Faith
From its origins, ‘faith’ has been a central category which correlates positively with the high regard for the discipline of theology in Christianity. However, it has been understood in various different ways. Current controversies about faith crystallize around an unusual expression employed by the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology
2022-11-01
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| Series: | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/Faith |
| _version_ | 1797391226170769408 |
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| author | Paul R. Hinlicky |
| author_facet | Paul R. Hinlicky |
| author_sort | Paul R. Hinlicky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | From its origins, ‘faith’ has been a central category which correlates positively with the high regard for the discipline of theology in Christianity. However, it has been understood in various different ways. Current controversies about faith crystallize around an unusual expression employed by the apostle Paul, ‘the faith of Christ’. From the time of Augustine, the Western church’s tradition has been to distinguish between the faith by which one believes and the faith which is believed. However, this is a potential roadblock on the way to a renewed understanding of Christian faith in the light of Paul’s ‘faith of Christ’, and the knowledge of God this turn of phrase implies for the discipline of theology in the life of the church. Karl Barth may be credited for advocating understanding of Paul’s unusual expression as referring to the faithfulness of Christ (or God’s faithfulness in Christ). Yet this reformatory innovation in understanding is complicated by the problem of an individualistic and exclusively forensic doctrine of justification by faith in the so-called ‘Lutheran Paul’ interpretation. A holistic case for Barth’s innovation, however, can accommodate a ‘Lutheran’ reading of Paul where the believer’s faith is understood as the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit conforming the believer to Christ so as to participate in the life of the triune God. If so, reformatory implications include clarification of the status of faith in the ‘fabulous’ power of the saving God and the ‘militancy’ of his grace. Deliteralization (as opposed to demythologization) not only clarifies such questions but illuminates the Johannine bridge from early Christianity to credal Christianity with its articulation of the faith which is believed. The engagement of such faith in the world is a protest against injustice on the earth born of hope in the saving justice of God, because it is a participation in the triune life of God. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:28:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7335efd779334cb197394a146ce2d228 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2753-3492 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:28:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7335efd779334cb197394a146ce2d2282023-12-14T16:28:40ZengSt Andrews Encyclopaedia of TheologySt Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology2753-34922022-11-01FaithPaul R. Hinlickyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9559-0581From its origins, ‘faith’ has been a central category which correlates positively with the high regard for the discipline of theology in Christianity. However, it has been understood in various different ways. Current controversies about faith crystallize around an unusual expression employed by the apostle Paul, ‘the faith of Christ’. From the time of Augustine, the Western church’s tradition has been to distinguish between the faith by which one believes and the faith which is believed. However, this is a potential roadblock on the way to a renewed understanding of Christian faith in the light of Paul’s ‘faith of Christ’, and the knowledge of God this turn of phrase implies for the discipline of theology in the life of the church. Karl Barth may be credited for advocating understanding of Paul’s unusual expression as referring to the faithfulness of Christ (or God’s faithfulness in Christ). Yet this reformatory innovation in understanding is complicated by the problem of an individualistic and exclusively forensic doctrine of justification by faith in the so-called ‘Lutheran Paul’ interpretation. A holistic case for Barth’s innovation, however, can accommodate a ‘Lutheran’ reading of Paul where the believer’s faith is understood as the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit conforming the believer to Christ so as to participate in the life of the triune God. If so, reformatory implications include clarification of the status of faith in the ‘fabulous’ power of the saving God and the ‘militancy’ of his grace. Deliteralization (as opposed to demythologization) not only clarifies such questions but illuminates the Johannine bridge from early Christianity to credal Christianity with its articulation of the faith which is believed. The engagement of such faith in the world is a protest against injustice on the earth born of hope in the saving justice of God, because it is a participation in the triune life of God.https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/Faithbelieftrustdogmaticstheodicypistis christou (faith of christ)christologythe holy spiritfideismpauline theology |
| spellingShingle | Paul R. Hinlicky Faith St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology belief trust dogmatics theodicy pistis christou (faith of christ) christology the holy spirit fideism pauline theology |
| title | Faith |
| title_full | Faith |
| title_fullStr | Faith |
| title_full_unstemmed | Faith |
| title_short | Faith |
| title_sort | faith |
| topic | belief trust dogmatics theodicy pistis christou (faith of christ) christology the holy spirit fideism pauline theology |
| url | https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/Faith |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulrhinlicky faith |