ABSTRACT
Philosophers have seen why the relationship between faith and philosophy has always been an uneasy one in the Western world. This chapter outlines some of the major attempts philosophers have made to reach an estimate of faith and its rationality. Many of the key themes of Western philosophical reflection on faith make their first appearance in the works of Saint Augustine, even though it would be an error to suppose that he offers a full theory of what faith is. The most important medieval thinker to follow in Augustine's footsteps is Saint Anselm. Human reason can move beyond sensory information in science and philosophy and can arrive at vitally important truths through abstraction and argument. Defenses of religious faith have often emphasized the extent to which philosophical criticism of it has depended on what are called foundationalist assumptions. As the assertion of a foundational role for philosophy has ancient roots, so does its religious rejection.
