What Is Faith?

Faith is often seen as an irrational adherence to a belief apart from logic or evidence. Furthermore, religious faith is assumed to be subjective and disconnected from factual reality, which is informed by objective historical study and scientific research. My Dad, who was thoroughly secular, would often jokingly quip, “Just have faith!” But this assumption about Christian faith is not accurate, for the New Testament writers were very concerned to emphasize the historical and factual foundation of the faith. For example, the Apostle Paul appealed to collective eyewitness testimony concerning the risen Christ in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep [died]. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (I Cor. 15:3-8)

Paul stated that many of these witnesses were still alive and their testimony would corroborate his teaching. (The numerous appearances he lists discredit any notion of simple hallucinations. (See Did Jesus Actually Rise from the Dead? for a detailed discussion of the evidence for the resurrection.) He goes on to assert the factual basis of the resurrection claim and its central importance as a divine validation of Christ’s life, teachings, and his victory over sin and death:

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.“ (I Cor 15:14-20)

Saint Luke, the author of the gospel that bears his name, also emphasizes the factual basis of the faith and the accurate transmission of the traditions of Christ’s life and ministry. He begins his gospel with an explanation of the historical validation of his accounts:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1: 1-4)

Note his reference to eyewitness testimony and his emphasis on personal research (“having followed all things closely”). His object was to write “an orderly account” with the goal of establishing certainty about the Christian faith for his readers.

From these examples, it is evident that the writers of the New Testament documents regarded faith as a commitment made on the basis of facts, logic, and trust in the character of God demonstrated by the life and teaching of Christ.

These statements provide an historical foundation for faith that is unique among world religions. Islam, in contrast, is based on a claim to revelation by one single person, Muhammed—a claim that is not capable of any external verification. (See The Role of Logic in Examining Religious Truth Claims.)

The factual and historical basis for the life of Christ and early Christianity also stand in sharp contrast to mythologies of dying and rising gods set in non-historical far-away times and places, such as the Egyptian god, Osiris, the Mesopotamian god Tammuz, and the Greek legends of Adonis and Attis.

Christianity is open to examination and evidence. While no view of reality is capable of absolute proof and certainty, Christianity has a more solid foundation than other world religions. Furthermore, Christian philosophers have contend successfully in debates with secular scholars, atheists, and skeptics.

Secularists often fail to realize that they too live by faith. Because we all live by one faith or another, we are all in the same boat. (See Basic Assumptions About Certainty and the Pursuit of Truth for a more detailed discussion of this idea.) The decision to believe, to become a Christian, can be based on an open-minded examination of the evidence accompanied by an attraction to the life and teaching of Jesus.

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