering the chosen body? The soul can only enter gods chosen vessels and no others. God souls have never entered to flesh of the unclean, the dark ones. The souls where a gift to the pale ones, sons of the frost mother in the times of the ice. Gods vessels where tested in ice and freezing winds of death. Eons passed before the souls where giving to the pale ones. The ice times , snow times is where god tested the worthy before the earth shook and the sky rained fire. The ice temples fell. Many times passed before the times of the farms. The ice temples had to be made of stone.

[@andrewclarke3044]

it's like receiving free philosophy and theology lectures!

[@neuronneuron3645]

1. Consistency - Right faith and right reason are logically consistent with each other 2. Support - Right reason can demonstrate many truths about God and support many of the things we believe about God. 3. Defense - Right reason can refute objections to articles of faith 4. Service - Right reason can serve to understand many of the truths God has revealed 5. Correction - Right faith serves to correct the common errors of reason 6. Sapiential - Right faith allows a person to see all things in relation to God 7. Fulfillment - Right faith provides answers to some of the most profound questions that human reason cannot answer on its own or answer easily

[@danserrano100]

Thank you for the summary

[@mauijttewaal]

In theory there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is;-)

[@michaelmaillard8280]

Praise God for Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church

[@masterlee9822]

Leprechauns are real?

[@varginabrown852]

*Life exclusively comes from Life*

[@antoniomoyal]

Very helpful to articulate Divine and Natural law, and how reason and faith interact.

[@deeplearningpartnership]

This is brilliant. Thank you.

[@masterlee9822]

Effecting a person perception of the universe only require certain kinds of hormones and stimulates. Reality can lose and gain textures and dimension by effecting the mind , emotions and the senses. Senses are not really a objective reality. you are not seeing the real reality. You see what your biology wants you to see. No evidence of the soul existence, a soul existence may mean being able to see reality differently, the real reality may still be out of reach. Seeing reality as it exists may be considered a blessing or a great horror. might not be possible. Life has not evolved to see the true reality. Would a lack of emotions bring you closer? Emotion seem to add additional layers to the deception.

[@roisinpatriciagaffney4087]

Glory be to God for dappled things. Thank you, Father Brent.

[@tomgreene2282]

Ah ...a Hopkins fan!

[@jonathanw5518]

Thank you! This was very encouraging/informative and made helpful distinctions. May God richly bless you all!

[@ThomisticInstitute]

You're welcome, Jonathan! God bless you.

[@pharmapilly8479]

Tooooo much sense God thank you for the church and its people u have always ordained to lead us will continue to pray for u all goosh felt goose bumps hearing i this so beautiful listening to intelligent people....not fire and brimstone and christian fights goosh

[@filiusvivam4315]

Thank you Thomistic Institute.

[@ThomisticInstitute]

You're welcome! God bless you.

[@johncruz2875]

Thank you po ❤

[@mirajimenez5954]

Amazing explanation... Everyone must know the works of St Thomas Aquinas.... Thank you for this... God bless your work.... Amen

[@masterlee9822]

I always seem to leave my fantasies, Never had the chance to wield a sword slicing through a hordes of orcs.

[@anitatoppo1438]

Beautiful ❤️

[@maryjohnstone4777]

Thank you Fr. so much!

[@padresilviorobertomic]

Very well presented. Thanks!

[@michaelperrotta2333]

Love all the videos!

[@ThomisticInstitute]

Cheers, thanks for watching! May the Lord bless you!

[@daymagtoto959]

Thank you very very much for this! It helped me understand my faith. Video full of wisdom. More power to you!

[@ThomisticInstitute]

We're happy you found it helpful. God bless you!

[@letdaseinlive]

This candour is of the essence.

[@JuanRPF]

Very good!!

[@JohnR.T.B.]

Thank you for the educating video! I think we have faith because we can understand and accept sound teachings, divine revelations, which touch upon the thirst for truths in our minds, hearts, this thirst for truths which is planted by God. And these desires for truths, if not guided by the true divine revelation of God, are manifested into the different faiths, beliefs, and even superstitious thoughts, and lately into "science" that tries to make sense of our existence here, life beyond earth, what lies beyond the universe, etc. The hunger for explanations, for what is really true, what is beyond what we see in our daily lives, what makes us conscious, what makes us unique, what (or who) created all in the universe in the first place; ultimately require the harmony of faith and reason. Purely believing in whatever "supernatural" tales or stories of how things are will not satisfy this thirst for truths, not in the long term anyway as we walk into our problems in life which demand sound thinking and reasoning to be understood more deeply, and purely trusting and relying on our reasoning alone based on what we can see or sense (by doing "science") will also never answer the truths which are far beyond our reaches, which ultimately are inseparable from us, and most in the "science and reason" camp will ultimately suppress their natural instincts for supernatural truths, things beyond, things far above and within, out of reach of the senses and instruments. We are not just flowing energies, atoms, and molecules interacting with one another due to the laws of physics and chance probabilities. Our sustained existence can be described in such a way of course, just as we can analyze the chemical compositions of the painting of Mona Lisa, but to understand the meaning of Mona Lisa, what is being shown, the message, the meaning, the value of its beauty, why it was made in the first place, we need to have both faith and understanding, and the heart of the human, to understand the heart and mind of the painter; which will never be found by looking at Mona Lisa through the microscopes or by breaking down all of its molecular compositions.

[@aiantenor9080]

This is new to me Fr Brent. Thank you and God bless you

[@ThomisticInstitute]

It's a joy! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. May the Lord bless you!

[@a2tran814]

👍👍👍🤠

[@josenicolasdelosreyesalgar4854]

Does anyone know where the 7 principles are specifically articulated in Aquinas' writings? If so, I would like to know. Thanks.

[@peytonevans9406]

"Faith in general consists of believing something on the testimony of another. And Faith in God consists in believing something on the testimony of God". That's actually very interesting and helpful. In that case, I suppose the most straightforward position against religious faith would be to deny that such a testimony was ever given. If one doesn't believe that divine revelation has ever legitimately occurred, then there really isn't that much left to work with. I'm curious about the role that intuition plays here. It may simply be that some intuitions can't be imparted to someone who holds the opposite ones. I wonder if it's a bit like trying to explain whatever is funny about a really disturbing joke. If you don't already have a dark sense of humor, it may just never make sense.

[@pharmapilly8479]

Intuition and reasoning are intachangeable

[@spidermankelly4482]

Father, I have a question for you, I would desire you can answer my question with total sincerity. I would like to know how many years the soul of a sinner person will be tortured after their dead?

[@benjo6652]

If you propose a Cartesian substance dualism of body/matter and mind/soul: How do you solve the mind-body problem? Is there a specific explanatory approach that convinced you personally? Or is there even some explanation that is considered part of the Catholic dogma?

[@patricksee10]

There is only a mind body problem if you accept the Cartesian division. Reject that division and there is no problem

[@patricksee10]

Hylomorphism

[@ThomisticInstitute]

Give this a look: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHi7fqJobaekqdk

[@OniLeafNin]

St. Bonaventure gives unibility as the answer

[@varginabrown852]

1×1×1=1

[@SowerOfMustardSeed]

Good try but I doesn’t really work that way 😜 anyway. Lord have mercy.

[@varginabrown852]

@@SowerOfMustardSeed elaborate. I don't eat nothing burgers 🍔

[@SowerOfMustardSeed]

@@varginabrown852 coz this mathematical formulaic explanation of the Holy Trinity is just not true. It seems smart. But it’s just not true. And it’s flawed. For example, non-Christians could argue why does it have to be 1^3, but not 1^1 or 1^2 or 1^n. So I suggest not using 1^3 as an apologetic argument. I’m a Catholic catechist for 20 years and a Catholic for 40+ years. I am also an amateur apologist.

[@varginabrown852]

@@SowerOfMustardSeed just because someone can say something against something doesn't mean it's wrong. Anybody can say anything is wrong it doesn't mean it is.

[@SowerOfMustardSeed]

@@varginabrown852 appreciate your fervour but you r not listening and it’s not good for our evangelization, let alone apologetics 🙏🏼

[@melvindias1249]

How about a specific church keeps statues and pray to Saints? Is that Biblical?

[@fernandoyulo7589]

Pray for the living and the dead is scriptural. Statute or picture represent the physical pictorial appearance of somebody we love, someone who is already dead like our parents. For the saints, and the blessed mother, they act as intercessors, interceding for us and for our petitions to Jesus or God the Father. With regards to Mother Mary, we pray and honor her as the mother of Jesus and as His first disciple but never we never adore her like the way give allegiance to God or Jesus. If we pray to Mother Mary and the saints, they all lead us to Jesus..

[@Seal-hs5il]

"Jesus rose from the dead by the power of God" - One problem I have with this is that once you have the God card in your hand you can say just about anything.

[@socvr4]

True, but it’s more about not writing it off completely by saying “humans can’t do that”. Obviously you need extra evidence in order to come to the conclusion that the Christian God is true, but once we understand that then we can come to the conclusion that Jesus did rise from the dead.

[@SowerOfMustardSeed]

It’s historically a fact that Jesus did rise from the dead as He himself predicted and was foretold in OT. No disciples believed that until they all truly saw it happened in front of their eyes.

[@johantrenier1685]

God is infinite.

[@thekingshussar1808]

St Thomas had been a big doubter of Jesus's resurrection but nonetheless retracted his doubt after personally touching Jesus's wound from the spear. He'd later become a missionary for India as result and wrote his own gospel.

[@varginabrown852]

*Jesus Christ is the only Living Supernatural Creator God*

[@josephmiller3672]

With the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.

[@SowerOfMustardSeed]

@@josephmiller3672 very apt and necessary supplementary statement to include the Father and the Holy Spirit.

[@DanRaperplus]

I believe the problem with the trinity doctrine is that it man's attempt to define absolutely that which cannot be defined.

[@mauriciocomesana1272]

Read Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, there Thomas tries to shed some light over the mistery, but as you said, it is mostly beyond our understanding

[@Tahseer-shoukat]

Video link kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4DFaHhufs6UqLM reason for faith

[@Ms.V_Official]

Doubters👇

[@wiwaxiasilver827]

Again, I just can’t help but see Aquinas and his latter-day proponents as making too many assumptions without any means of testing, just retro-fitting to pre-conceived conclusions a posteriori, which I question the validity of. At least Aquinas may have an excuse from being at a time where means of testing were more limited, but I wonder about his latter day proponents who appear fervent to drag us back to the medieval era.

[@michaelkurak1012]

I got five seconds into the video and I already have a problem. How am I to differentiate between the concepts of faith and belief, if faith is defined simply as a species of belief? I submit that faith and belief are categorically different and that this difference can be felt. While faith involves a "letting go", belief involves a "holding on".

[@isaachess19]

Why do you believe "faith" and "belief" are distinct? The scriptures don't make that kind of distinction. It's a linguistic quirk of English that we imported both a Germanic and Latin word, and then lost the verb form of "faith." So we have the verb "believe," but only a noun for "faith" in English. But in New Testament Greek, for example, the same word (pistis) is used for both. Certainly _pistis_ is used in various ways in the NT, but it's clear that it always involves believing (or being persuaded by) some other. "how are they to believe ( _pisteuō_ ) in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"

[@michaelkurak1012]

@@isaachess19 I am not the least bit concerned with quirks either of English or of biblical translation. I am concerned with conceptual clarity. In philosophy belief is generally defined as a propositional attitude. This attitude is close to that of wishing. Apparently belief derives from the anglo Saxon "lief". It is generally contrasted with knowledge and is akin to opinion. Faith transcends such distinctions and has kinship with wisdom. While people might escape uncomfortable doubts by coming to believe the first plausible notions that enter their heads, I would not say that such persons have faith.

[@PInk77W1]

@@michaelkurak1012 people saw Jesus rise from the dead. It wasn’t their opinion. Yet when Jesus rose to heaven They still “believed” Jesus rose from the dead. They still had faith, but it wasn’t their opinion

[@michaelkurak1012]

@@PInk77W1 No, the people who saw him rise "knew" it. They did not "believe" it. The dude above (Father whoever) begins by saying: "Faith, in general, consists in believing something on the testimony of another." So, even if I accept his definition, you are wrong. ;-)

[@PInk77W1]

@@michaelkurak1012 what part of “in general” Don’t u understand

[@wiwaxiasilver827]

If divine persons are not subject to limits, there should be no reason not to also say 1+1+1=5, or 3,213,748, or -23.7568, or whichever ad infinitum, all possibilities that may have to be tested. To claim the solution as 1 specifically would require a limit in the definition. Just saying a divine thing does not have limits does not appear to be any more than arbitrary mind games, again trying to retro-fit to a pre-conceived conclusion. Not to mention, this holy spirit really just appears to behave as a placeholder because the ancients could not be comfortable of the idea of the rule of 2. Also, behaving like Earth-Sun distance is set to even the nearest m seems quite questionable when it appears the distance naturally oscillates by the magnitudes of km during the orbit. Way too much idealization in my opinion, just like the moment where Aquinas hilariously tries to tell an acorn what it has to do. Frankly I question if any of this is not a giant self-insert fantasy by some humans.

[@rockycomet4587]

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

[@michielwaalboer3088]

" But no one claims that dragons exist and can breathe fire in a normal sense! " " Dragons exist and can breathe fire because of magic! ". And that is quite possible...