faith religion and theology summary

faith religion and theology summary

The Importance of Faith, Religion, and Theology

1. The Role of Faith in Human Life

On a general level, faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing or a concept. But in traditional Christian theology, the role of faith is more specific. It “is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). It is the vision of a better world or a better me and the conviction that this is not an idle fantasy but a reality which one can actively strive for or somewhat passively receive. It is, of course, not mere wishful thinking; one only hopes for things which are possible, and by faith, it is considered that one of the things proposed is rooted in the reality and love of God for us. Now, what gives Christianity its uniqueness among religions is that this hoped-for reality has been in Jesus Christ. He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, and so it is by following him that faith has to seek the things hoped for. This often means standing outside what is considered wise or good by the world, being prepared to be considered foolish and worthy of disgrace for the sake of something greater. Jesus’ life and particularly his death is the ultimate example of obedience and commitment to what is believed to be of ultimate value, and therefore faith is union with Christ in his death and life. This can be interpreted in many ways, but it essentially means dying to the old way of life and turning away from sin and evil to newness of life in Christ, often despite much suffering and adversity. The Christian idea of future hope is a very deep and complex topic, but it is clear that faith has a transformative power more than the way we see ourselves and the world but of the actual state of things. This is summarized in a quote from the creed which says, “We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come”.

Faith is an important dimension of human existence. It involves a vision of life, a project or a way of understanding the world and giving it meaning. Faith is not the property of a particular social or age group: it is a universal human phenomenon, to be found in greater or lesser degree and in different forms in every society and cultural situation. Its expression may be ambiguous or it may appear beyond the frontiers of traditional religion, but faith is the commitment of the whole person, intellectually, affectively, and concretely, to that which he or she considers the ultimate or the most valuable. Heidegger said, “Every man is a philosopher or at least a would-be philosopher.” His point is that everyone has a certain understanding of life, and certainly everyone has an idea of what is sometimes called the kingdom of God – a world in which everything has turned out as they would wish it. This may seem an idle fantasy with many just burdened by life struggle to make ends meet, but in one way or another, faith gives a certain purpose, direction, and consolation in life. This is what sustains people and enables them to endure even when their situation seems desperate. Religion is simply the systematization of this faith and its defining of a path to realizing that which is held to be of ultimate value or good.

2. Exploring Different Religions and Their Beliefs

I spent just under a month on Christianity alone, trying to cover most of its confessions and do justice to its great influence and history. The emphasis was still cognitive, ethnographic and historical, sometimes blurring into the next theme. Here the more the students learn and understand, particularly symbolism, the more faith comes. Just as Christianity has played a dominant part in Western intellectual history, so the details of its thought and history from a multitude of confessions, sects, and heresies complicate the matter… and indeed Christianity reflected many times in challenging the students’ faith in understanding. Random discussion of Taoism has left a student’s father wheelchair-ridden, and as my students discovered I was Buddhist-educated, there was not a lack of challenge to my clients’ faith in understanding. Both were good things… error often must be made manifest.

The marks from these assignments and greater interest on topics often seemed inversely proportional to the orthodoxy of the religion discussed. That is, the more peculiar, outlandish, or ancient the religion, the more enthusiasm in learning about it. This was not always the case, however, and indeed one religion is so widespread and divisive that time is certainly spent on it.

Stressing the importance of faith, considering its various forms and the freedom to choose among them, I then handed out a grid with several major religions and philosophies, asking students to fill in their beliefs concerning human nature, problems, solution, and first premise concerning knowing about the divine. This was quite successful, although indeed due to massive oversimplifications necessary in such a form. This was evident on a frequent basis throughout the year. The students’ true interest and awe in seeking knowledge concerning God and adherence to ideas and wealth of religions was apparent. This awe and reverence is the beginning of faith.

3. The Significance of Theology in Understanding Faith

With such self-understanding of faith and theology in mind, it is possible to draw out several ways in which faith and the project of understanding it through theology are significant.

Systematic theologians have often assumed a more general or universal understanding of faith, attempting to locate it together with its objects in relation to different areas of human existence and to give an account of its structure. So construed, theology is itself one of the ways in which faith seeks to understand its object, and the theology of faith is an account of the faith’s reflective understanding of itself in terms of its object and its knowledge of it.

Many theologians are primarily interested in faith as manifested in particular communities or traditions, working with it for the enhancement and interpretation of a way of life. Here, faith will be regarded primarily as a set of beliefs or doctrines to which assent is given, and theologians will seek to understand it by reflecting on the community’s way of life, its stated beliefs, and the underlying vision of reality.

Religion and faith, in all their glory, continue to play a significant role in the human experience. Theologians have always been intrigued by the sheer complexity of understanding faith. Attitudes to faith among theologians themselves have differed considerably as to its significance.

4. Religion’s Impact on Society and Culture

In economic terms, Max Weber has argued that the development of modern capitalism was heavily influenced by a Protestant work ethic. Various religions have also contributed orientations to work, thrift, and savings. In some cases, religious factors have produced economic systems that were different from those found in other religions. For instance, Hindu economic thought had little in common with the capitalist development of Western Europe. This work ethic and economic orientation have therefore affected the prosperity of different peoples, with some arguing it to have led to the economic dominance of certain Western countries.

We are also all too aware of the significant role that our personal religion or spirituality plays in our everyday lives. Religion plays a vital role in shaping cultural, social, and economic norms in both a positive and negative light. It’s important to recognize that whether we are religious or not, the different religious practices around the world have affected society and culture significantly. For example, religious differences have contributed to wars and conflicts in certain regions of the world. Though, in times of peace, religions have also provided a common ground for different peoples to relate to one another, sharing the same spirituality and faith.

5. Nurturing and Strengthening Personal Faith

One interesting testimony has been Sunder’s regarding God’s provision. He had to submit a thesis of about 500 pages, and he was trying to convert it into a printed format through PDF. Due to some PDF software problem, the whole document got corrupted, and there was no way of retrieving it. He was distressed, but the very next day, his external hard disk crashed, and he took it as a punishment from God for some sin, and prayed in repentance. But the amazing part was that within 2 hours of this, a junior friend gave him a new hard disk. He was reminded of Job 33:29-30, “God does all these things to a man-twice, even three times- to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine in his eyes.” And God has been gracious with us, not giving us more than we can bear.

The first article, “Nurturing and Strengthening Faith,” has experiences from the lives of students, staff, and research scholars while being at the Centre. We have been able to testify to the amazing ways God eases our stresses and strains by sharing our problems with Christian friends or staff, and we have been praying for each other. Worship was really de-stressing as we were redirecting ourselves towards the Lord. Regular individual prayer and Bible reading have been a common point for most of us. It has been very encouraging to receive guidance through the word from time to time. Another common experience has been a sense of close fellowship with Christ. This has been at times through a realization of God’s presence, an answered prayer, or a feeling of joy in the Lord. This is also an answer to the prayer of wanting to taste and see more of the Lord.

Key idea – We have been trying to talk about faith, theology, and religion from an individual perspective and our experiences. As the focus has been on the individual, this chapter also falls under the same category. The discussion here is also about religious matters, but the talk is about strong faith and its nurturing process. The experiences shared here also have a learning for others, as many times we become weak and our experiences can be a source of strength for others. So one can say that the experiences shared by us are for the collective good of humanity. We also get a chance to testify God’s amazing ways, and thus we are effectively doing God’s work. Remember, God has chosen us to testify his actions.