ABSTRACT
The notion of faith is among the most contested terms in the philosophical and theological lexicon. The term ‘faith’ can refer, variously, to a speci c set of religious doctrines, the trust we place in God, a contrast to knowledge, a deeply anchored theological virtue, or even an attitude or posture in the face of the unknown – to select among its various meanings. Though faith is central to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as to some of the other world’s religions, the concept also has non-religious uses. Persons are sometimes said to have faith in a political cause, another person, or even their automobile. Because of Christianity’s in uential role in western philosophy, and since no univocal concept covers everything that writers have had in mind in using the term, I shall focus on faith as articulated in the Christian religion, though many points will be germane to other religious and non-religious uses of the term. I will suggest that religious faith is a complex, multidimensional quality of persons that, paradigmatically, involves one’s intellect, will, and behavior, in acts of belief or judgment, trust, and obedience. At various moments in the life of faith, one or the other of these elements may be prominent. Writers who emphasize one aspect of faith to the exclusion of others often focus on particular moments in the life of faith, but not on the career of faith throughout a person’s life.
