Confronting the Crisis of Faith

By Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq.
8/14/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

To understand the Threefold faith in God

While we need to believe that God exists and believe God, the faith that will pull us out of the "crisis of faith," is the third kind of faith, believing in God, credere in Deum, believing in Christ, credere in Christum. This sort of faith is an act of personal adherence to the Lord and his teachings; it is an act of entrustment in the Lord, an act that recognizes God and Jesus as our end. It is inspired by charity and seeks intimate union with the Lord.

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CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - "In vast areas of the earth," Pope Benedict XVI recently stated to the assembled members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who met in plenary session, "the faith risks being extinguished, like a flame without fuel." Over and over during the course of his pontificate, the Pope has warned that the world--especially the affluent Western world--faces a "crisis of faith."

To understand the "crisis of faith," we have to understand faith.

Faith is a rich, multi-layered concept, and traditionally theologians distinguished between believing in God's existence (credere Deum), to believe God (credere Deo), and to believe in God (credere in Deum). This threefold faith was applied also to Christ, so that theologians spoke about believing in Christ's existence (credere Christum), to believe Christ (credere Christo), and believing in Christ (credere in Christum).

Believing that God exists or that Christ existed or exists, is of no particular merit. Even the demons believe that God is one and that he exists. (James 2:19) This faith--a wholly intellectual assent without an act of will--is without charity, and does not save. Thomas Jefferson, for example, believed that Jesus was a historical figure, but that did not make him a Christian.

Believing that God exists or that Christ existed is not the kind of faith that will pull us out of the "crisis of faith" of which Pope Benedict XVI speaks, although it is the first step to getting us to the faith that can do so.

We have to believe that God exists, that Christ existed, but that is not enough.

Believing God is another kind of faith, but it is not meritorious or salvific either. In fact, this kind of faith is commonplace. This is the human faith of everyday life applied to God.

We believe scientists when they say that the earth revolves around the sun. We believe the newscaster when she tells us that Romney picked Ryan as his running mate. We believe our parents when they told us we were born on our birthday. Again, even the demons possess this kind of faith.

As St. Augustine notes in his Commentary on the Gospel of John, there is a watershed of difference between believing God and believing in God. "We can also say about his Apostles, 'We believe Paul,' but not 'We believe in Paul,' "We believe Peter,' but not, 'We believe in Peter.'"

Thomas Jefferson believed Jesus as a moral teacher. But he did not believe in Jesus, and so he cannot be counted a Christian.

While we need to believe that God exists and believe God, the faith that will pull us out of the "crisis of faith," is the third kind of faith, believing in God, credere in Deum, believing in Christ, credere in Christum. This sort of faith is an act of personal adherence to the Lord and his teachings, it is an act of entrustment in the Lord, an act that recognizes God and Jesus as our end. It is inspired by charity and seeks intimate union with the Lord.

As Peter Lombard puts it in his Sentences, credere in Deum is by believing to love God, by believing to go into God, by believing to adhere to God, and to be incorporated into his body of believers.

Peter Lombard simply regurgitates St. Augustine: Quid est credere in Deum? Credendo amare, credendo diligere, credendo in eum ire, et eius membris incorporari. What is it to believe in God? By faith to love him, by faith to follow him, by faith to go into him, and to become a member of his Church.

This faith--believing in God, credere in Deum--is not dead. (cf. James 2:17) It is faith of this kind which justifies the sinner and which necessarily shows itself through the works of love. It is this faith, and this faith alone, that will take us out of the "crisis of faith."

The credere in Deum faith is the ample, life-changing faith that is suggested in the interesting vision of the hermit St. Nicholas of Fl�e (1417-1487), or Brother Klaus as he is popularly known. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (� 226) draws upon a prayer composed by St. Nicholas in describing the implications of faith in one God:

My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.

This credere in Christum faith transforms. It incites love, union, adherence and fidelity, and incorporation into the body of Christ, his Church. It is this faith that provides fuel to the flame of love of God and allows us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, ...

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Celia
9 months ago
Does anyone know how, why or when this crisis started? I've been a Catholic all my life & I've seen changes in the church that I don't like small but significant changes & most people have forgotten what it was like then or got in the program so they don't even notice. From the little I've been researching & reading looks like this has been happening since post Vatican Council II. Unity & the sacrifice in the Mass in the Catholic church has always been a thorn to the Communist, Freemasons, etc so these people couldn't wait to get inside (V.C II) & start meddling, succeeded & thus our crisis now. Made a comment on Fr Farfaglia's article but it wasn't published somehow talking about the old Latin Traditional mass & comparing it with the New Mass seems to strike a nerve. Why was the Latin Mass changed if there was nothing wrong with it in the first place. As the saying goes don't fix something that isn't broken.
With JP II"s Ecumenical system who needs to convert anyway, to him looks like every religions God is the same but I would think not!!!! We would be going against the first commandment I am the Lord thy God & you shall have no strange gods before me.
The Muslims don't believe in the Trinity nor that Jesus is divine so allah can't be our God!!!
The Hindu's have so many Gods. Buddhism is a way of life rather than religion. Etc
The meeting in Assisi with all other religions is a blasphemy to God. When St Francis of Assisi went to see the Sultan he spoke only of his Christian faith with the intention of Converting the Sultan & dying a martyrs death. Not to tell him your god is my god like JP II is trying to imply 2 very different things I would say. I'm no expert nor have I lost my faith although I do question the motives of our leaders who are administering our Catholic faith are they really leading us to Christ or elsewhere????? Wonder if they publish my post???
Juneau Alaska
10 months ago
So, I read this entire article and it looks like the intended audience must be people of faith. A sort of "strenghthen your brothers in the faith [Luke 22:32]" approach. I am not a person of faith so I obviously don't have a crisis! Cheers! -Mike
Dliodoir
10 months ago
I too am saddened at the decline in faith, particularly in our American/Western society. It was our faith, after all, that was the moral and spiritual impetus for all the great things that our society has acheived. At the end of the day, however, faith is an individual experience. We can not make anyone else believe. We can testify to the truth and live our lives as a model to its correctness and maybe the Holy Spirit will work through us to enlighten another heart to accept the sacrafice that Christ made for us all. That said, I would rather the dead leaves fall from the tree so that the sun can stimulate new, vibrant growth. There is much to be sad about in the decline of faith in the West, but there are many signs of hope as well. Those that do believe do so with more passion and knowledge and intent. People no longer believe and practice out of some sense of societal or cultural obligation but rather because they are actively striving to be please God. The church militant is enlivened and vigorous and fresh. We stand before a hostile and unbelieving world. . .not unlike the Christians that spread throughout Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. They encountered hostility and violence and scepticism. . .but they gave witness to the pagans and the pagans came to believe. It is a true test of faith to live a proud and open Christian life in a hostile world. Those brave saints, martyrs and un-named evangelizers didn't need a society to accept and affirm their beliefs. We don't need one either. Christ is our King and Mary our Queen and we are their humble strivers toward the kingdom of God no matter what temporal society we happen to live in.
abey
10 months ago
Jesus told St. Philip "seeing me is seeing the Father", again to His words "I am in the Father & the Father in me , me & The Father are one.,since God is spirit. Seeing Jesus in His spiritual glory Apostle John describes Him in revelations chapter 1, but again there is a fulness to Him which comes in the revelation of the original "Arc of the covenant" that which John saw in the temple of God, when the heavens opened, Prophesied by Prophet Jeremiah to the revelation of the covenant in the book of the Maccabees which again is to the words of Jesus of the manner" You do not know the Father neither the Son , but them unto whom the Son pleases to reveal". True to His words, this comes purely by His revelation. Through no amount of intelligence, understanding, interpretations or speculations can this be known, but to a criteria Biblically mentioned "Blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God" in the literal sense, His Face to His fulness. Rest assured that even the god of this world standing before Him does not speak unless spoken to, none dare, leave alone to even looking at His glorious Face. For all fall short of the Glory of God, but by His Mercy.
Kasoy
10 months ago
Faith is the first step. As stated in paragraph 2518 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting St. Augustine "by believing they may obey God, by obeying may live well, by living well may purify their hearts, and with pure hearts may understand what they believe."
Virgil Alfaro
10 months ago
An erudite and timely publication meaningful to those church members
whose daily lives are immersed in science and intellectualism.

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