FAITH

Itsnatureandstructure,anditssignificanceforscience
By
D.H.Th.Vollenhoven
Professoremeritus
FreeUniversityofAmsterdam

RemarksmadeattheStudentConferenceonfaith,scienceandthescientistinUtrecht,theNetherlands,
1950.
ThisisaprovisionaltranslationofanaddressoriginallypublishedinGeloofenWetenschap:
Levensbeschouwingenlevenshoudingvandeacademicus.UtrechtNijmegen:N.V.Dekker&Vande
Vegt,1950.
YourinvitationtocontributetothisCongressIgladlyrespondto.Notonlybecauseofthe
pleasantmemoriesofmystudydaysatUtrechtin1946,butalsoandespeciallytostrengthenour
contact.For,ifIseecorrectly,RomanCatholicsandCalvinistsinHollandarebecomingstrangerstoeach
othertothedetrimentofourcountry.Ifthissituationistochange,aclearmutualunderstandingis
necessaryfirst.Fewoccasionsaremoreconducivetopromotingitthancongressessuchasthese.
I. TheNatureofFaith
Takingfaithinthesenseofreligiousfaithandprimarilyintheactivesenseofbelieving
thenwhatisthenatureoffaith?
Iwoulddescribefaithinthesenseofbelievingasthehighestfunctioninthelifeoftheindividual
man.WhetheramanisaChristianortomentiontheextremesapaganis,ofcourse,terribly
important,butincidentalforourdefinition;everyonepossessesfaith.Thisissobecausebelieving
belongstothestructureofhumanlifewhich,inspiteofimportantdifferencesinrealization,isthesame
forall.
Withinthisstructure(ofhumanlife)wecaninadditiondistinguishtheinnerandtheouter,
or,ifyouprefer,thecenterandtheperiphery,heartandfunctions(functiemantel).
WhenIthusconsiderfaiththehighestfunctioninhumanexistence,twothingsareimplied:on
theonehandthatbelievingisonlyafunction,andontheotherhandthatbelievingisthemost
importantinthescalaoffunctions.
First:believingisonlyfunctional.Thatistosay:faithisnotidenticalwithheart,butis
determinedbytheheartinitsdirectiontowardsgoodorevil,i.e.inobediencetothelawofloveornot.
Inotherwords:thewholemanisreligious,andhislifeisawalkbeforethefaceofGodinobedienceor
disobedience.
Butalso:intheframeworkoffunctionalexistencefaithoccupiesthemostimportantplace.This
functionisthehighest,whichimpliesthatalltheothersarelower,andthustogetherformthesubstrate
offaith.Henceitisthatfaithreferstoallthoseotherfunctionsandthatthese,inturn,pointforwardto
(anticipate)faith.Faith,then,ispartofthefunctionalcloakand,withthat,ofthestructureofman;
andnotsomethingthatwaseverlostandthatcanlaterreturnasdonumsuperadditum,asuperadded
gift(ofgrace).
UpuntilnowIonlyconsideredfaithinindividualexistence.Butamanneverlivesthatway:heis
bornoutofcommunityandintomanycommunities.Therearemanysuchsocialrelationships.Think,for
instance,ofassociation,economicenterprise,thestateandthefamily.Thesesocietalrelationshipsall
haveincommonthattheyhavehistoricalformationastheirbasis,additionthattheyallimplythelifeof
language,observationofsocialformsandintercourse,whiletheirhighestfunctiondelimitstheir
destination.
Thecommunityoffaithalsoisasocialstructure.Thistooisinherentinhumanlife.Notonlyin
Christianity,butalsoamongpagansacommunityoffaithisknown.IntheChristianmilieuthis
communityiscalledchurch.
Thechurchthereforehas,justasthesocietalrelationshipswejustnoted,afunctionalcharacter.
Oneshoulddistinguishchurchfromcorpuschristianum,thepeopleoftheLord,whichisthepre
functionalcommunityrootedinChrist.
Hencethechurchofficesarealsofunctionalandshouldbedistinguishedfromtheprefunctional
officeinwhichtherepresentativeofmanactsinmattersthataretobedonebyhumanitybeforeGod.
Withthis,wereachthegenetic.Humanlifeisnotsomethingjustpresent:italsohasapast.This
pastplaysitspartinthenurturethatpreparesayoungindividualtostandinsociety,withinthesocietal
relationships,whenhehascomeofage.Butthepastisalsoimportantforthecommunitiestheytoo
havetheirhistory.Heretoothedirectionisdeterminedbytheheart,thusbyreligion;thatis,bythe
relationtoGod.ThatiswhyAdamsfallwasdeterminativeforthehistoryofreligion.Adamdidnotlose
faithredirectedit:henolongerbelievedinGod,butinSatan.Buthedidlosehisprefunctionaloffice,
whichthereafterwasentrustedtoChristasthesecondAdam.
Thusitcanbeunderstoodthatfaith,althoughalwaysafunctionofanindividualhuman
existence,isembeddednotonlyinthetotalityofthatexistence,butalsointhelifeofhumanity,
whetherinChristornotnomatterhowoftenactuallifeshowsamixedstrivinginbothdirectionsat
once.
II.TheStructureofFaith
Beingfunctional,faithissubjectedtoafunctionallaw;inthisrespectitissimilartoallother
functions.Now,lawandfunctionsnevercoalescenotinthepreanalyticaleither.Butinthecaseofthe
analyticalfunction(alsocalledthelogical)wemeetwithsomethingpeculiar.Itsnatureis:toanalyze,to
distinguish.Distinguishingissimplynotingdiversityexistingindependentlywithrespecttothis
distinguishingactivity.Thereforetheanalyticalisalsoabletonotethedistinctnessoflawandfunction.
Notonlyinotherlawspheres,butalsointhecaseoftheanalyticalitself.Hencetheanalyticalfunction
candistinguishitselffromthelawthatholdsforit.Wherethisispossiblewecallthelawnorm.Solaw
andnormshouldnotbeplacedinoppositiontoeachother,butoneshoulddistinguishamonglaws
whicharenormsandlawswhicharenotnorms.
Byreasonofthemutualrelationsamongfunctionsthereisnopostanalyticalfunctionwithout
selfdistinguishing;thelawsforallthesefunctionsaccordinglyarenorms.Thatiswhywespeakofnorms
fortheanalytical,forthehistoricaltechnical,forthelingual,forthelifeofintercourse,fortheeconomic,
etc.
Soalsothelifeoffaithissubjecttoalawthatisanorm.ThisnormisthewordofGodinitsfaith
aspect,orinpaganismthatwhichtakesitsplace.Andthisnormrequiresrecognition.
Further,thefaithfunctionisnotonlythenormbythelawthatiscorrelatedwiththefunction:
subjectedtothislawitalsostandsinrelationtoeverythingelsethatissubjectedtothislaw.Partofthat
aresubjects,partareobjects.
Objectsinthesphereoffaithareallthingsthatlackfaithasasubjectfunction;theyalsoplaya
partinthelifeoffaith;asaChristianIbelieveofallothercreatures,onthebasisofrevelation,thatthey
arecreaturesofGod.Thesacramentsoccupyaspecialplace:theyremainwhattheyare,butatthe
sametimetheyservetheproclamationassignandseal,thatis,toclarifyandtoconfirm.
Faithisalsorelatedtoitssubstrate(i.e.theotherfunctions).Notonlydoesfaithrestonit,butit
formsonewholewithit.Thatiswhyfaithreferstothissubstratebymeansofcharacteristicsthatare
inherenttofaith;thejoyandsorrowoffaithrefertothepsychical;itsthoughtandknowledgetothe
analytical;itssacrificetotheeconomic;itstrusttotheethical.Theseretrocipationsarenotelementsin
thesensethatonecouldsay:faithconsistsofjoyplussacrificeplustrust.Faithissomethingunique,sui
generia;onecannotdefineitotherthanbysayingthatitisthehighestfunction.Butthese
characteristicsareimplicitinfaithwithoutqualifyingfaith;thedebateoverwhetherfaithisemotional,
cognitiveorvolitionalisthereforemeaningless.
So,knowledgeisnotmoreimportantinfaiththanforinstancetrustis.Butwithregardtoour
topicthischaracteristicmeritsamomentofourspecialattention.Andthenwenoteinthefirstplace
thatthisthinkingandknowingisofnonscientificcharacter:itmaycertainlynotbeconfusedwiththe
scienceconcernedwithfaith,whichbelongswiththeology.Takenscripturally,faithisknowingGod
throughJesusChrist.
III.TheSignificanceofFaithforScience
Theoreticalthinkingandknowingisquitedifferentfromnontheoreticalthinkingandknowing.
Thelatterisalwaysconcernedwiththingsintheirtotality,asforinstance,whenInotethingsaround
me.
Buttheoretical(scientific)thinkingisdonemethodically:specialscienceseachinvestigateone
aspectofthewhole.Themethoddeterminesnotonlyourthinking,butalsothefieldofinvestigation
andthiscontainsnexttoobjectsalso,andevenprimarily,subjects.
Nontheoreticalandtheoreticalthinkingcannotbereducedtoeachother.Theformerisnotless
importantthanthelatter,butdifferent.Themanandwomanofpracticallifeareassuchnotinferiorto
themanandwomaninscience:oftentheirinsightisevenfarmoreacute.Whoeverimposesthecriteria
ofscienceuponnontheoreticalthinkingandknowingviolatespracticallife;violateshisownlife,
becausealsointhelifeofthescientistnontheoreticalknowledgeretainsanimportantplace.
Butalthoughnontheoreticalandtheoreticalknowledgecannotbemutuallyreduced,thatdoes
notmeanthattheyareantagonists.Theyareevenpositivelyrelatedtoeachother.Forknowledge
beginswithnontheoreticalknowingandthen,sometimes,proceedstodifferentiatedknowledgeinthe
specialsciences;inthisdetouritisdeepenedandenrichedsothatinphilosophyitreunitesto
knowledgeofthewhole.
Inallthisthenontheoreticalknowledgeoffaithoccupiesaspecialplace.For,wholefaithas
functionremainsafunctionofman,nevertheless,whenonehearsandlistenstotherevelationofthe
Word(whichisreliableinitselfandthusneedsnowitnesstocollaborateit),henotonlylearns
somethingaboutthecosmos,butalsoaboutGodandHisrelationtothecosmos.Ifonebutbelieves
Genesis1:1,healreadyknowssomethingaboutGod,namely,thatHecreatedtheworld,andsomething
aboutthecosmos,viz.thatalltheworldisGodscreation.Andthisknowledgeconcernsthemainpoints
ifyouwant:theconceptualframework.For,ifonceIhavethisknowledgeitleavesnoroomfor
idolizinganythingcreated,andpositively,itleadsmetorecognizetheuniversalcharacteristicofall
creation:itisplacedunderthelawofGodandtherebysubjecttoGodHimself.
Thesameholdsfortheknowledgeoffaithconcerninghistory.Thosewhoconfessthefallinto
sinunderstandthatbythefallman,althoughhisstructuredidnotalter,radicallychangedhisdirection:
aslongasnonewturnabout(conversion)occurs,henolongerlivesrightlydirected.Nontheoretical
knowledgeincludesthatwhichweknowconcerningthewrathandgraceofGod.Botharerevelationsof
thedispositionofGodtowardssinandthesinner.Gracenever,innoconceivableway,standsin
oppositiontonature,butalwaysoveragainstwrath.Asfarastherelationofgraceto(fallen)natureis
concerned:itcanbestbeseenascallingtolifeandashealing.Forgracebringsforthgiftsofgrace,and
thegreatestoftheseistheturnaboutoftheheart,theregeneration.Sothistoo,isnoextradimension
receivedasdonumsuperadditum,buttheinfluenceofgracethroughwhichweagainbegintolivein
obedienceoutoflove,notonlyinareligioussphere,butasmenandwomeninintegralwholeness.
Theconceptsofnontheoreticalknowledgeoffaithare,accordingly,totalconcepts.Theycannot
replacetheconceptsofscientificinvestigation,buttheyframethem:whateverIfindbywayofscientific
investigationsoonerorlaterfitsinthatframework.
Faith,whetherChristianorpagan,maynotbeconsideredbeyondinvestigation.Butsuch
theoreticalworkisalwaysaspecialscienceaboutfaithwhich,asfieldofinvestigation,istherebefore
theinvestigationcanbegin,andthereforeisnotconstructedorfoundedbyscience.
Conclusion:
Ifweseetherelationshipsinthesewaytwothingsareunderstood:
A. AtheoreticalbasisforChristianfaithisimpossible.
B. But,onthecontrary,aChristianfoundationofscienceiscertainlypossible.Itisevenafirst
requirement.For,asciencenotsofoundediswithouttheframeworkinwhichalsoscientific
knowledgeoughttobeplaced.
Thesethingsareofgreatimportancefortheinvestigatoratwork.Itembedshiseffortsinthe
greatstrugglefortruth.Itnurturesresponsibility:scienceispartofourlifealifethatisinserviceof
God.ThusscienceispartofourwalkbeforeHisface.Further,itsharpensourinsight,notonlyforthat
whichliesinwhatweinvestigate,butalsointothatwhichislackingbyreasonofsin.Forinstance,a
historianwillnotonlydescribewhathefindsinapaganauthorsuchasPlato,butheshallalsoseewhat
Platocouldnot.
Inotherwords:
BeingaChristianisinfinitelymorethanbeingastudent.
Beingastudentisbeingallowedtostudy;thusitismorethannotbeingastudent.
AndbeingaChristianstudentisinfinitelymorethantostudyasanonChristian.Forthe
Christianstudentalloflife,thereforealsoitstheoreticalsideincludingactivityandresults,ishidwith
GodinChrist.
_____