Perspectief 2019-45

Perspectief 54 Gewone Catechismus However, to say that such arguments are not necessary is not to say that they are not available. We must refrain both from overestimating and disdaining the value of such the- istic arguments. Both Thomas Aquinas and Herman Bavinck were successful in avoiding both of these pitfalls ( Summa Theologiae , II-II, q. 2; Summa Contra Gentiles , Bk. 1, 4; Gere- formeerde Dogmatiek II, nos. 173-177). By contrast, the authors of GC sound like fideist in that they undervalue the place of natural reason and, by implication, theistic arguments in coming to a knowledge of God. The authors of GC don’t deny that such arguments have been given throughout history, but they claim that they have not succeeded to date. In their view, it seems that by success they suggest that everyone would need to be persuaded by theistic arguments; in other words, they need to be compelling proofs, demonstrations (no. 19). But they don’t need to be demonstrations in the strict sense; they may be proofs in the sense of “‘converging and convincing arguments’, which allow us to attain certainty about the truth. These ‘ways’ of approaching God from creation have a twofold point of departure: the physical world [Romans 1: 19-20], and the human person.” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church 31-34). Moreover, all of the traditional arguments mentioned above find articulate defenders to- day. What is the role of theistic arguments concerning faith’s knowledge of God? The Cate- chism of the Catholic Church 35 correctly states that such arguments predispose one to faith in the sense of showing that “faith is not opposed to reason.” Do the authors of GC deny this claim? I can’t imagine that they deny that faith is reasonable in that sense. Furthermore, as I said above, the authors of GC downplay “ fides quae ” and highlight “ fides qua .” With such an emphasis, experiential understanding of faith takes center stage in how one comes to know God. They claim, “het gaat hun uiteindelijk om een persoonlijke erva- ring: God laat zichzelf kennen, Hij is de Levende en wij willen ons door Hem laten aanspreken. Geloven is vooral leven met God, de weg van Jezus gaan en zo zijn aanwezig- heid verlangen en ervaren” (no. 19). This emphasis would have gained in intelligibility if they had drawn on an account of testimonial knowledge. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).