The relationship between faith and reason

The opening pages Thomas Aquinas gives a classical definition of revelation. He posits
that for it is necessary to have knowledge revealed by god for our salvation, as an addition to
knowledge built on human reason. Man needs revelation since God is beyond the grasp of
reason, even though he is naturally directed to god. Reason alone can discover some truths about
God, but still revelation serves a useful purpose. Only a limited number of people can have the
skill or time to reach the knowledge of God by reason. Normally this would take them very long
time, and their conclusions or deductions might be influenced by

human errors. With this in

mind, it is right to state that sacred doctrine derives principles from divine truth and not from any
human knowledge.S.t Thomas declared that whatever is found in other sciences that contradicts
sacred science must be condemned as false, since based on revelation.

The definition of Aquinas is important since it concisely formulates various elements in

this doctrine. He clearly distinguishes between truth of faith and that of reason. Aquinas shows
the logical necessity of revelation as well as practical value. In his writings, he relates and
compares the realms of faith and reason by making one lower than the other without conflicting
with it. He believes that the teachings of the scripture contain sacred doctrine because the Bible
was a book revealed or rather inspired by God.
We are going to consider the relationship between reason and faith. Aquinas assumed that
revelation in other words means sacred doctrine. In his understanding revelation meant
information about the nature of man and God that is imparted to us supernaturally. This
definition is too intellectualist. Revelation involves a personal experience between God and man,

where god reveals himself to man. It can be argued that revelation involves a dialogue between
God and man. We can say that revelation reveals a who instead of a What.
Experience with God cannot come from within, this is according to Brunner. Which
means that we are talking to ourselves. Revelation originates from outside. Gods transcendence
is re-affirmed by Christianity. God is neither our immanent force inside nature nor is he our
deepest self. He is different from us just like any other persons are. In order to know God like we
know other human beings, God is the one who communicates himself to us. It is not possible to
know a man just by merely look at him, you have to relate to God to know him, but at a deeper
level than that of a man. The clue to Gods character is his words to us, the person of God is
revealed to us personally by God. He speaks with us and to us, but not out of us.

Thomas Aquinas life and whole person including his writings are both refutation and
contradiction and the same doctrine he protects. He lived a life that proved that faith and science
can coexist I harmony, and that faith does not preclude development of the highest faculty of
man, reason. He believed firmly in the truths of Christianity, amazingly there is no single
scientist of any age used his reason, but he treaded carefully to master the limits of reasoning and
the province of faith. He determined so luminously and so accurately the true relations of reason
and faith such that since his time no error has been refuted that may have arisen on this subject
than just to call attention to his principles.