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I am writing this response to John Paul II's encyclical letter Fides et Ratio as a philosopher who does not believe that "the truth of Christian Revelation, found in Jesus of Nazareth" is "the absolute truth." Nevertheless, I find a great deal that is praiseworthy in this document, as well as many claims that are also extremely troubling. I do not want to criticize the letter from an "external" point of view but rather from an internal perspective, because I believe that even the most sympathetic reader ought to pay attention to the internal tensions and conflicts that it reveals. Let us keep in mind, in the spirit of generosity in which it is offered, that an encyclical letter is not a philosophical or theological treatise. The letter doesn't offer detailed arguments for the claims that it makes. It is rather a statement directed to "the bishops of the Catholic Church" that is intended to serve as guidance in understanding the relationship of faith and reason.
The very opening announces the major theme: "Faith and Reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth." The letter is a defense of the importance of reason and philosophy for any true believer. In this respect it articulates what many would consider the best in the Christian tradition—that there is no incompatibility between reason and faith, but rather an ultimate harmony. Faith is not op posed to reason; rather, it requires the full development of reason. And reason itself requires faith in order to strengthen, guide, and supplement its inherent limitations. The Christian has a supreme obligation to cultivate the full development of reason and to encourage the pursuit of philosophy. Reason that is not in formed by the true faith is itself deficient. The en cyclical sets forth a subtle relationship between faith and reason. Each is autonomous, yet they implicate each other, and in the final analysis they are harmonious. Although there are many paths to truth, there is an ultimate unity of truth. Philosophy cannot hope to attain the knowledge of faith that is given by revelation, but faith demands philosophy in order to understand itself. Consequently, true Christian theology and true philosophy are also compatible.
What is striking about this letter is its ecumenical and cosmopolitan spirit. It clearly recognizes that there are sources of wisdom that go far beyond the Catholic church. Christians and non-Christians, East and West, pagans and believers have all contributed to the journey for true knowledge—and their contributions must be acknowledged. The introduction to the letter does not begin with a citation from the Bible but rather from the pagan Delphic oracle: "Know Yourself." Even when the letter turns to a criticism of some of the "postmodern" tendencies in philosophy, it concedes that "the currents of thought which claim to be postmodern merit appropriate attention." Some of the sharpest criticisms are directed against fideism, which "fails to recognize the importance of rational knowledge and philosophical discourse for the understanding of faith, indeed for the very possibility of belief in God," and biblicalism, which "tends to make the reading and exegesis of Sacred Scripture the sole criterion of truth." Furthermore, "the study of philosophy is fundamental and in dispensable to the structure of theological studies." In short, a faith that fails to take philosophy and reason with full seriousness is not a true faith. This is a conviction that certainly can be shared by many religious believers, including Protestants, Jews, and Muslims.
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