ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the richer meanings of rationality, Christianity can be shown to contribute to human happiness and well-being in the contemporary world in both a profound and at the same time reasonable way. It highlights the problems cause by a narrow understanding of rationality in Christianity. The chapter argues that by excluding the language of the body and the emotions, a distorted understanding of reason has created inadequate forms of faith within Christianity and prevented widened views of compassion, sensitivity, humility and tolerance with regard to other religions. Thomas Aquinas followed Aristotle's understanding of biology, namely, that male was the norm for humanity and woman a defective or misbegotten form of human being, he developed a dual anthropology. Christianity faced the challenge of defending rational basis from its very beginnings: it could be said that St. Paul, proclaiming the Christian faith against pagan idolatry in the Court of the Areopagus in Athens, was its first exponent and defender.
