SCP Reed1

ST.
JOHN PAUL II COLLEGE OF DAVAO

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT
Physically Detached Yet Academically Attached
SIMPLIFIED COURSE PACK (SCP) FOR

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
Reed 1 – Preambles of Faith
This Simplified Course Pack (SCP) is a draft version only and may not be
used, published or redistributed without the prior written consent of the
Academic Council of SJPIICD. Contents of this SCP are only intended for
the consumption of the students who are officially enrolled in the
course/subject. Revision and modification process of this SCP are
expected.
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ST. JOHN PAUL II COLLEGE OF DAVAO
DEPARTMENT
By 2023, a recognized professional institution providing quality, economically

Vision
accessible, and transformative education grounded on the teachings of St. John
Paul II.
Serve the nation by providing competent JPCean graduates through quality

teaching and learning, transparent governance, holistic student services, and
Mission
meaningful community-oriented researches, guided by the ideals of St. John Paul
II.
Respect
Hard Work
Perseverance
Core Values
Self-Sacrifice
Compassion
Family Attachment
Inquisitive
Ingenious
Graduate Attributes
Innovative
Inspiring
Course Code/Title Reed 1/Preambles of Faith

This course covers the main premises of reason on which the act of divine faith
Course Description
depends as on its rational foundation.
Course Requirement Reflection Paper
Time Frame 54 Hours
“Based 40” Cumulative Averaging Grading System
Grading System Periodical Grading = Attendance (5%) + Participation (10%) + Quiz (25%) + Exam
(60%)
Final-Final Grade = Prelim Grade (30%) + Midterm Grade (30%) + Final Grade
(40%)
Contact Detail
Dean/Program Head Amie P. Matalam, MM (09953860989)
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DEPARTMENT
Course Map
Reed 1- Simplified Course Pack (SCP)
SCP-Topics: Prelim Period SCP- Topics: Midterm Period SCP- Topics: Final Period
Week The life of Man: to know and Week Paradoxical Characteristics Week Faith in the Comparative
1 love God 7 of Faith 13 Religion (Continuation)
Week The life of Man: to know and Week Characteristics of Faith Week Faith in the Comparative
2 love God (Continuation) 8 14 Religion (Continuation)
Week The life of Man: to know and Week Faith in the Comparative Week Faith in the Comparative
3 love God (Continuation) 9 Religion 15 Religion (Continuation)
Week History of the Concept of Week Faith in the Comparative Week Faith in the Comparative
4 Faith 10 Religion (Continuation) 16 Religion (Continuation)
Week History of the Concept of Week Faith in the Comparative Week The Relationship between
5 Faith (Continuation) 11 Religion (Continuation) 17 Faith and Reason
Week Week Week

Preliminary Examination Midterm Examination Final Examination
6 12 18
Course Outcomes
1. Explain the truth about the existence and the presence of God in the life of man.
2. Express one’s faith and choose to live a holy life.
3. Discern and follow the ultimate purpose of man’s life.
4. Entrust one’s life according to the Divine plans.
5. Recognize the will of God in their daily life.
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Welcome Aboard! This course covers the main premises of reason

on which the act of divine faith depends as on its rational foundation.
SCP-TOPICS: PRELIM PERIOD TOPICS
Week 1 The Life of man: to know and Love God

Lesson Title Unfolding the ultimate purpose of man’s life.
Learning Outcome(s) Identify the ultimate purpose or goal of man’s life.
At SJPIICD, I Matter!
LEARNING INTENT!
Words to Ponder
This section provides meaning and definition of the

terminologies that are significant for better understanding of the
terms used throughout the simplified course pack of Reed 1. As you
go through the labyrinth of learning, in case you will be confronted
with difficulty of the terms, refer to the defined terms for you to have
a clear picture of the learning concepts.
Man - is referred here as the whole of humanity.
God – is the supreme being who created the whole universe.
Human Person – is a substance essentially composed of

both body and soul, imbued with the rational faculties of
intellect and free will, created according to the image and
likeness of God (Sambajon Jr., 2011).
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DEPARTMENT
Essential Content
Man: Man is composed of body and soul. This composition is

in unity on man as a human person. The doctrine of faith
affirms that the spiritual and immortal soul is created
immediately by God. Thus, man is, by nature and vocation, a
religious being. The life of man is indeed a cycle coming from
God and going back to God. Man is made to live in communion
with God in whom he finds Happiness. St Augustine after his
conversion admittedly said; “When I am completely united to
you, there will be no more sorrow or trials; entirely full of you,
my life will be complete.”
The life of man then is no other than to know and love God.
This is confirmed by our catechesis of the Church that said;
“God infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer
goodness freely created man to make him share in his own
blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place,
God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, and to know
him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men,
scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the
Church.” To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had
come, God sent his son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son
and through him, he invites men to become, in the holy spirit,
his adopted children and thus heirs of His blessed life.
Man’s capacity for God: Man’ s capacity for God is based

on two important truths found in the Sacred Scripture and
Sacred Tradition:
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1. Man: The Image of God. Man alone is called to share, by

knowledge and love, in God’s own blessed life. Of all visible
creatures only man is “able to know and love back his
creator.” He is “the only creature on earth that God has willed
for its own sake.” And he alone is called to share, by
knowledge and love in God’s own life. It was for this end that
he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his
dignity. Being in the image of God the human individual
possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something,
but someone. This is where the essense of man rests. Man is
capable of self knowledge, of self possession and of freely
giving himself and entering into communion with other
person.
2. Man’s desire for God: The desire for God is written in the
human heart because man is created by God and for God.
God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will
he find truth and happiness he never stop searching for.
However, sin can obscure the desire for God. This intimate
and vital bond of man to God can be forgotten, overlooked or
even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitude can have
different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious
indefference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandal
of bad example on the part of the believers; current thoughts
hostile to religion; and that attitude of sinful man which
makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call.
Man’s search for God: Created in God’s image and called to

know and love him, the person who seeks God discovers
certain ways of coming to know him, these are also called
proofs for God’s existence, not in the sense of proofs in the
natural science but rather in the sense of converging and
convincing arguments, which allow us attain certainly about
the truth. These ways of approaching God from creation
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DEPARTMENT
have twofold point of departure: the physical world and the

human person.
1. The World/Creation. Starting from movement,

becoming, contingency and the world’s order and
beauty, one can come to a knowledge of God as the
origin and the end of the universe. Furthermore,
though the creation does not tell us everything we can
know about God, but it does tell us some key things.
The size and complexity of creation, especially as seen
in the heavens containing the sun, the moon and the
stars show us God’s eternal power. The beauty and
order and design of creation show us God’s divine
nature.
2. The Human Person. The goodness, truth and beauty

of creatures bear a certain resemblance to God, most
especially human person, created in the image and
likeness of God. The manifold perfections of creature-
their truth, their goodness and their beauty – all
reflect the infinite perfection of God.
Ways to know God. Jesus defines eternal life as knowing

God (Jn. 17:3). The following are some ways to know God
and live life eternally:
1. The final, complete, definitive way is Christ, God

himself in the human flesh.
2. His church is his body, so we know God through the
church.
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DEPARTMENT
3. The Holy Scripture is the Church book. It is called “the

word of God.”
4. We can know God in nature according to scripture. This
is an innate, spontaneous, natural knowledge.
5. Art also reveals God.
6. Conscience is the voice of God.
7. Reason through reflecting on nature, art, or conscience
can know God by good philosophical arguments.
8. Experience can also reveal God particularly the hands
of providence.
9. The collective experience of the race, embodied in
history and tradition, expressed in literature also
reveals God. You can know God through others’ stories
through great literature.
10. The saints reveal God.
11. Our ordinary experience of doing God’s will.
12. Prayer meets God.
SELF-SUPPORT: You can click the URL Search Indicator below to help you further understand the lessons.
Search Indicator
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1992). Retrieved August 2, 2020 from

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c1.htm
“Gaudium Et Spes”. (1973). Retrieved August 3, 2020 from

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents
/vatii_const_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html
Richard, P. (N.D.). Man as the image of God. Retrieved August 2, 2020, from
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/man-as-the-image-of-god/
Twelve Ways of Knowing God. (2011). Retrieved August 3, 2020, from
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https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and
philosophy/apologetics/twelve-ways-to- know-god.html
Sambajon Jr., Marvin Julian. Ethics for Educators. C & E Publishing Inc.
2011. P 21.
LET’S INITIATE!
Activity 1. Let us try to check your understanding of the topics.
Write your answers on the space provided below every after each
question.
1. What is the capacity of man to know God?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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2. How do we know God?
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
3. How do we properly nourish our spiritual soul?
_________________________________________________________________
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4. What is the essence of man?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
5. What does the dignity of man entail?
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INQUIRE!
Activity 1. In this activity, you are required to expound your answer
to each of the questions below.
1. As we share the image and likeness of God, how do we give

importance to our bodies as God’s temple?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. How do we preserve our bodies against drinking too much
liquor, smoking cigarettes, and drug abuse?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. How much life is worth to me, being with God or Without God?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4. Can we really experience true happiness in this world without

God?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1.
1. Create your own poster or caricature reminding the
importance of nurturing our spiritual life. (Relationship with
God)
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DEPARTMENT
SCP-TOPICS: PRELIM PERIOD TOPICS
Week 2 The Life of man: to know and love God

Lesson Title The Revelation of God
Learning Outcome Retell the love story between God and Man.
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
This section provides meaning and definition of the
terminologies that are significant for better understanding of the
terms used throughout the simplified course pack of Reed 1. As you
go through the labyrinth of learning, in case you will be confronted
with difficulty of the terms refer to the defined terms for you to have
a clear picture of the learning concepts.
Revelation – the unfolding of one’s self.
The revelation of God – refers to God’s initiative to search for

man. It is also called divine revelation.
Essential Content
God comes to meet man. All throughout redemptive history, God comes to
his people. It is never a reverse. God is the creator and we are the creatures.
We have no access to God unless he first reveals himself to us. An infinite
gulf separates man from God, a gulf that only God can bridge. In the
historical condition in which he finds himself, however, man experiences
many difficulties in coming to know God by the light of reason alone, this
is why man stands in need of being enlightened by God’s revelation, not
only about those things that exceeds his understanding, but also about
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those religious and moral truths which of themselves are not beyond the
grasp of human reason, so that even the present condition of human race,
they can be known by all men with ease, with firm certainty and with no
admixture of error.
The Revelation of God. By natural reason man can know God with certainty
on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which
man cannot possibly arrive at by his own power that is the order of divine
revelation. Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and
given himself to man, this He does by revealing the mystery, his plan of
loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ for the benefit of all men.
God has fully revealed this plan by sending us His beloved Son, Jesus
Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Stages of God’s Revelation. God revealed himself in the beginning in

creation and ultimately through Jesus Christ.
1. Creation. In the beginning God makes himself known. It is the
first way God reveals Himself to us. God who creates and
conserves all things by his word, provides men with constant
evidence of himself in created realities. He manifested himself to
our first parents (Adam and Eve) from the very beginning because
he wished to open up the way to heavenly salvation. He invited
them to intimate communion with himself and clothed them with
resplendent grace and justice. Unfortunately, the relationship was
broken off caused by our first parent’s sin. But God never ceased
to show his love for the human race for he wishes to give eternal
life to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-being.
2. The covenant with Noah. After the unity of the human race was
shattered by sin, God at once sought to save humanity part by
part. God revealed himself to Noah instructing him to build the
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ark. After the flood, there was a promise of grace based upon shed
blood of animals in the form of burnt offerings to God. Groups of
nations formed based on their own language and families for
social prosperity. God’s covenant to Noah was to show favor to his
descendants and to gather all children of God scattered abroad
and remained in form through all the times of the gentiles until
the universal proclamation of the Gospel.
3. The covenant with Abraham. God revealed himself to Abraham
and made a covenant with Him, in which God announced to
Abraham that his descendants would eventually inherit the land
of Israel. And in order to gather together scattered humanity, God
called Abram from his country, his kindred and his father’s house
and made him Abraham that is the father of the multitude of
nations. God promised to make Abraham the father of a great
people and said that Abraham and his descendants must obey
God.
4. The covenant with Moses. After the patriarchs, God formed the
Israel as his people by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. He
established with the covenant of Mount Sinai and through Moses
gave them His law so that they would recognize Him and serve
Him as the one living true God, the provident Father and just
judge and so that they would look for a promised savior.
5. The final revelation. The final divine revelation is God revealing

himself through his Son Jesus. It is the second way God revealed
Himself in a more intimate way by entering into the history of
human race he had created. He is the ultimate revelation of God.
Jesus Christ said everything that needed to be said to the people
because God would no longer revealed himself to prophets. After
Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Apostles began to preach God’s
word as promised by the prophets in the Old testament. Indeed,
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DEPARTMENT
Jesus is the fulfilment of the great promised of God to His people

in the fullness of time that is salvation.
Transmission of Divine Revelation. The transmission of God’s revelation

would not have been available to us today without first and foremost the
mission of the Holy Apostles. Since God desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth that is of Christ Jesus. Christ must be
proclaimed to all nations and individuals so that this revelation may reach
to the ends of the earth.
a. Apostolic Tradition. This is also called the Sacred Tradition
which refer to the Church’s teachings that have been passed down
by the successors of the Apostles. This Sacred Tradition together
with the Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of
God (DV 10). It is really a gift of God to the Church.
b. Modes of Transmission. There are two modes of transmission.

First is the Sacred Scripture which is the speech of God as it is
put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit. Second
is the Holy Tradition which is the whole truth about Jesus Christ.
It is proclaimed by the Apostles that Jesus Christ is the Word
made flesh.
c. Magisterium of the church. The whole Church is entrusted to

safeguard the deposits of faith contained in Sacred Tradition and
Scared Scripture. The task of giving an authentic interpretation of
the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of
Tradition has been entrusted to the teaching office of the Church
alone. God continue to manifest Himself in the liturgical
celebrations as symbol and signs of His presence to the people.
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DEPARTMENT
In conclusion, we see that in the supremely wise arrangement of

God, Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching Office
(Magisterium) of the Church are so connected and associated that one
of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its
own way under the action of the Holy Spirit, they all contribute
effectively to our salvation.
Search Indicator
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1992). Retrieved August 10, 2020 from
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a1.htm
DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION (Dei Verbum). 1965.

Retrieved on August 15, 2020 from
https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-
ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Vatican II on Divine Revelation. Fr. Kenneth Baker S.J. (2000).

Retrieved on August 19, 2020 from
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/vatican-ii-
on-divine-revelation.html
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What do you mean by revelation?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Who initiates in the relationship between God and man? Why?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. How did God reveal himself in the beginning?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. How did God reveal and establish the covenant with Abraham?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. How did God reveal and establish the covenant with Moses?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INQUIRE!
Activity 1. In this activity, you are required to expound your answer to
each of the questions below.
1. How do you describe the relationship between God and man?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Have you ever made a revelation of God to others?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. Which story of the stages of revelation that you can

personally relate with?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4. What is the main reason why Jesus Christ is the final

revelation of God?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Create ways on how you become the “presence of God”
to others or how are you going to transmit God’s saving action to
mankind?
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DEPARTMENT
Week 3 The Life of man: to know and love God

Lesson Title Man: A Religious being in the Filipino context
Learning Appreciate our own religiosity.
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Believer – refers to someone with religious faith or an adherent

of a particular religion.
Filipino Believer – refers to Filipinos having religion that is

deeply embedded and intertwined with Filipino culture
particularly Christian believer.
Essential Content
Man, as a Religious Being. Human being as created by God is the reason

of his being religious. In many ways, throughout history down to the
present, men have given expression to their quest for God, in their religious
beliefs and behavior as well as in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals,
meditations and so on so forth. These forms of religious expressions,
despite the ambiguities they often bring with them are so universal that one
may call man as a religious being.
Short Background of Filipino religious beliefs. The Philippines proudly

boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86 percent of the
population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized
Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant
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denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4

percent Muslim minority, concentrated on the southern islands of
Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions,
the remaining 2 percent follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and
practices. The Chinese minority, although statistically insignificant, has
been culturally influential in coloring Filipino Catholicism with many of the
beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism (Miller,
2020).
The pre-Hispanic belief system of Filipinos consisted of a

pantheon of gods, spirits, creatures, and men that guarded the streams,
fields, trees, mountains, forests, and houses. Bathala, who created earth
and man, was superior to these other gods and spirits. Upon this
indigenous religious base two foreign religions were introduced -- Islam and
Christianity -- and a process of cultural adaptation and synthesis began
that is still evolving.
Today, one way of practicing one’s own belief in the Philippines

particularly Catholic Christian is experienced through many great events,
from the novena of Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses) before Christmas in the
whole country, to the various processions of the Virgin of Peñafrancia in
Naga, of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo or the Santo Niño in Cebu with
millions of devotees involved. These events come from a long tradition
which began during the period of evangelization by the Spaniards and are
practiced even outside the Philippines. But it has been taken up in the
archipelago, practiced for centuries, codified locally sometimes (De
Charentenay, 2020).
Being a Filipino believer. There are Filipino traits that somehow help
express our religiosity. Below are the five predominant Filipino
Characteristics, together with five essential traits of Jesus Christ both
assumed within the typical way to Jesus. This will at once define Filipino
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believers as well as show that in our country, to become more deeply

Christian (believer) is to become more truly and authentically Filipino.
a. Family-oriented. We Filipinos are family oriented. The Anak-
Magulang relationship is of primary importance to us Filipinos. Ama,
ina, and anak are culturally and emotionally significant to us
Filipinos who cherish our filial attachment not only to our immediate
family but also to our extended family (ninongs, ninangs, etc.). This
family-centeredness supplies a basic sense of belonging, stability
and security. It is from our families that we Filipinos naturally draw
our sense of identity. Jesus as both the Son of God (Anak ng Amang
Dios) and the Son of Man (Anak ng Tao) endears himself naturally
to us family-oriented Filipinos. As a Son of Man, Jesus leads to us
into his Mother Mary (Ina ng Dios) whom he shares with us. He thus
welcomes us into his own household, offers himself as our brother
(kapatid) and draws us to through the sacrament of baptism to a
new identity and into the family life of his heavenly father. Indeed,
Filipinos stress the exceptional importance of our Filipino family as
both subject and object of evangelation.
b. Meal-oriented. We Filipinos are meal-oriented (Salo-salo kainan).

We considered almost everyone as part of each other’s family. We are
known foe being gracious host and grateful guests. Serving our
guests with the best we have is an inborn value to Filipinos, rich or
poor alike. We love to celebrate any and all events with a special
meal. Even with unexpected guests, we Filipinos try our best to offer
something, meager as it may be, with the traditional greeting: “come
and eat with us.”
Jesus as Eucharist is not only the host of the new paschal meal
and food, the bread of life but even the guests in every gathering.
The New testament refers more than twenty-five times to eating
(Kainan). Eating together in table fellowship with the presence of the
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risen Christ. Communion, in other words constitute the core witness

of the early Church as Eucharistic community. So, Filipinos feel
naturally at home in breaking of bread together with Jesus.
c. Kundiman-oriented. We Filipinos are Kundiman-oriented. The
kundiman is a sad Filipino song about wounded love. Filipinos are
naturally attracted to heroes sacrificing everything for love. We are
patient and forgiving to a fault (Magpakaalipin ako ng dahil sayo).
This acceptance of suffering manifests a deep, positive spiritual
value of Filipino’s kalooban.
Jesus, the suffering servant of the prophet Isaiah is
portrayed through our favorite Filipino images of Padre Hesus
Nazareno, the santo Entierro or the Sacred heart. Through these
images, Jesus appears as one of the least brethren: the hungry and
thirsty, the naked, the sick, the lonely stranger and the prisoner.
Jesus the suffering servant can thus reach out to us Filipinos as a
healing and forgiving Savior who understands our weakness, our
failures, our feelings of depression, fear and loneliness.
d. Bayani-oriented. We Filipinos are bayani-oriented. Bayani is a hero.
We Filipinos are natural hero-followers. For all our patience and
tolerance, we will not accept ultimate failure and defeat. We tend
instinctively to always personalize any good cause in terms of a
leader, especially when its object is to defend the weak and the
oppressed. To protect this innate sense of human dignity, Filipinos
are prepared to lay down even their lives. Jesus as Christ the King
responds well to the bayani-oriented Filipino. As born social critics,
organizers and martyrs, we Filipino see Jesus as the conqueror by
his mission as prophet, king, and Priest. So as bayani-oriented, we
Filipinos enthrone our image of Christ the king. He assures as that
everything will be alright in the end. Christ the king has won the
ultimate victory over evil.
e. Spirit-oriented. We Filipinos are spirit-oriented. We are often said
to be naturally psychic. We have a deep-seated belief in the
supernatural and in all kinds of spirits dwelling in individual
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persons, places, and things. Even in today’s world of science and

technology, Filipinos continue to invoke the spirits in various
undertakings, especially in faith-healings and exorcisms.
Jesus the miracle-worker who promised to send his Spirit to his
disciples to give them new life, is thus appealing to us Filipinos. The
Holy Spirit sent by the Father and the Risen Christ, draws us
Filipinos into a community wherein superstition and enslaving
magic are overcome by authentic worship of the Father in the spirit
and truth. In Christ’s community, the Church, to each person the
manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good. The same
spirit, which empowered Jesus the miracle worker, is active in his
disciples, uniting them in the teaching of the apostles and in the
community fellowship of the breaking of the bread and prayer
through Christ their Lord.
Divine Revelation as understood by Filipinos. In our personal

relationships, we can quietly relate the idea of Divine revelation in our
ordinary Filipino life. One of the best things you can say about a Filipino
is, “marami siyang kakilala” or “maraming nakakakilala sa kanya.” On the
otherhand, one of the worst things to say about a Filipino is, “wala siyang
kakilala” or “walang kumikilala sa kanya.” So, in our family relationships
and friendship we reveal our personal selves to others and openly receive
their self-giving to us. This is what uplifts Filipino.
Now the first one to know us, the first one to show us recognition and
reach out to establish a personal relationship with us – to become our
kakilala – is God. This is how precious human being is before the eyes of
God. And only in relation to God do we become our full selves. Only in
coming to know God do we grow to the full stature of our true selves.
Perhaps few countries in the world can compare to the Philippines when it
comes to trying to make God known. Newspapers, radio, TV, and movies
are filled with new preachers, religious celebrations, public devotions and
never-ending appeals for new chapels and Churches. Faith healers abound
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in every community. Self-proclaimed mediums claim to lead their gullible

devotees in mysterious ways to supposedly closer contact with God or the
Sto. Nino.
Search Indicator
Cultural Values. (N. D.). Retrieved August 25, 2020 from

https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/filipino/fund/cultural_values.html
De Charentenay, P. A Filipino Practice of Faith. (2020). Retrieved August 24, 2020 from
https://www.lst.edu/community/article-archives/712-a-filipino-practice-of-faith-p-de-
charentenay-sj
Miller, J. Religions in the Philippines. (2020). Retrieved August 27, 2020 from
https://asiasociety.org/education/religion-philippines
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. How do Filipinos express their religiosity?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
2. What do you mean by man as a religious being?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Choose one of the predominant characteristics of Filipinos and
explain how this can make him more as a believer?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. How did the Philippines become the only Christian nation in Asia?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. How did the Filipinos understand the Divine revelation?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
Activity 1. Activity 1. In this activity, you are required to expound
your answer to each of the questions below.
1. Do our Filipino traits still express our being religious?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. How does the one true God actually reveal to us today?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
3. As a Filipino believer, how do we know the one true God?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Is it a coincidence that Christianity came to the Philippines

by foreign Missionaries?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Look for an article in the internet that exhibited Filipino
religiosity. Present what you have appreciated about their
expression of faith.
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Week 4 History of the Concept of Faith

Faith in the Old Testament, New testament and
Lesson Title
the Patristic period.
Learning Discuss the history of the concept of faith.
Outcome(s)
Time Frame 3 hrs.
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
History- refers to acts, ideas or event that will or can shape the
course of the future immediate or significant happenings.
Patristic period – refers to the early Christians who defended

the Gospel against misunderstandings and rival doctrines,
wrote sermons and extensive commentaries on the Bible,
recorded relevant events into Church history, and brought
together the best thought of their age with their own
Christian faith.
Essential Content
Introduction. The importance of understanding history both of the

word faith and the idea of faith becomes prerequisite to have a
better and comprehensive concept of faith.
Importance of History. There are two definitions of history. First,

It is the record of important events in the human past. Second,
it a narrative that connects important events in the human past
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and makes them intelligible. History is of great importance from

a Christian perspective because of the following reasons:
a. God has revealed himself in history. Eph. 1:11
b. We are explicitly commanded to make known God's
works. Ps. 105:1.
c. Christianity is not a mere ethical or doctrinal system
but is uniquely grounded in historical events. 1 Cor.
15
d. Because history is the vehicle for God's work in the
world, we should expect to learn from it.
e. Much of the Bible is history.
f. History defines and touches our lives.
g. History allows us to temporarily step outside of our
own culture to evaluate it considering another.
Old Testament faith. The biblical concept of faith can be seen in

its earliest form in the Old Testament where a variety of Hebrew
terms provide a rich and complex definition. The Hebrew word
of faith is “Aman.”
“Aman.” As a root word, a word consisting of three consonants,

this term conveys the sense of "reliability, stability" and
"firmness." This root word can be changed to form a verb by
changing the vowels or by adding consonants before the root
(prefixes), after the root (suffixes) or within the root (infixes).
1. The hiphil verb from of ’āman means "to be certain,
sure" or "to be assured" (Gen 15:6; Ex 14:31; Num
14:11; Deut 1:32, 9:23; Ps 78:22; Isa 43:10; Jonah 3:5).
Adding another dimension to the meaning of "faith" is
its basis on fact. "Faith" is not blind or a leap into the
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unknown, but instead founded on truth certain of a real

God and the absolute reality of His words.
2. The niphal verb form means "to be true, reliable or
faithful" and can be applied to both God and men (i.e.
God: Deut 7:9, Moses: Num 12:7, prophets: 1 Sam 3:20,
servants: 1 Sam 22:14, messenger: Prov 25:13). When
referring to beings, "faith" acquires a meaning of "to be
entrusted with."
3. When referring to objects, the emphasis of ’āman is
placed on the word of God for its "dependability" and its
confirmation in subsequent action (i.e. 1 Sam 25:28; 2
Sam 7:16; 1 Kings 8:26; 1 Chron 17:23). This usage is
based on God’s promise of a Davidic dynasty and is
referred to "an established house". The fulfillment of
God’s promise is not based on the quality of the
members of the dynasty; instead, it is an unconditional
covenant (see the article "Divine Covenants… the King").
In addition to changing the meaning of the root word by use

of a verb stem, a root word may morphologically change over time
and become a source for derivative words. Regarding the Hebrew
understanding of faith, these derivative terms, sourced originally
from ‘āman, provide a nuanced meaning to "faith."
‘ōmen (faithfulness). The noun is used to describe God’s

counsel (Isa 25:11).
‘ēmūn (faithful, trusting). When used of nations, it is a
standard by which to measure of their righteousness
and acceptability to God (Deut 32:20; Isa 26:2).When
used of human beings, it is a model that is contrasted
to the bad (Prov 13:17) and the false (Prov 14:5).
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‘ĕmûnâ (firmness, fidelity, steadiness). This term basically

applies to God Himself (Deut 32:4) to express His total
dependability. It is frequently listed among the
attributes of God (1 Sam 26:23; Ps 36:5; Ps 40:10; Lam
3:23) and is used to describe His works (Ps 33:4) and
His words (Ps 119:86; 143:1).It is also used to refer to
those whose lives God establishes and in whom He
expects to see faithfulness from (Prov 12:22; 2 Chron
19:9). Such faithfulness or a life of faith is characteristic
of those justified in God’s sight (Hab 2:4). God’s word of
truth establishes man’s way of truth or faithfulness (Ps
119:30).The Believer is entrusted with the duty of being
faithful personally and faithfully responsible to carry out
his office (1 Chron 9:22; 2 Chron 31:15).
‘ĕmet (firmness, truth). This term carries underlying sense

of certainty and dependability, and it is used directly or
indirectly of God. It is applied to God as a characteristic
of His nature (Gen 24:27; Ex 34:6; Ps 25:5; 31:5), and it
is a term applied to God’s words (Ps 119:142, 151, 160).
As a characteristic of God revealed to men, it becomes
the means by which men know and serve God as their
Savior (Josh 24:14; 1 Kings 2:4; Ps 26:3; Ps 86:11), and
a characteristic to be found in those who have come to
God (Ex 18:21; Neh 7:2; Ps 15:2). Because it is an
attribute of God which is manifest in man’s salvation
and life of service as God’s child, the word is often
coupled with another attribute of God related to our
salvation: mercy or love (Gen 24:27; Ps 61:7; Prov
14:22). Because these attributes of God’s truth and
mercy lead to God’s peace toward sinful men, saved by
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God’s grace, the word is also often coupled with peace

(Isa 39:8; Jer 33:6).
Bāṭaḥ. This Hebrew root means "’to trust, rely upon" or "to put
confidence in". "Bāṭaḥ" as a verb, in its qal or hiphil verb form,
expresses the sense of well-being and security which results
from having something or someone in whom to place
confidence. It is the action of believing in something so strongly
that a confidence is generated from that trust; God is the true
basis of security (2 Kings 18:30; Jer 39:18; Ps 62:8). Let
Hezekiah make you trust (bāṭaḥ-hiphal) in the LORD, saying,
"The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given
into the hand of the king of Assyria." (2 Kings 18:30) For I will
certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you
will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted
(bāṭaḥ-qal) in Me," declares the LORD.' (Jer 39:18). Trust
(bāṭaḥ-qal) in Him at all times, O people;Pour out your heart
before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:8)
In conclusion, in its various contexts, the Old Testament

introduces the idea that "faith" is based on historical and
factual events and leads to the conclusion that all truth comes
from God and is truth because it is related to God. With this
objective basis, the concept of "faith" requires a human
response that entails the subjective nature of trust. Existing
objectively outside of human beings, the reliability of God and
His words generate trust subjectively within human beings.
This is evident in the Life of Abraham.
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New Testament faith. Jewish translators used Koine Greek terms

of the pistis word group in the process of translating the
Hebrew root 'āman, and its derivatives
(i.e. ‘ēmūn, ‘ĕmûnâ, ‘ĕmet, etc) into Greek for the Septuagint
(Greek Old Testament). There are certain terms that we need to
keep in mind namely:
Pistis. This Greek term means essentially "faith" or "a

trustful human response to God's self-revelation via
His words or actions. "The Greek term, pistis, is used
in the following places of the Septuagint: Deuteronomy
32:20; 1 Samuel 21:2; 26:23; 2 Kings 12:15; 22:7; 1
Chronicles 9:22, 31; 2 Chronicles 31:12,
18; 34:12; Nehemiah 9:38; Psalms 32:4; Proverbs
3:3; 12:17; 14:22; 15:27; Jeremiah
5:1; 7:28; 9:3; 15:18; 35:9; 39:41; 40:6; Lamentation
s 3:23; Hosea 2:20 and Habakkuk 2:4.
When used in the New Testament, it was not until
after the resurrection of Christ, that the gospel became
a tradition of teaching which laid claim to be received by
faith. This call for pistis in the name of God involved the
renunciation of existing cult piety and rabbinical
teaching. Grammatically, when pistis appears with the
definite article, it is often in reference to particular
Christian beliefs and is understood as "the faith"
(i.e. Rom 4:16; 1 Cor 16:13). It is about a saving faith
based on the historical event of Jesus' crucifixion and
resurrection and promise of future salvation for the
believing human being.
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Pisteuō. It is derived from "pist-", this Greek verb means

"believe" or "trust." This Greek term, pisteuō, is used in
the following places of the Septuagint: Genesis
15:6; 42:20; 45:26; Exodus4:1,8; 14:31; 19:9; Number
s 14:11; 20:12; Deuteronomy 9:23; 28:66; 1 Samuel
3:21; 27:12; 1 Kings 10:7; 2 Kings 17:14; 2 Chronicles
9:6; 24:5; 32:15; Job4:18; 9:16; 15:15,31; 24:22; 29:2
4; 39:12; Psalms26:13; 77:22;105:12; 115:1; 118:66; p
roverbs14:15; 24:24; Isaiah7:9; 28:16; 43:10; 53:1; Jer
emiah 12:6; 25:8; 47:14; Lamentations 4:12; Daniel
6:23; Jonah 3:5 and Habakkuk 1:5.
When used in the New Testament, pisteuō is
consistently in reference to the saving faith and trust of
a believer with a focus on the promises of God made
through instruments such as Moses (John 5:46),
prophets (Luke 24:25; Acts 26:27), angels (Luke 1:20-
45; Acts 27:25) and Scripture (John 2:22; Acts
24:14).Frequently pisteuō is used in combination with
a Greek preposition forming pisteuō eis, which means
"believe in" (Gal 2:16; John 1:12; 3:18). This thought is
not common in Greek nor in the LXX, which call for faith
as "believe that." This form of missionary preaching,
"believe in," brings a focus on the object of faith Jesus
Christ Himself:
1. An event in the history of Jesus (1 Thess

4:14; Rom 10:9)
2. A statement about Jesus (John 20:31)
In conclusion, the New Testament Greek

term, pistis, became the leading term describing the
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relationship between human beings and God. It

reflected the fact that the Old Testament Hebrew
term 'āman was established as an important term for
the religious relationship. To turn to God, revealed in
its proclamation, is "faith." Pistis entails a personal
relationship to Christ, analogous to
the 'āman relationship with God, yet different from it.
In the Old Testament sense, faith in God meant
obedience to the Law and trust in God's covenant
faithfulness. In the New Testament sense, faith in
Christ meant belief in His deity, trust in His work of
atonement and hope of future salvation. Faith
acknowledges the truth of the past with a confidence
of the future.
Patristic Period. The Patristic Period is a vital point in the history

of Christianity since it contextualizes the early Christian
information from the time of the death of the last Apostle (John)
(which runs roughly about 100 A.D. to the Middle Ages (451
A.D. and the council of Chalcedon). It describes the cohesion
between Judaism and Christianity and various theological
points being sorted out. Most denominations find this period of
church history vitally important on a similar scale. From
Roman Catholicism to the Reformed Churches following
Zwingli and Calvin, many basic Christian concepts are birthed
during this age, which, for good reason, the church would
continue to believe for all time as orthodox over and against all
heretical sectaries.
During the first two hundred years of this era the church
was under persecution from various Roman emperors. It was
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heightened and at its worse with Diocletian (303 A.D.) who even
persecuted his own wife and daughter for being Christians.
Christianity became legalized as a religion in the era of
Constantine (321 A.D.) which was the opposite side of the
spectrum in relation to previous persecution.
Various cities and geographical areas became of chief

importance. The city of Alexandria emerged as a center of
Christian theological education. The city of Antioch also
became a leading center of Christian thought. Western North
Africa gave birth to such men as Tertullian, Cyprian of
Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo.
The Patristic period is filled with theological importance on

the development of Christian doctrine. Many of the debates of
this time are housed in both theological and philosophical
issues. Without a helpful understanding of both of these
disciplines, the student of historical theology will find the
patristic period difficult to comprehend cohesively. This period
is characterized by immense doctrinal diversity and the age of
“flux.” Many scholars refer to this age when the early church
fathers are noted, however, it would be more appropriate to
deem them the “early church children” who had begun working
out Christian theology. Also, there was a major division in the
church in terms of language. The eastern Greek-speaking and
the western Latin-speaking church had both political and
linguistic barriers to overcome.
Key Theological Developments during the Patristic

period. How does tradition coincide with Scripture? During
the early years many doctrines were espoused that seemed
to rest on the Scriptures but were in fact a deviation of
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Christian truth. In a context where cultic groups were

distorting the truth, and appeal to tradition became
important. The word “tradition” means “handed down.”
Irenaeus called it the regula fide, or rule of faith. This rule
of faith was faithfully preserved by the apostolic church and
is found in the Scriptures. Tradition came to mean, then, “a
traditional interpretation of Scripture.” In this way, the rule
of faith was that which was commonly accepted by the
church as one that received the truth of the Scriptures and
formulated a statement, creed or confession about those
truths (such as the Apostle’s Creed). The English word
“creed” comes from the Latin credo meaning “I believe.”
Later statements of faith were known as confessions, such
as the Westminster Confession of Faith. These are the
basics of Christian belief that every Christian should be able
to accept and be bound by. A creed differs from a confession
in that it is a universal statement of the most simplistic
truths of the Christian faith.
The Apostle’s Creed is the most familiar creed of the
Christian church. It is divided into three sections dealing
with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Nicene
Creed is a longer version that highlights material in the
relationship between Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The two natures of Christ was also a large controversial
subject during the Patristic period. The conclusion was that
Jesus Christ was of the same substance of God, described
in the term homoousios (of one substance). Two schools had
two opinions on this: the Alexandrian School placed
emphasis on the divinity of Christ, and the Antiochene
school placed an emphasis on the humanity of Christ. The
debates surrounded the Arian controversy of determining
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whether Jesus was God, or a created being. Arius taught

that Christ was a created being. The Council of Nicea (c.
325) was convened by Constantine and settled the Arian
controversy by affirming that Jesus was homoousios with
the Father (i.e. of the same substance).
After the controversy over the divinity of Christ was settled,
the doctrine of the Trinity naturally came to pass since this
was all intertwined. The basic idea behind the Trinity is that
there are three persons within the Godhead – Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, and that these three are to be regarded as
equally divine and of equal status. Athanasius and Basil of
Caesarea wrote vigorously on this subject defending
orthodoxy. The Eastern Cappadocian fathers (Gregory
Nazianzen, Basel and Gregory of Nyssa) also wrote in
defending this doctrine.
Search Indicator
Helpmewithbiblestudy.org. (2010). What is the concept of "faith" in the Old Testament?

A Series on What does Faith Mean: Part 1. Retrieved September 1, 2020 from
http://helpmewithbiblestudy.org/9Salvation/FaithOTConcept.aspx#sthash.K7HJlYyE.dp
bs
Helpmewithbiblestudy.org. (2010). What is the concept of "faith" in the New Testament?

A Series on What does Faith Mean: Part 3. Retrieved September 1, 2020 from
http://helpmewithbiblestudy.org/9Salvation/FaithNTConcept.aspx#sthash.Q0Bm9B88.d
pbs
Historical Theological articles. Introduction to Historical Theology - The Patristic Period (c. 100-450) (N.
D.). Retrieved September 1, 2020 from https://www.apuritansmind.com/historical-
theology/introduction-to-historical-theology-the-patristic-period-c-100-450/
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Looking at History from God's Perspective. (N. D.). Retrieved September 2. 2020 from
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~sjreeves/cm/history.html
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is the idea of faith in the Old testament?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What is the idea of faith in the New testament?

___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What is the importance of history?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. What is the idea of faith in the patristic period?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
SCP-Reed1 | 39
DEPARTMENT
LET’S INQUIRE!
Activity 1. In this activity, you are required to expound your
answer to each of the questions below.
1. What should be our lifestyle in living out our faith that is

aligned to the concept or idea of faith in the Old testament?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How is the concept of faith in the New Testament being lived
by Christians today?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What are the challenges experienced by believers with regards

living out our faith in the patristic period?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. What do you mean by the "rule of faith” (Regula Fide) by

St Irenaeus?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
SCP-Reed1 | 40
DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Kindly write a comprehensive summary of the idea or
concept of faith from the above mention period.
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DEPARTMENT
Week 5 History of the Concept of Faith

Faith in Medieval Period, Reformation Era and
Lesson Title
the Modern period.
Learning Discuss the history of the concept of faith.
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Medieval Period – also known as Middle Ages, refers to the

period in European history from the collapse of Roman
civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of
the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the
13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region
of Europe and other factors).
Reformation Period – also called Protestant Reformation, the

religious revolution that took place in the Western church in
the 16th century. Its greatest leaders undoubtedly
were Martin Luther and John Calvin. Having far-reaching
political, economic, and social effects, the Reformation
became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of
the three major branches of Christianity.
Modern Period- also called information age, refers to a period

beginning in the last quarter of the 20th century when
information became easily accessible through publications
and through the manipulation of information by computers
and computer networks.
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Essential Content
Faith in the Medieval period. Throughout the middle ages, four

specific issues attracted the attention of its greatest
philosophers from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith
traditions. We will only talk one of the specific issues which is
about faith since that is our main concern. The challenge in
this period is about the relation between faith and reason,
which involves whether important philosophical and religious
beliefs are grounded in the authority of faith, or in reason, or
in some combination of the two. This period was permeated
with the struggle to understand the relationship between faith
and reason. An early example of the pro-reason side is the early
Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria (150-215 CE), who
stated “before the coming of the Lord, philosophy was
necessary to the Greeks for attaining righteousness. Now, it is
beneficial for piety, being a kind of preparatory training for
those who achieve faith through demonstration” (Stromata,
1.5). At the other end of the spectrum is the early Christian
theologian Tertullian (155–230 CE), one of the most extreme
proponents of the faith-only position. His views are
encapsulated in two vivid statements that he makes. First, he
asks the rhetorical question “What does Athens have to do with
Jerusalem?” (Prescription against Heretics 7). Athens here
symbolizes reason and the tradition of Greek thinking;
Jerusalem represents faith, and the doctrines of Christianity
that are held by faith. So, what, then does reason have to do
with faith? His implied answer is “nothing at all!” His second
famous statement is “I believe because it is absurd”, which he
wrote when discussing a Christian doctrine about the nature
of Christ that went contrary to logic (On the Flesh of Christ, 5).
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His point is that reason obstructs our discovery of truth so

much that we should expect truths of faith to run contrary to
it. Thus, reason is not merely a dead end in the pursuit of truth,
but it is dangerously misleading. Clement and Tertullian were
both writing a couple centuries before the official start of the
medieval period, but most medieval philosophers after 400 CE
fell somewhere between the two extremes of their views.
The first major medieval philosopher was Augustine
(354–430), who emphasized attaining knowledge through
divine illumination and achieving moral goodness by loving
God. The details of his life are openly laid out in his
autobiography, titled Confessions, which even today is
considered a classic of world literature. The starting point of
his philosophy is his stance on the relation between faith and
reason. There are two ways of approaching this: first,
Tertullian’s faith-only position, and, second, Clement's view
that reason by itself can go a long way in establishing religious
truths independently of faith. Augustine struck a middle
ground between the two, advocating a position that he called
“faith seeking understanding.” His inspiration for this was a
passage from the Old Testament book of Isaiah “Unless you
believe, you will not understand.” On this view, reason by itself
is not good enough to give us proper religious knowledge;
instead, we have to begin with faith to set us in the right
direction and, once we believe in God through faith, we can
seek to understand the foundations of our belief through
reason (Fieser, 2020). In Other words, to believe is “to think with
assent” (credere est assensione cogitare). It is an act of the
intellect determined not by the reason, but by the will. Faith
involves a commitment “to believe in a God,” “to believe God,”
and “to believe in God.”
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Like Augustine, Anselm held that the natural theologian

seeks not to understand in order to believe, but to believe in
order to understand. This is the basis for his
principle intellectus fidei. Under this conception, reason is not
asked to pass judgment on the content of faith, but to find its
meaning and to discover explanations that enable others to
understand its content. But when reason confronts what is
incomprehensible, it remains unshaken since it is guided by
faith’s affirmation of the truth of its own incomprehensible
claims.
The medieval reflection of faith as gift, act, and virtue
reached its greatest elaboration on the time of St. Thomas
Aquinas. Aquinas claimed that the act of faith consists
essentially in knowledge. Faith is an intellectual act whose
object is truth. Thus, it has both a subjective and objective
aspect. From the side of the subject, it is the mind’s assent to
what is not seen: “Faith is the evidence of things that appear
not” (Hebrews 11:1). Moreover, this assent, as an act of will,
can be meritorious for the believer, even though it also always
involves the assistance of God’s grace. Moreover, faith can be a
virtue, since it is a good habit, productive of good works.
However, when we assent to truth in faith, we do so on the
accepted testimony of another. From the side of what is
believed, the objective aspect, Aquinas clearly distinguished
between “preambles of faith,” which can be established by
philosophical principles, and “articles of faith” that rest on
divine testimony alone. Aquinas concludes that we come to
know completely the truths of faith only through the virtue of
wisdom (sapientia). Thomas says that “whatever its source,
truth of is of the Holy Spirit” (Summa Theologiae, I-IIae q. 109,
a. 1). The Spirit “enables judgment according to divine truth”
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(II-IIae 45, q. 1, ad 2). Moreover, faith and charity are

prerequisites for the achievement of this wisdom.
By this time, there was a general agreement that with the
grace conferred at baptism the baptized Christians received as
a gift three theological virtues and one of them is faith.
Faith in the Reformation period. Martin Luther restricted the

power of reason to illuminate faith. Like many reformers, he
considered the human being alone unable to free itself from sin.
In The Bondage of the Will, he makes a strict separation
between what man has dominion over (his dealings with the
lower creatures) and what God has dominion over (the affairs
of His kingdom and thus of salvation). Reason is often very
foolish: it immediately jumps to conclusions when it sees a
thing happen once or twice. But by its reflections on the nature
of words and our use of language, it can help us to grasp our
own spiritual impotence.
Luther thus rejected the doctrine of analogy, developed by
Aquinas and others, as an example of the false power of reason.
In his Heidelberg Disputation Luther claims that a theologian
must look only “on the visible rearward parts of God as seen in
suffering and the cross.” Only from this perspective, do we keep
our faith when we see, for example, that in the world the unjust
prosper and the good undergo afflictions. Thus, faith is
primarily an act of trust in God’s grace. This means that for
Luther, man has nothing to do but gratefully to receive God’s
gift of salvation. It is expressed in his known statement, “Faith
alone.”
Luther thus stresses the gratuitousness of salvation. In a
traditional sense, Roman Catholics generally held that faith is
meritorious, and thus that salvation involves good works.
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Protestant reformers like Luther, on the other hand, held that

indeed faith is pure gift. He thus tended to make the hitherto
Catholic emphasis on works look voluntaristic.
Like Luther, John Calvin appealed to the radical necessity
of grace for salvation. This was embodied in his doctrine of
election. But unlike Luther, Calvin gave a more measured
response to the power of human reason to illuminate faith. In
his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he argued that the
human mind possesses, by natural instinct, an “awareness of
divinity.” This sensus divinitatis is that whereby we form
specific beliefs about God in specific situations, e.g. when
experiencing danger, beauty, or even guilt. Even idolatry can
contain as aspect of this. So, religion is not merely arbitrary
superstition. And yet, the law of creation makes necessary that
we direct every thought and action to this goal of knowing God.
Despite this fundamental divine orientation, Calvin denied
that a believer could build up a firm faith in Scripture through
argument and disputation. He appealed instead to the
testimony of Spirit embodied gained through a life of religious
piety. Only through this testimony is certainty about one’s
beliefs obtained. We attain a conviction without reasons, but
only through “nothing other than what each believer
experiences within himself–though my words fall far beneath a
just explanation of the matter.” He realized, however, that
“believers have a perpetual struggle with their own lack of
faith.” But these struggles never remove them from divine
mercy.
Calvin is thus an incompatibilist of the transrational type:
faith is not against but is beyond human reason.
Faith in the Modern period. In the modern era, the context for
discussion of faith has generally been shaped by two factors.
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First, the widespread loss of confidence in the coherence of

claims about divine agency (God’s providence and/or power).
Second, a corresponding concern to relate faith to the dynamics
of human subjectivity. The twentieth century (modern era)
witnessed numerous attempts to reconcile religious belief with
new strands of philosophical thinking and with new theories in
science.
John Hick concludes that religious faith is the non-
inferential and unprovable basic interpretation either of a
moral or religious “situational significance” in human
experience. Faith is not the result of logical reasoning, but
rather a profession that God “as a living being” has entered into
the believer’s experience. This act of faith situates itself in the
person’s material and social environment. Religious
faith interprets reality in terms of the divine presence within the
believer’s human experience. Although the person of faith may
be unable to prove or explain this divine presence, his or her
religious belief still acquire the status of knowledge similar to
that of scientific and moral claims. Thus, even if one could
prove God’s existence, this fact alone would be a form of
knowledge neither necessary nor sufficient enough for one’s
faith. It would at best only force a notional assent. Believers live
by, not by confirmed hypotheses, but by an intense, coercive,
indubitable experience of the divine.
The general philosophy of modernity is that of science,
where everything must be doubted and only that which can be
experimentally proven is deemed true. Now science is not bad,
instead it is a wonderful method of discovering truth. What is
crucial here is that modernity flips the Christian understanding
of truth. Instead of presupposing faith, modernity presupposes
science, and then upon that foundation accepts or denies
aspects of faith. This radical change is also seen among modern
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individuals for whom personal experience is the measure of

truth. Now, again this is not bad since it is very prudent to test
the veracity of truth. However, what is crucial here, is that the
modern individual flips the Christian understanding of truth.
Instead of presupposing faith, the modern person presupposes
his/her own personal convictions, and then upon that
foundation accepts or denies aspects of faith.
Search Indicator
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Faith and Reason. (N. D.). Retrieved Sept 7, 2020 from
https://iep.utm.edu/faith-re/
Fieser, J., MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY: From The History of Philosophy: A Short

Survey. (). Retrieved Sept 3, 2020 from
https://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/class/110/5-medieval.htm
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Faith and Reason. (N. D.). Retrieved Sept 10, 2020
from https://iep.utm.edu/faith-re/
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LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is the concept of faith in the Medieval period?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What is the notion of faith in the Reformation period?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What is the idea of faith in the Modern period?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
4. What is reformation period?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What do you mean by faith as a virtue?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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2. What do you mean by faith as a human act?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What should be our lifestyle in living out our faith in our time
today?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. What do you mean by faith as a gift?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Kindly make an essay expressing the importance of
understanding the idea of faith.
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Week 6 Stages of Faith Development

Lesson Title Stages of Faith Development
Learning Identify one’s level of faith.
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Faith – refers to the human development of faith.
Stages of faith – refers to the stages of faith introduced by

James Fowler.
Essential Content
Introduction. The Christian tradition has recognized for a long

time that there are different types or levels of spiritual
awareness. The U.S. bishops recognized this in their Pastoral
Letter Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us when they explained
that faith "is living and active, sharing many of the qualities of
living things: it grows and develops over time; it learns from
experience; it adapts to changing conditions while maintaining
its essential identity; it goes through seasons, some apparently
dormant, others fruitful" (#80).
It is important to remember that such developmental
"stages" or types are descriptive, not prescriptive. In other
words, they attempt to describe the way faith generally
develops, but do not prescribe how faith must or should
develop in any individual. The descriptions do not suggest that
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one stage or kind of faith is better than another, only that how
individuals or communities understand faith may differ from
each other. We tend to think that faith is faith. But we all
recognize that faith grows and changes with time.
Stages of faith Development. In 1981 James Fowler, a professor of

theology and human development at Emory University, identified
seven "stages" or types of faith which tend, as a general rule, to
emerge as individuals grow and mature. Fowler explained his
stages of faith in two books, Stages of Faith (1981) and Becoming
Adult, Becoming Christian (1984). In short, Fowler looks at how
faith evolves over time. Other observers have also identified
stages or types of faith, although most tend to explain faith
development in broader categories or more generalized stages
than Fowler.
1. Primal Faith. This is dominant in infants from birth to age
3. This stage in a young child's faith formation sets the
foundation for what will later develop as a conscious,
intentional and personal faith. A very young child cannot
be said to have any conscious faith at all, but he or she is
unconsciously developing a basic attitude about reality, a
perception about whether the world and the people in it
are basically friendly or dangerous, pleasant or painful,
trustworthy or capricious. This stage establishes a
fundamental but pre-conscious disposition which will
eventually enable the child to believe that there is a God
who loves and cares for them.
2. Imaginative faith. This is dominant in children ages 4 to
8. At this stage faith has a magical or imaginary quality,
marked by the child's ability to believe almost
anything. It is essentially intuitive, non-rational and
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non-conceptual. It is based on what the child feels rather

than on what the child thinks or "knows." It is, in a
sense, "borrowed" from adults whom the child trusts to
be knowing and truthful. This stage sets the foundation
for the child's eventual ability to believe in nonmaterial
realities and sacred mysteries which cannot be seen or
"proven." Imaginative faith is almost entirely non-critical
or naive, in the sense that children for the most part lack
the knowledge, experience and insight to evaluate or
judge the content of faith against objective criteria.
In this stage the child's image of God depends
primarily on what parents do and say. If parents are
loving, kind and forgiving, the child assumes that God,
who is like a cosmic parent or grandparent, is also loving,
kind and forgiving.
3. Literal Faith. This is dominant in children ages 6 to 12.
During this stage the child is gradually developing the
ability to think for herself or himself and beginning to
ask questions about things which earlier they took for
granted, including their parents' faith. At this stage,
children develop an intense desire and need to know
how things really are. They are fascinated by stories,
rituals and traditions which show real people living out
their faith in concrete ways. They depend on authority
figures, rules and structure to assure them that reality
is ordered and safe. Literal faith is the first step toward
a less naive and more critical attitude toward faith,
although the older child's ability to subject the content
of faith to critical standards is still limited.
In this stage, the child is like to imagine God as
something like a divine superhero who uses his power
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and authority to create order and justice by rewarding

good and punishing evil.
4. Conventional Faith. This is dominant in young adults
and adults age 13 and older. During this stage faith is
shaped by the individual's growing ability and desire to
participate in the wider world beyond parents and
family. There is developing need to belong and be
accepted by peers and friends who share the individual's
interests and values. Faith is highly inter-personal,
institutional, and communal; like the older child, it is
rooted in the group and is shaped by the conventions,
traditions, rules and habits of the group or faith
community to which he or she belongs. Conventional
faith may incorporate critical and non-critical attitudes
toward faith. Young and early adults develop the ability
to evaluate faith-claims by more objective standards,
but may suppress critical questions out of fear, or for
the sake of the security and acceptance provided by the
group.
In this stage the older child, young adults and
many adults image God as an authority figure who holds
the group and the world together by enforcing order a
kind of cosmic "Godfather" with whom one exchanges
"favors," who rewards loyalty and punishes
disloyalty. In this sense, God may be loving and
merciful, but never at the expense of justice.
5. Personal Faith. This is dominant in adults age 20 and
older. This stage is sometimes characterized as a period
of rebellion or withdrawal, a kind of spiritual
adolescence. In this stage individuals are rethinking the
conventions and convictions of the group as they search
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for a personal faith, independent of the individuals and

groups they relied upon as children and young
adults. This stage may be marked by a certain amount
of ambivalence and confusion both a desire to belong and
a need to be independent. Personal faith represents the
individual's transition from a primarily pre-critical to a
post-critical faith. It is a highly critical stage in which
individuals evaluate faith-claims against personal
experience, "common sense," rational and scientific
criteria.
In this stage an individual's relationship to God
may be very personal and private, but nonetheless real
and intense. Some individuals in this stage express a
desire to be "spiritual but not religious."
6. Conjunctive or Mystical Faith. This is possible in adults
in their 30s or older, rarely before middle age. In this
stage an individual adult become more aware of the
presence of the Divine Mystery in all of life. This
awareness produces a deep sense of sufficiency,
wholeness and peace, which enables the individual to
accept and believe what cannot be fully understood or
explained. Faith now includes a sense of solidarity and
compassion, which allows the individual to reconnect
with the faith community and to live comfortably with
contradictions and shortcomings within the self and the
faith community. Mystical Faith is the first stage in a
post-critical attitude about faith. Adults in this stage
reject the literalism of early stages not because it is
untrue, but because it is not true enough; they have
discovered that there are truths (or mysteries) embedded
in reality which do not conflict with, and cannot be
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judged by, entirely rational or scientific standards.

In this stage an individual experiences God's
presence in the deepest levels of oneself, others and
creation, transcending superficial differences. The
human analogy would be to the deep interpersonal
connection which spouses sometimes feel. This
awareness of God as the Holy Spirit leads to an abiding
conviction that all will be well because God wills it.
7. Universal faith. This is rare in a few adults during or after

middle age. In this stage an individual's faith is shaped by
an intense awareness of the unity of all living things and
the oneness of God's creation. A vision of the Kingdom of
God breaking into everyday reality frees the individual to
be both radically detached from self and passionately
committed to living a life of self-sacrificing love marked by
transcendent values like truth, justice and love and
devoted to overcoming division, oppression and violence of
every kind. Universal faith is the ultimate stage in the
development of a post-critical attitude toward
faith. Adults in this stage realize that the truths
embedded in faith are ultimately more important and
helpful than those which emerge from rational or scientific
inquiry.
In this stage an individual's image of God defies
words or images. The individual's life and faith center on
an awareness of God's transforming presence. The rare
individuals who reach this level live lives of totally self-less
love, uncompromised by concerns for personal status,
comfort or security.
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Conclusion. Fowler's seven "stages" are not as distinct or self-

contained as they appear. The transition from one to another
often takes place gradually, and usually depends upon a variety
of personal and social circumstances in addition
to chronological age. It is possible, in fact, likely that
individuals may incorporate aspects of more than one stage,
particularly during periods when they are growing gradually
from one stage to the next. As a general rule, Fowler's stages
are sequential, and individuals move from one to the next along
the continuum which he outlined. However, in any given stage,
circumstances may cause individuals to return to elements of
previous stages. Personal images of God, which may seem to
be quite distinct in each stage, in reality usually contain
aspects or characteristics of two or more different types.
Despite these cautions, the concept of faith development

remains useful. It tends to confirm the impression individuals
have that their faith has grown and changed, that it continues
to change, often in response to particular circumstances in
their lives. The information presented here is a composite of key
characteristics of the stages in faith development identified by
Fowler and others.
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DEPARTMENT
Search Indicator
Cushing, D., Stages in Faith Development. (2018). Retrieved September 24, 2020 from
https://waterloocatholics.org/stages-in-faith-development
Daniel, T., FOWLER’S STAGES OF FAITH. (2016). Retrieved September 21, 2020 from
https://oregonhospice.org/media/PPEDanielStagesofFaith.pdf
Popcok, G., What Stage is Your Faith? (2014). Retrieved September 23, 2020 from
https://catholicexchange.com/stage-faith
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. Kindly give concrete manifestation of the faith in the

conventional faith stage.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. Kindly give concrete manifestation of the faith in the personal

faith stage.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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3. Kindly give concrete manifestation of the faith in the

conjunctive faith stage.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What do you think is the importance of Fowler’s stages of faith

development?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Do you value your faith? Does it have any influence on your
life?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
LET’S INFER!
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DEPARTMENT
Activity 1. Kindly make a description of your faith according to the

corresponding stages of faith development.
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Characteristics of Faith and Paradoxical

Week 7
Characteristics of faith
Characteristics of Faith and Paradoxical
Lesson Title
Characteristics of faith
Learning Recognize the characteristics of faith
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Characteristics – refers to a feature or quality belonging

typically to a person, place or thing and serving to identify
it.
Paradoxical – refers to seemingly absurd or self-contradictory.
Essential Content
Introduction. Faith in its broadest sense is a central reality in life

most especially for us Filipinos. It is an everyday “natural”
factor in all our human relationships and daily actions. For
example, in accepting the word of others, we already show our
faith (paniniwala) in them. We readily obey the directions of
those over us, at home, at work, in our
communities (pagsunod). We even entrust ourselves and our
welfare to others: doctors, teachers, judges, civic leaders, not
to mention cooks, jeepney drivers, etc. Without such
basic human faith which includes believing acceptance,
obedient action and personal entrusting, human life would be
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impossible. Faith as a human reality, therefore, is central to our

daily lives.
Characteristics of faith. The Compendium of the Catechism of the

Catholic Church notes seven characteristics of faith. Faith is: (1)
necessary for salvation, (2) a free gift, a grace, (3) a human act,
(4) it is certain, (5) it works through charity, (6) it continually
grows, and (7) it is a foretaste of heaven. (We note an eighth
characteristic of faith as well.)
1. Faith is necessary for salvation

If salvation was not necessary, we would not need faith,
since we would already be living in perfect friendship with
God, enjoying whatever God revealed of the divine glory to
us. We would not be on a journey from separation towards
union. Yet since we do need to be saved, to walk the path
from separation to reunion, we discover that faith has the
effect of guiding us on this way. It is God, revealed in Jesus
Christ, who is the light we walk towards, leading us home.
Faith is the gift of sight which enables us to see that light.
Without the light of faith, we would be lost. This light of faith
is a special divine gift, a grace, and it is meant to
complement and complete the gift of reason, which by
contrast has a natural character. It is reason that enables
us to have the dignity of cooperating in our own salvation.
In the order of creation, the gift of God's love invites a human
response of love. In the order of salvation, the gift of the
saving grace of God invites the response of human
cooperation through works that develop and heal creation
through that grace.
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2. Faith is a free gift, a grace

Since God wants our cooperation, we need to use our
reason to work out how to respond in practice to the gift of
grace. God does not give us a daily list of chores, but by
prompting us with grace draws out from us a response in
accord with our natural gifts. This is a close and continuous
process, yet our lack of spiritual awareness can make it
seem that God left some general instructions for us, and
then went away, leaving us to it. This mentality replicates in
our minds the separation from God which faith is meant to
overcome. So, the light of faith seems dim and a long way
off, hidden over the horizon somewhere. This lessening of
faith leads to a weakening of hope, because we are in
encroaching darkness, and the way ahead is uncertain.
3. Faith is a human act
Because of this potential loss of hope we need a
certitude of faith. The light of faith will always seem to flicker
and be in danger of going out if we rely only on our
understanding of the faith. Even when we are in periods of
temporary darkness, we need the certainty that the light is
still there, otherwise we will despair of finding our way out.
God gave the certainty of faith to the Church, not to
individuals regardless of whether they are separated from
the Church or not. Each person will individually have the
light of faith if he or she stays within the community of light.
4. Faith is certain
The light of faith is one light, the light of Christ, and the
Church is one because it abides in the one light. Separation
from the Church is separation from the certitude of faith. If
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we do not have the certainty of faith, we will seek some other

kind of certainty, and trust more in the judgement of our
own reason, or of those we follow, than in the one faith.
5. Faith works through charity
It is only possible for people to be truly united through
charity, through love. Love is the sign that faith is working.
This is why the Church is meant to be a community of love.
We could say that ‘faith is what love looks like from a
distance’, hence it appears as light. Once we arrive in the
light, we find the love convincing, because we feel its
warmth, and do not need further reasons. To the extent that
this becomes real in the Church, people will see the light
from far off and believe that it is worth heading in this
direction. While we are still on the journey, we need faith,
because Love has not yet fully penetrated to every corner.
6. Faith continually grows
The nature of love is to grow. Since God is love, there is
no end to the forms of love God can give. So, we know
something is not love if it has stopped growing, if nothing is
flowing over the sides, if the light is diminishing. We are
continually tempted to say, ‘That is enough’. If the love
diminishes, the light dims. If the Church's light dims, how
will people know which way to go to find Christ?
7. Faith is a foretaste of heaven
Faith is a foretaste of heaven. The heavenly city is the
light over the horizon, the ultimate reunion with God. How
can faith be a foretaste of this? Because the Church carries
the light of Christ on her journey. The light we can dimly see
from over the horizon is the same light that lights the
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Church's way on her journey of faith. Jesus Christ is the

light which has come into the world. Believing in him gives
us access to the light that beckons from over the horizon. He
has come to guide us home, accompanying us on every step
of the journey. When we arrive at the heavenly city we will
not be strangers, because we already know the one who
awaits us. As the distance narrows, faith is revealed more
and more as love. The one we have come gradually to know
through faith is the same one whose Love casts the light.
8. Faith journeys through darkness
Because evil darkens the world, Jesus leads the Church
through the darkness to find those who are lost. If we resent
these ‘detours’ it means we have not learnt the lesson that
faith works through love. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. But
he does not want to have to do the shepherding on his own.
The Church too must be a shepherd, and especially those
who help Christ lead the Church on her journey. We must
go with Jesus seemingly out of the light and into the
darkness, to share the light with others. The Church also
must pass through Holy Saturday to the glory of Easter. God
wants our cooperation with the gift of faith most deeply of all
to lead everyone home.
Paradoxical Characteristics of faith. Christian Faith presents us

with a number of paradoxes that help us grasp its complex reality
namely:
A. Certain, Yet Obscure
The first is that Faith is both most certain yet
obscure (cf. CCC 157-58, 164). In common usage we speak
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of “taking things on faith” when we are not sure. We live in a

secular age where “to be sure” means being able to prove it
by experiment and “scientific” means. But this is a
rationalistic illusion. We have been “brainwashed” by our
own creation of today’s scientific technology.
As Filipinos, we realize that none of our major personal

decisions, nor our basic ideals and attitudes towards life,
freedom, love, etc. could ever be “proven” by scientific
experiment. Our family, our friends, our community, our
vocation in life __ all depend on the vision, inspiration and
strength we call “faith”. It is the most “certain” of all we know
because it is the foundation upon which we build our lives.
But how are we sure of this “faith-foundation”?
Such a sure foundation could never come from

ourselves, or from other limited men or women. It could
never arise from some self-evident truth, or some logical
deduction that compels assent (CCC 156). All these need to
be, themselves, grounded on some unshakeable foundation.
Only the very Word of God could possibly offer such a
foundation. Faith is certain because it rests on God who
reveals Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, present to us
in His Spirit. We are certain of our Faith because it is
our personally committed loving knowledge based on
the convincing signs of God revealing Himself in Jesus
Christ, and present to us in His Church through word,
service, fellowship, and sacrament.
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But this certainty of Faith does not mean everything is

clear and obvious. On the contrary, we believe God
is “Mystery”, that is, He is always more than we can ever
fully comprehend. St. Paul teaches us: “Now we see
indistinctly, as in a mirror” (1 Cor 13:12). “We walk by faith,
not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). But this obscurity which we
experience even in our deepest human relations does not
destroy faith’s firmness. We instinctively recognize that
persons, and especially the all-personal God, can never be
reduced to being “proven” by scientific experiment.
B. Free, Yet Morally Obliging
Faith’s second paradox is that it is

both free and morally obliging (cf. CCC 160). Our
Christian Faith is a free response. No one, not even God,
forces us to believe.
God calls men to serve Him in Spirit and in truth.

Consequently, they are bound to Him in conscience but not
coerced. God has regard for the dignity of the human person
which He himself created: the human person is to be guided
by his own judgment and to enjoy freedom (DH 11).
We Filipinos experience this paradoxical combination

of freedom and obligation in our family relationships and
friendships. Persons who love us the most have the most
claim on us yet force us the least. We naturally respond to
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them in love. God, who by loving us the most has the

greatest claim on us, leaves and keeps us most free.
C. Reasonable, Yet Beyond Natural Reason
A third paradox is that Christian Faith is

both reasonable, yet more than natural reason (cf. CCC
155-56). Christian Faith is in no conflict with our reason. On
the contrary, only rational creatures can believe. Yet faith
itself is a grace that enlightens our minds. “Unless you
believe, you will not understand” (Augustine’s quote of Is
7:9). Our faith in Christ illumines our reason because we
believe him who claims “I am the light of the world. No
follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall
possess the light of life” (Jn 8:12; cf. Vatican I, ND 135).
D. An Act, Yet a Process
A fourth paradox highlights Faith as both a particular

act, yet perseverance in a life-long process that is the
beginning of eternal life (cf. CCC 162-63). John’s Gospel
declares: “Eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God,
and him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ.” (Jn 17:3). But
this faith in Christ is much more than a single,
personal decision for Christ. It is an enduring way of
life within the Christian community, the Church. In fact it
is the principle of our new life in Christ, which gives us a
foretaste of life-with-him in heaven. St. Paul wrote: “The life
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that I now live is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still

live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Faith as
“following Christ” must be gradually and perseveringly
developed so that it comes to touch every aspect of our lives,
throughout our whole lives.
E. A Gift, Yet Our Doing

Faith’s fifth paradox is that it is both a gift, a grace
from God, yet something we do (cf. PCP II 68; CCC 153-
55). It is a gift because “No one can come to me,” Jesus said,
“unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn 6:44). St.
Paul confirms this: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in
the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Our Christian Faith, then, is
not merely of our own doing. It depends upon God for two
things: first, God’s free gift of revealing Himself throughout
salvation history; second, for the grace of the Holy Spirit’s
interior illumination and inspiration which “gives to all joy
in assenting to the truth and believing in it” (Vat. I, DS 3010;
ND 120).
But God’s “gift” of faith demands our free

cooperation with others. St. Paul explains this: “Faith,
then, comes through hearing, and what is heard is the word
of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Our hearing of Christ’s word today
depends on the preaching and teaching just as it did in the
time of the Apostles (cf. Mt 28:20; Acts 2:42; 4:25). This
“hearing” means not only listening to the Word of God in
Scripture and to Church teaching. It also
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involves discerning God’s presence to us through events in

our lives, our companions, our inner thoughts, yearnings
and fears, etc. In brief, faith is also our active response to
the witness to Christ and the Gospel given us by others. This
active response is motivated and inspired by the prayer and
worship we share with our fellow members of Christ’s
Church.
F. Personal, Yet Ecclesial

Faith’s sixth paradox is its personal yet ecclesial nature. It
is first of all the Church who believes and thus supports and
nourishes our faith (cf. CCC 168-69). We received the grace
of faith when we were baptized and received into the
Christian community, the Church. Within our Christian
families and our parish community, the faith implanted in
Baptism grows and matures. Through catechesis, through
the Sacrament of Confirmation, through the Word of God
preached and explained, and especially through the
Eucharistic celebration of Christ’s Paschal sacrifice, we grow
in faith.
Our personal faith in Christ is supported and
intensified by our fellow members in the parish or BCC,
according to God’s own plan. For “He has willed to make men
holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or
link between them, but rather to make them into a
people” (LG 9).
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Christian faith has many different adherents and forms,

even in our country. But a central feature of Catholic Faith
is its ecclesial structure. God always revealed Himself in the
Old and New Testaments in terms of a community.
Moreover, this revelation has been handed down through the
Church’s tradition to us today. It is in the Church that we
Catholics experience the power of the Risen Christ through
the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is in the Church, the body of
Christ, that the Catholic Filipino meets Christ in God’s Word
in Scripture, in Church teaching, in the liturgical,
sacramental praise and worship of God, and in the ministry
of service of one another.
Christ is personal Savior to Filipino Catholics not as

private individuals, but as members of a community of
salvation wherein we meet Jesus and experience his saving
power. Faith is never just something private or individualistic,
but a sharing in the Christian community’s faith. This faith is
in living continuity with the Apostolic Church, as well as
being united to all the Catholic communities today the world
over. Vatican II well describes the origins of this ecclesial
dimension of faith:
“As the firstborn of many brethren, and by the gift of his

Spirit, Christ established, after his Death and Resurrection,
a new brotherly communion among all who received him in
faith and love; this is the communion of his own body, the
Church, in which everyone as members would render
mutual service in the measure of the different gifts bestowed
on each” (GS 32).
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Conclusion. It is important to know the Characteristics of faith for

us to be able to appropriately respond in living out our faith. As
the song goes, “we walk by faith and not by sight.” To live, grow
and persevere in the faith until the end, we must nourish it with
the word of God. We must beg the lord to increase our faith. It
must be working through charity, abounding in hope, and
rooted in the faith of the Church.
Search Indicator
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1992). Retrieved September 30, 2020 from
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c1.htm
The Characteristics of Faith. (N.D.). Retrieved September 31, 2020 from
https://catholic.net/op/articles/1539/cat/1235/-iii-the-characteristics-of-
faith.html
7 Characteristics of Faith. (2019). Retrieved Oct. 1, 2020 from

https://www.3rdmillenniumproject.com/2017/10/20/7-characteristics-of-
faith/
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LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What do you mean by characteristics of faith?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What do you mean by paradoxical characteristics of faith?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How can we be sure of our faith?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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LET’S INQUIRE!
1. Is it imperative to exercise one’s faith?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. Is your faith sound reasonable?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Kindly make a personal history of one’s faith reflecting
the characteristics of faith and paradoxical characteristics of faith.
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Concept of Faith in the Comparative

Week 8
Religion
Lesson Title Faith in Shamanism
Learning Respect each other’s religion.
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Shaman – refers to a person believed to achieve various powers

through trance or ecstatic religious experience.
Shamanism – is a term that comes from the Manchu-

Tungus word šaman. The noun is formed from the verb ša- ‘to
know’; thus, a shaman is literally “one who knows.” The
shamans recorded in historical ethnographies have included
women, men, and transgender individuals of every age from
middle childhood onward.
Religion – refers to a unified system of beliefs and practices
relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and
forbidden -- beliefs and practices which unite into one single
moral community called a Church all those who adhere to
them. (Durkheim, E.)
Essential Content
Introduction. Every person on the planet has a belief, a religion.

Even if the person who believes that God does not exist, has a
religion of his own. All the religions differ from each other in
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terms of beliefs, rituals, and holidays. But all of them have

things in common too. For example, every religion wants her
followers to be happy, to not break the moral code, and to teach
people to forgive in order to live in peace. Unfortunately, people
of different beliefs and religion started to dislike each other.
This is evident in history. So, the question is, why not just let
people differ about their answers to the great mysteries of the
universe? Let each one seeks in its own way the highest and
supreme loyalty the ideals of life.
Short Historical background. It is generally agreed that

shamanism originated among hunting-and-gathering cultures,
and that it persisted within some herding and farming societies
after the origins of agriculture. It is often found in conjunction
with animism, a belief system in which the world is home to
a plethora of spirit-beings that may help or hinder human
endeavours.
Opinions differ as to whether the term shamanism may be
applied to all religious systems in which a central personage is
believed to have direct intercourse with the transcendent world
that permits him to act as healer, diviner, and the like. Since
such interaction is generally reached through an ecstatic or
trance state, and because these are psychosomatic phenomena
that may be brought about at any time by persons with the
ability to do so, the essence of shamanism lies not in the
general phenomenon but in specific notions, actions, and
objects connected with trance.
Shamanism. Shamanism teaches that the physical world is

controlled by the spiritual world and that most people need a
guide or intermediary to navigate those worlds; this guide is
known as a shaman. Shamanism, related to animism, is one of
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the oldest belief systems in the world and can be found today in
many tribal communities in many places around the world.
Role of a Shaman. Shamans are believed to serve their communities

by entering the spiritual world to appease the spirits or discern
why the spirits are angry at a person or group of people. Shamans
are influential and are sometimes feared as they are thought to
hold the power to bless or curse, heal, or even kill a person
through their interactions with spirits.
Some of these spiritual leaders use drugs, physical
wounding, or extreme fasting or quests to guide another person
or themselves into an altered state of consciousness or into the
spirit world. Ceremonies may include amulets, bells, drums,
songs, dancing, chanting, totemic items such as rocks or trees,
and specific places a shaman would deem holy. Shamans risk
injury, sickness, and mental anguish as they seek spirits and
how to placate them.
Furthermore, Shamans employ powers derived from spirits
to heal sickness, to guide the dead to their final destinations, to
influence animals, and forces of nature in a way that benefits
their communities, to initiate assaults on enemies, and to protect
their own communities from external aggression.
In the practice of his art the Shaman is regarded as:
• A healer, hence, the term "medicine man", and the secret
medicine societies of the Seneca, and of other American
tribes; the Alaskan Tungaks are principally healers.
• An educator, i.e., the keeper of myth and tradition, of the
arts of writing and divination; he is the repository of the
tribal wisdom.
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• A civil magistrate; as seers possessing

secret knowledge with power at times of assuming other
shapes and of employing the souls of the dead, they are
credited with ability to detect and punish crimes. In Siberia
every tribe has its chief shaman who arranges the rites and
takes charge of the idols; under him are local
and family wizards who regulate all that concerns birth,
marriage, and death, and consecrate dwellings and food.
• A war-chief; thus, with the Dakotahs and Cheyennes the
head war-chief must be a medicine man. Hence, the shaman
possesses great influence and in many cases is the real ruler
of the tribe.
Beliefs of Shamanism. Shamanism rests for its basis on
the animistic view of nature. Animism teaches that primitive and
savage man views the world as pervaded by spiritual forces.
Fairies, goblins, ghosts, and demons hover about human being
waking or sleeping. They are the cause of man’s mishaps, losses,
and pains. Mountains, woods, forests, rivers, lakes are conceived
to possess spirits, for example, the itch-tchi of the Yakuts, and to
be living, thinking, willing, passionful beings like himself.
In respect to these, man is in a state of helplessness. The
shaman by appropriate words and acts uses his power to shield
man and envelops him in a kind of protective armour so that
the evil spirits become inactive or inoffensive. His role is that of
antagonist to the spirits and of guardian to ordinary man. The
Esquimaux believe all the affairs of life are under the control of
malignant spirits who are everywhere. These minor spirits are
subject to the great spirit, Tung-Ak, yet must be propitiated. The
shaman alone is supposed to be able to deal with Tung-Ak,
though not superior to him. Tung-Ak is a name for Death who
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ever seeks to harass the lives of people that their spirits may go
to dwell with him. The gods of the Maori were demons thronging
like mosquitos and ever watchful to inflict evil; their designs
could be counteracted only by powerful spells and charms. In
Kamchatka every corner of earth and heaven was believed to be
full of spirits more dreaded than God. The Navajo, Ojibwas,
and Dakotah Indians have a multiplicity of spirits, both evil and
good, filling all space, which can be communicated with only after
due preparation by the persons who have power to do so.
Conclusion. If we try to conceptualize shamanism, it’s just
pertained to beliefs in terms of communication to the spiritual
world and the trust, therefore, is in the Shaman not in the
Spirit.
Search Indicator
Shamanism. (N. D.). Retrieved Oct 1, 2020 from

https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13750a.htm
Shamanism – What is it? (N. D.). Retrieved Oct 3, 2020 from

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Shamanism.html
Shamans Outside Of Northern Asia. (N. D.). Retrieved Oct. 2, 2020 from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/shamanism/Shamans-outside-of-
northern-Asia
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is religion?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. What is Shamanism?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. What is a shaman?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What are the role of the shaman?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What are the beliefs of Shamanism?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. What are the similarities and differences between the
faith/beliefs/ practices found in Shamanism and in your own
embraced religion?
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DEPARTMENT
Concept of Faith in the Comparative Religion

Week 9
(Continuation)
Lesson Title Faith in Hinduism
Learning Outcome(s) Respect each other’s religion.
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Hinduism – derives from a Persian term denoting the inhabitants of the land
beyond the Indus, a river in presentday Pakistan.
Essential Content
Origins of Hinduism. Most scholars believe Hinduism started somewhere

between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley, near modern-day
Pakistan. But many Hindus argue that their faith is timeless and has always
existed.
Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no one founder but is instead a
fusion of various beliefs.
Around 1500 B.C., the Indo-Aryan people migrated to the Indus
Valley, and their language and culture blended with that of the indigenous
people living in the region. There’s some debate over who influenced more
during this time.
The period when the Vedas were composed became known as the “Vedic
Period” and lasted from about 1500 B.C. to 500
B.C. Rituals, such as sacrifices and chanting, were common in the Vedic
Period.
The Epic, Puranic and Classic Periods took place between 500 B.C.
and 500 A.D. Hindus began to emphasize the worship of deities, especially
Vishnu, Shiva and Devi.
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The concept of dharma was introduced in new texts, and other faiths, such
as Buddhism and Jainism, spread rapidly. Hinduism developed over many
centuries from a variety of sources: cultural practices, sacred texts, and
philosophical movements, as well as local popular beliefs. The combination of these
factors is what accounts for the varied and diverse nature of Hindu practices and
beliefs.
Short Historical background. Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to
many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today,
with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind
Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India.
Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and
history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many
traditions and philosophies. In addition, Hinduism is more than a religion. It is a
culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior.
Hinduism Beliefs. Some basic Hindu concepts include:

• Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes
referred to as a “way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a
single, organized religion.
• Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a
single deity, known as “Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and
goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple paths to reaching their
god.
• Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life,

death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and
effect).
• One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This
philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of
the supreme soul. The goal is to achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which
ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul.
• One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions
and thoughts directly determine their current life and future lives.
• Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes

good conduct and morality.
• Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.
• Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork,
and many are vegetarians.
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• Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including Buddhism,

Sikhism and Jainism.
The fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta, is that a human being's

basic nature is not confined to the body or the mind. Beyond both of these is
the spirit or the spark of God within the soul. This spirit is within us and
also within everything we see. All beings and all things are really, in their
deepest essence, this pure or divine spirit, full of peace, full of joy and
wisdom, ever united with God. This is not just theory, but it can actually be
experienced. Anyone who takes the trouble to undergo the necessary training
to purify and refine the mind and senses can begin to feel the truth of this.
This training can take various forms and is known as yoga ("union"- union of
the individual self with this inner spirit).
Hinduism Symbols. There are two primary symbols associated with Hinduism, the
om and the swastika. The word swastika means "good fortune" or "being happy"
in Sanskrit, and the symbol represents good luck. (A diagonal version of the
swastika later became associated with Germany’s Nazi Party when they made it
their symbol in 1920.)
The om symbol is composed of three Sanskrit letters and represents three
sounds (a, u and m), which when combined are considered a sacred sound. The
om symbol is often found at family shrines and in Hindu temples.
Hinduism Holy Books. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy
book. The primary sacred texts, known as the Vedas, were composed around
1500 B.C. This collection of verses and hymns was written in Sanskrit and
contains revelations received by ancient saints and sages. The Vedas is where
the philosophy, religion, and customs are recorded. These texts were initially
handed down by word of mouth from teacher to student.
The Vedas are made up of:
• The Rig Veda
• The Samaveda
• Yajurveda
• Atharvaveda
Hindus believe that the Vedas transcend all time and don’t have a
beginning or an end. The Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, 18 Puranas,
Ramayana and Mahabharata are also considered important texts in Hinduism.
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Hindu Gods. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman, who
is believed to be the supreme God force present in all things. Some of the most
prominent deities include:
• Brahma: the god responsible for the creation of the world and all living
things
• Vishnu: the god that preserves and protects the universe
• Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it
• Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma
• Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness and love
• Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
• Saraswati: the goddess of learning
According to Hinduism, three Gods rule the world. Brahma: the creator;
Vishnu: the preserver and Shiva: the destroyer. Lord Vishnu did his job of
preserving the world by incarnating himself in different forms at times of crisis.
So, the general name for God in Hinduism is Brahman. The name of the divine
essence within us is Atman. They are one and the same, infinite and eternal.
However, God is also present in all creation. God's manifestation in creation goes
by many names. It is the one infinite, eternal, Divine Being that is manifesting
in countless ways. It is like a person at the same time being called "father" by
his son, "friend" by his friend, "son" by his own father, "husband" by his wife,
etc. A special relationship goes with each name. Thus, the same Divine Lord has
been addressed as Shiva, Vishnu, etc… and as Divine Mother, Kali, Durga, etc.
God can also manifest as an extraordinary being in human form, who is then
known as an incarnation of God, such as Krishna, Rama, etc. Since it is the one
infinite God alone that is being looked at in different ways, all these
manifestations can be prayed to for help and protection.
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SELF-SUPPORT: You can click the URL Search Indicator below to help you further understand
the lessons.
Search Indicator
History.com editors. Hinduism. (2017). Retrieved Oct. 14, 2020 from
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/hinduism#:~:text=Hindus%20
b
elieve%20in%20the%20doctrines,part%20of%20the%20supreme%20sou
l.
Sharma, A. The Hindu tradition. (2002). Retrieved Oct 13. 2020 from
https://www.advocatehealth.com/assets/documents/faith/hindu
final.pdf
Warrier, M. A Guide to Hinduism. (2006). Retrieved Oct. 16, 2020 from

http://www.faith.qmul.ac.uk/sites/faith.qmul.ac.uk/files/Guide%20to
%20 Hinduism.pdf
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Moksha?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What is reincarnation?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
3. How did Hinduism begin?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What is the manifestation(s) of God in Hinduism?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What do Hindus believe and practice?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Imagine yourself that you are a Hindu. And I am here to
do a small inquiry about how you practice your belief as a Hindu.
Make a short summary of answers from the following questions:
1. What is the most important truth that affects your life as
a Hindu?
2. What are the symbols that you used and practiced in a
way?
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Week 10
Religion (Continuation)
Lesson Title Faith in Buddhism
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Buddhism – refers to a religion of eastern and central Asia

growing out of the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama that
suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated
from it by cultivating wisdom, virtue, and concentration.
Essential Content
Origins of Buddhism. When Gautama passed away around
483 B.C., his followers began to organize a religious movement.
Buddha’s teachings became the foundation for what would
develop into Buddhism.
In the 3rd century B.C., Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan Indian
emperor, made Buddhism the state religion of India. Buddhist
monasteries were built, and missionary work was encouraged.
Over the next few centuries, Buddhism began to spread beyond
India. The thoughts and philosophies of Buddhists became
diverse, with some followers interpreting ideas differently than
others.
In the sixth century, the Huns invaded India and destroyed
hundreds of Buddhist monasteries, but the intruders were
eventually driven out of the country.
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Islam began to spread quickly in the region during the Middle

Ages, forcing Buddhism into the background.
Short Historical background. Buddhism is a faith that was
founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than
2,500 years ago in India. With about 470 million followers,
scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world religions.
Its practice has historically been most prominent in East and
Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the West. Many
Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other
faiths.
Buddhism Beliefs. Some key Buddhism beliefs include:

• Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or
deity. They instead focus on achieving enlightenment—a
state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this
spiritual echelon, they’re said to have experienced nirvana.
• The religion’s founder, Buddha, is considered an
extraordinary man, but not a god. The word Buddha means
“enlightened.”
• The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality,
meditation and wisdom. Buddhists often meditate because
they believe it helps awaken truth.
• There are many philosophies and interpretations within
Buddhism, making it a tolerant and evolving religion.
• Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an organized
religion, but rather, a “way of life” or a “spiritual tradition.”
• Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence but
also self-denial.
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• Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four

Noble Truths, are essential to understanding the religion.
• Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause
and effect) and reincarnation (the continuous cycle of
rebirth).
• Followers of Buddhism can worship in temples or in their
own homes.
• Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of
conduct, which includes celibacy.
• There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images
have evolved that represent Buddhist beliefs, including the
lotus flower, the eight-spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree
and the swastika (an ancient symbol whose name means
"well-being" or "good fortune" in Sanskrit).
Founder of Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of
Buddhism who later became known as “the Buddha,” lived
during the 5th century B.C. He was born into a wealthy family as
a prince in present-day Nepal. Although he had an easy life, he
was moved by suffering in the world. He decided to give up his
lavish lifestyle and endure poverty. When this didn’t fulfill him,
he promoted the idea of the “Middle Way,” which means existing
between two extremes. Thus, he sought a life without social
indulgences but also without deprivation. After six years of
searching, Buddhists believe Gautama found enlightenment
while meditating under a Bodhi tree. He spent the rest of his life
teaching others about how to achieve this spiritual state.
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Buddhist Holy Book. Buddhists revere many sacred texts and

scriptures. Some of the most important are:
• Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are
thought to be the earliest collection of Buddhist writings.
• Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred
teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists.
• The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text describes the
stages of death in detail.
Dharma. Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught
that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion
were important virtues.
Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which prohibit:
• Killing living things
• Taking what is not given
• Sexual misconduct
• Lying
• Using drugs or alcohol
Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught,
are:
• The truth of suffering (dukkha)
• The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
• The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
• The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)
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Eightfold Path. The Buddha taught his followers that the end of
suffering, as described in the fourth Noble Truths, could be
achieved by following an Eightfold Path.
In no particular order, the Eightfold Path of Buddhism teaches
the following ideals for ethical conduct, mental disciple and
achieving wisdom:
• Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
• Right thought (Samma sankappa)
• Right speech (Samma vaca)
• Right action (Samma kammanta)
• Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
• Right effort (Samma vayama)
• Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
• Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
Role of Faith in Buddhism. The Dark times can be a source of

progress in our spiritual practice, since they allow us to see
clearly the difference between what truly matters in life (inner
peace, altruistic love and compassion for instance) and what is
just the unavoidable upheavals of any life.
Having confidence in an ethical or religious system that has at
its core compassion, altruism, and wisdom can indeed be of great
benefit.
In Buddhism, the Buddha is not seen as a creator, a prophet, or
a saint, but as an enlightened being. Therefore, faith is a deep
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conviction in the example given through his life, his wisdom and
compassion, and the authenticity of his teachings.
A deep sense of confidence arises from the recognition that if we
apply the teachings, we will be able to face all circumstances,
good and bad, with wisdom, inner strength and freedom. Once
serenity and freedom has been achieved within ourselves the
constant changes of outer circumstances will not unsettle our
mind very much.
If we are free from craving, attachment, animosity, and from the
endless preoccupations with gain and loss, praise and criticism,
reputation, rank and possessions, we will be less vulnerable and
become fearless.
Search Indicator
History.com editors. Buddhism. (2017). Retrieved Oct. 19, 2020 from
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism
Ricard, M. What is the role of faith (and how does Buddhism define faith) while
enduring dark. (2011). Retrieved Oct 18, 2020 from
https://www.matthieuricard.org/en/blog/posts/question-what-is-the-
role-of-faith-and-how-does-buddhism-define-faith-while-enduring-dark-
times
Salzberg, S. Faith: Its Role and Meaning in a Buddhist Wisdom Tradition. (1997).
Retrieved Oct. 20, 2020 from
https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/faith-its-role-and-meaning-in-
a-buddhist-wisdom-tradition/
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LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Buddhism?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What are the four noble truths?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. What are the eight-fold path?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. Explain how to achieve or attain happiness as taught in

Buddhism.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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2. In Buddhism, how does a person supposed to behave ethically?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Write a reflection with the question: What do you
appreciate about the religion of Buddhism?
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Week 11
Lesson Title Faith in Confucianism
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Confucianism – refers to a philosophy developed in 6th-century

BCE China, which is considered by some a secular-
humanist belief system, by some a religion, and by others a
social code.
Essential Content
Origins of Confucianism. Confucianism is a philosophy and
belief system from ancient China, which laid the foundation for
much of Chinese culture. Confucius was a philosopher and
teacher who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E. His thoughts
on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were written
down by his disciples in several books, the most important
being the Lunyu. Confucianism believes in ancestor worship
and human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life. The
golden rule of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you
would not want others to do unto you.”
There is debate over if Confucianism is a religion.

Confucianism is best understood as an ethical guide to life and
living with strong character. Yet, Confucianism also began as a
revival of an earlier religious tradition. There are no Confucian
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gods, and Confucius himself is worshipped as a spirit rather

than a god. However, there are temples of Confucianism,
which are places where important community and civic rituals
happen. This debate remains unresolved and many people refer
to Confucianism as both a religion and a philosophy.
Confucianism. The main idea of Confucianism is the importance
of having a good moral character, which can then affect the
world around that person through the idea of “cosmic
harmony.” If the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be
peaceful and benevolent. Natural disasters and conflict are the
result of straying from the ancient teachings. This moral
character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,”
which leads to more virtuous behaviours, such as
respect, altruism, and humility. Confucius believed in the
importance of education in order to create this virtuous
character. He thought that people are essentially good yet may
have strayed from the appropriate forms of conduct. Rituals
in Confucianism were designed to bring about this respectful
attitude and create a sense of community within a group.
The idea of “filial piety,” or devotion to family, is key to

Confucius thought. This devotion can take the form of
ancestor worship, submission to parental authority, or the use
of family metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the
emperor and his government. The family was the most
important group for Confucian ethics, and devotion to family
could only strengthen the society surrounding it.
While Confucius gave his name to Confucianism, he was

not the first person to discuss many of the important concepts
in Confucianism. Rather, he can be understood as someone
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concerned with the preservation of traditional Chinese

knowledge from earlier thinkers. After Confucius’ death,
several of his disciples compiled his wisdom and carried on
his work. The most famous of these disciples were Mencius
and Xunzi, both of whom developed Confucian thought
further.
Founder of Confucianism. Confucianism was founded
by Confucius (K’ung-fu-Tze, Kong Fuzi, “Master Kong”, l. 551-
479 BCE), a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn
Period (c. 772-476 BCE). Confucius is considered among the
greatest philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thought (also
given as the Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought)
which references the time during the Spring and Autumn Period
and Warring States Period (c. 481-221 BCE) when various
philosophical schools contended with each other for adherents.
He is, without a doubt, the most influential philosopher in
China’s history whose views, precepts, and concepts have
informed Chinese culture for over 2,000 years.
Confucius was born in September 551 BCE in the village of
Qufu, State of Lu (Shandong Province), the son of a military
commander named Kong He who was of noble descent.
Confucius’ birth name was Kong Qui, but he would later be
addressed as Master Kong (Kong Fuzi) which was Latinized by
16th-century CE Christian missionaries to Confucius. His father
died when he was three years old and the resultant loss of income
led to a life of poverty. He later attended school while working
various jobs to support himself and his mother until she died
when he was around 23 years old. By this time, he was already
married and had at least one son and possibly two daughters.
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Confucianism Books. Confucius himself claimed to have written

nothing and offered nothing new, insisting his views were taken
from older works (known as the Five Classics) he was just
popularizing through his school. The later Confucian philosopher
and scholar Mencius (Mang-Tze, l. 372-289 BCE), however,
attributed the Five Classics to Confucius, a view that continued
to be held until the mid-20th century CE. These works, three
others on Confucian thought, and one by Mencius make up The
Four Books and Five Classics which have been the foundational
texts of Chinese culture since the time of the Han Dynasty (202
BCE-220 CE) when Confucianism was made the state
philosophy. The Four Books and Five Classics are:
• The Book of Rites (also given as The Book of Great Learning)
• The Doctrine of the Mean
• The Analects of Confucius
• The Works of Mencius
• The I-Ching
• The Classics of Poetry
• The Classics of Rites
• The Classics of History
• The Spring and Autumn Annals
The Five Classics are attributed to writers of the Zhou
Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) which was in a period of decline during
Confucius’ lifetime. It may be that he did edit or revise the Five
Classics, as tradition has held, but, even if he did not, he
certainly popularized their concepts. His Analects, Books of
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Rites, and Doctrine of the Mean were written by his students

based on his lectures and class discussions.
The Thought of Confucius. The story of Confucianism does not
begin with Confucius. Nor was Confucius the founder of
Confucianism in the sense that the Buddha was the founder
of Buddhism and Jesus Christ the founder of Christianity.
Rather, Confucius considered himself a transmitter who
consciously tried to reanimate the old in order to attain the new.
He proposed revitalizing the meaning of the past by advocating
a ritualized life. Confucius’s love of antiquity was motivated by
his strong desire to understand why certain life forms and
institutions, such as reverence for ancestors, human-centered
religious practices, and mourning ceremonies, had survived for
centuries. His journey into the past was a search for roots,
which he perceived as grounded in humanity’s deepest needs
for belonging and communicating. He had faith in
the cumulative power of culture. The fact that traditional ways
had lost vitality did not, for him, diminish their potential for
regeneration in the future. In fact, Confucius’s sense of history
was so strong that he saw himself as a conservationist
responsible for the continuity of the cultural values and the
social norms that had worked so well for the idealized
civilization of the Western Zhou dynasty.
Five Main Beliefs of Confucianism. There are six main
groups of beliefs in Confucianism, these include:
• Yi - Righteousness
• Xin - Honesty and Trustworthiness
• Chung - Loyalty to the state, etc.
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• Li - includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.

• Hsiao - love within the family, love of parents for their
children, and love of children for their parents
• Jen - benevolence, humanness towards one another (the
most important Confucianism virtue). This is regarded as the
most important of the virtues, and some effort is made to
define it, with the Golden Rule being only one attempt.
Manners are also given a lot of attention and means both the
outward actions and inner feelings of respect. The concept
embraces not only etiquette but also customs, rituals and
conventions of all kinds.
Confucianism stresses the importance of avoiding
conflict and emphasizes correct behavior. Desire is
suppressed and people are expected to live by an elevated
moral code. In many cases no justification or reason is given
for Confucian beliefs or morality other than “This is how it
has always been done” or “This is how it was done in the
Golden Age."
Confucianism, Spirituality and Salvation.
The traditional Confucian view on spirituality is that one
should perform the necessary rituals and sacrifices to pay one's
respect to the spirits and the forces in heaven. And that's that.
There is nothing more that can be done. Attention should be
focused on social matters and living in the here and now.
In The Analects Confucius said “Devotion to one's duties is
a subject and respect for the spirits while keeping them at a
distance, may be called wisdom." Mencius said: “The people are
the most important; the spirits of the soil and grain come next."
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Confucius was not interested in religious salvation and the

afterlife. On the list of things "about which the master never
spoke" were "weird things, physical exploits, disorders and
spirits." He had little patience for gods. "We do not yet know how
to serve man," he said, "how can we know about the spirits? We
don't know yet about life, how can we know about death?"
People's problems, he argued, could not be solved by
supernatural powers but by rather their own efforts and
knowledge learned from the ancestor's experience.
Confucius believed that praying was a waste of time. The
"will of Heaven," he said, was not discovered in theology but in
"the collective experience of the ancestors." Confucians looked
down in the Buddhist view of reward and punishment after death
as an attempt to cloak morality as self-interest and viewed the
Taoist quest of immortality as selfish and a denial of the natural
order of things. Among Confucians there was a preveailing belief
that when a person died his spirit simply dispersed.
Heaven was seen as a source of correct conduct and human
potential for goodness. Confucius called it the "natural cosmic
order that matched the ethical sense in every man." The idea of
being a recluse and communing with nature, which are central
to Buddhism and Taoism, were fine but only after one performed
his social duties first.
There is no god in Confucianism, but rather a force called
the Tao, also known as the Great Ultimate. Confucius believed
that the Tao was the impetus for creation and that this force flows
through all life, enabling change and betterment. Though
Confucianism does not have a being-based god, Confucius spoke
of the notion of heaven as another positive force. Unlike the
concept of heaven found in theistic religions, Confucius believed
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heaven was a guiding force of the universe and judge of right and
wrong.
Search Indicator
Goscha, C. What is Confucianism? A short introduction to the Chinese ethical
system. (2017). Retrieved Nov. 5, 2020 from
https://www.historytoday.com/history-matters/what-confucianism
Hunter, E. Who Is the God of Confucianism? (2017). Retrieved Nov. 5, 2020 from
https://classroom.synonym.com/who-is-the-god-of-confucianism-
12085777.html
Mark, J. Confucianism. (2020). Retrieved Nov. 4, 2020 from
https://www.ancient.eu/Confucianism/
Weiming, T. Confucianism. (N. D.). Retrieved Nov. 3, 2020 from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism#ref25454
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Confucianism?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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2. What is the holy book of Confucianism?

___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What are the important virtues to develop among the followers

of Confucianism?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. Do we have an equivalent dictum/teaching in Christianity

about the Golden rule of Confucianism? How it is being
articulated?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. In your own assessment, is Confucianism more of a
Philosophy or Religion? Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Write a reflection about the Golden rule of
Confucianism.
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Week 12
Lesson Title Faith in Taoism
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Taoism – (also known as Daoism) is a Chinese

philosophy attributed to Lao Tzu (c. 500 BCE) which
contributed to the folk religion of the people primarily in the
rural areas of China and became the official religion of the
country under the Tang Dynasty.
Essential Content
Origins of Taoism. The historian Sima Qian (145-86 BCE) tells
the story of Lao-Tzu, a curator at the Royal Library in the state
of Chu, who was a natural philosopher. Lao-Tzu believed in the
harmony of all things and that people could live easily together
if they only considered each other's feelings once in a while and
recognized that their self-interest was not always in the interest
of others. Lao-Tzu grew impatient with people and with the
corruption he saw in government, which caused the people so
much pain and misery. He was so frustrated by his inability to
change people's behavior that he decided to go into exile.
As he was leaving China through the western pass, the
gatekeeper Yin Hsi stopped him because he recognized him as
a philosopher. Yin Hsi asked Lao-Tzu to write a book for him
before he left civilization forever and Lao-Tzu agreed. He sat
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down on a rock beside the gatekeeper and wrote the Tao-Te-

Ching (The Book of the Way). He stopped writing when he felt
he was finished, handed the book to Yin Hsi, and walked
through the western pass to vanish into the mist beyond. Sima
Qian does not continue the story after this but, presumably (if
the story is true) Yin Hsi would have then had the Tao-Te-
Ching copied and distributed.
In short, Taoism was started by the Chinese philosopher
Lao Tze, the Supreme master, in the 6th century BCE. Lao Tse
lived in the same time as another ancient Chinese philosopher,
Confucius. As told, it is said that Lao Tze one day left his job.
The other writings said he rode off west on an ox. And at a
mountain pass the guardian asked him to write down his
teachings. So, this is how the sacred book of Tao called the
Doodejing came to be written. It is also why you see statues
and figures of Lao Tze in an ox.
Today Taoism is practiced by about five million people in
China, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is
not uncommon for Taoism to be combined with Confucianism
and Buddhism.
The Tao-Te-Ching. The Tao-Te-Ching is not a 'scripture' in any

way. It is a book of poetry presenting the simple way of following
the Tao and living life at peace with one's self, others, and the
world of changes. A typical verse advises, "Yield and
overcome/Empty and become full/Bend and become straight"
to direct a reader to a simpler way of living. Instead of fighting
against life and others, one can yield to circumstances and let
the things which are not really important go. Instead of insisting
one is right all the time, one can empty one's self of that kind of
pride and be open to learning from other people. Instead of
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clinging to old belief patterns and hanging onto the past, one
can bend to new ideas and new ways of living.
The Tao-Te-Ching was most likely not written by Lao-Tzu at
the western pass and may not have been written by him at all.
Lao-Tzu probably did not exist, and the Tao-Te-Ching is a
compilation of sayings set down by an unknown scribe. Whether
the origin of the book and the belief system originated with a
man named Lao-Tzu or when it was written or how is immaterial
(the book itself would agree) and all that matters is what the
work says and what it has come to mean to readers. The Tao-
Te-Ching is an attempt to remind people that they are connected
to others and to the earth and that everyone could live together
peacefully if people would only be mindful of how their thoughts
and actions affect themselves, others, and the earth.
Beliefs. Other Chinese texts relating to Taoism are the Chaung-

Tzu (also known as the Zhuangzi, written by Zhuang Zhou, c.
369-286 BCE) and the Daozang from the Tang Dynasty (618-
907 CE) and Sung Dynasty (960-1234 CE) which was
compiled in the later Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE). All of
these texts are based on the same kinds of observation of the
natural world and the belief that human beings are innately
good and only needed a reminder of their inner nature to
pursue virtue over vice. There are no "bad people" according
to Taoist principles, only people who behave badly. Given the
proper education and guidance toward understanding how the
universe works, anyone could be a "good person" living in
harmony with the earth and with others.
According to this belief, the way of the Tao is in
accordance with nature while resistance to the Tao is
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unnatural and causes friction. The best way for a person to

live, according to Taoism, is to submit to whatever life brings
and be flexible. If a person adapts to the changes in life easily,
that person will be happy; if a person resists the changes in
life, that person will be unhappy. One's ultimate goal is to live
at peace with the way of the Tao and recognize that everything
that happens in life should be accepted as part of the eternal
force which binds and moves through all things.
Founder of Taoism. Taoism has no founder and no founding date.

It grew out of various religious and philosophical traditions in
ancient China, including shamanism and nature religion.
According to Livia Kohn, Taoism as a religion began in the year
142 C.E. with the revelation of the Tao to Zhang Daoling or Chang
Tao-ling by the personified god of the Tao, Taishang laojun (Lao
Tzu), the Highest Venerable Lord.
Zhang Daoling became the first Celestial Master and founder
of the first organized Taoist school of thought. This tradition
continues to the present day, with the current Celestial Master
living in Taiwan.
Yin-Yang Thought. A good reason to believe that Lao-Tzu was not
the author of the Tao-Te-Ching is that the core philosophy of
Taoism grew up from the peasant class during the Shang
Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) long before the accepted dates for Lao-
Tzu. During the Shang era, the practice of divination became
more popular through the reading of oracle bones which would
tell one's future. Reading oracle bones led to a written text called
the I-Ching (c. 1250-1150 BCE), the Book of Changes, which is a
book still available today providing a reader with interpretations
for certain hexagrams which supposedly tell the future.
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A person would ask a question and then throw a handful of

yarrow sticks onto a flat surface (such as a table) and the I-
Ching would be consulted for an answer to the person's question.
These hexagrams consist of six unbroken lines (called Yang lines)
and six broken lines (Yin). When a person looked at the pattern
the yarrow sticks made when they were thrown, and then
consulted the hexagrams in the book, they would have their
answer. The broken and the unbroken lines, the yin and yang,
were both necessary for that answer because the principles of yin
and yang were necessary for life. Historian John M. Koller writes:
“Yin-yang thought began as an attempt to answer the
question of the origin of the universe. According to yin-yang
thought, the universe came to be as a result of the interactions
between the two primordial opposing forces of yin and yang.
Because things are experienced as changing, as processes
coming into being and passing out of being, they must have both
yang, or being, and yin, or lack of being. The world of changing
things that constitutes nature can exist only when there are both
yang and yin. Without yang nothing can come into existence.
Without yin nothing can pass out of existence.”
Although Taoism and the Tao-Te-Ching were not originally
associated with the symbol known as the yin-yang, they have
both come to be because the philosophy of Taoism embodies the
yin-yang principle and yin-yang thought. Life is supposed to be
lived in balance, as the symbol of the yin and the yang expresses.
The yin-yang is a symbol of opposites in balance - dark/light,
passive/aggressive, female/male - everything except good and
evil, life and death, because nature does not recognize anything
as good or evil and nature does not recognize a difference between
life and non-life. All is in harmony in nature, and Taoism tries to
encourage people to accept and live that kind of harmony as well.
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Tao. In Laotzi’s definition, tao is considered to be the pervasive

principle of all things in the universe, being the highest reality
and the highest mystery, the primordial originality and unity, a
cosmical law and an absolute. From the tao diverted the ‘ten
thousand things’, namely the cosmos, as well as the order of
thing, similar to a law of nature. But tao itself is not an
omnipotent being, but the genesis, the source and the alliance,
the conjunction of opposites and as such not definable. Tao is
‘the nameless', because neither it nor its principles can ever be
adequately expressed in words.
From a philosophical point of view tao can be seen apart
and beyond from all defining abstract concepts, because it is the
reason for and the reason of being, the transcendental origin and
transcendental philosophy and as such incorporates all,
including the antipode of being and non being.
Based on that, nothing can be said referring the tao,
because every single definition would impose a restriction. But
tao is both, unlimited transcendency as well as the immanent
principle of the cosmos and the universe. The effects of tao create
the genesis by generating duality, yin and yang, light and
shadow, since every action creates a counteraction as a natural,
unavoidable movement within manifestations of the Tao. From
the metamorphosis, movement, motion, flow, interaction and
interplay of the duality emerges and arises the world.
Wu Wie. Through an understanding of natural laws, an individual

can be one with the Tao by living in accordance with nature
(cosmos/ Universe) and all its transformations and changes,
adopting and assimilating to these, and hence can gain eternal
life. With and due to the transformations and changes of the
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phenomena everything and every being spontaneously, by

intuition and in impulse establishes its own ‘way’.
From an ethical point of view it is considered correct not to
interfere with the spontaneity or alter it by any means, expressed
by ‘wu wei’ (chin. 無爲 / 无为, wúwéi or also in Chinese: 爲無爲 /
为无为, wéi wúwéi, non- action as in abstention of any action
opposing nature). All things with their transformations and
changes are considered to be self regulating, self expressing in
their natural form.
‘Wu wei’ does not signify, not acting at all, but rather not
forcing things on their way. Wu wei signifies that the action
should be immediately in accordance with the Tao, hence the
necessary will be done without exaggeration, hyperbole or over
eagerness as these are considered obstructive, though rather in
an easy, facile, non-disturbing way, leading to overall harmony
and balance. It is a state of inner tranquility, which will show the
right effortless action at the right time.
(i.e. the harmonious complexity of natural ecosystems- the tao-
works well without man made changes that is wu wei.)
Wu wei could be characterised by the adaptability of the flow of
water in a stream. For example, water flows without awareness,
or naturally, downriver (principle of tao). It might be blocked by
an object (branch or stone), though without contriving to do so,
finds it way around the object. Water acts without motive, it acts
with wu wei.
Three Jewels. The three Jewels of Tao refers to the three virtues
of Taoism namely:
1. Compassion or Kindness or Love
2. Moderation or Simplicity or Frugality
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3. Humility or Modesty
Search Indicator
Ames, R. Daoism (N.D.). Retrieved Nov. 7, 2020 from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Daoism
Mark, E. Taoism. (2016). Retrieved Nov. 8, 2020 from

https://www.ancient.eu/Taoism/#:~:text=Taoism%20(also%20known%20
as%20Daoism,a%20philosophy%20and%20a%20religion.
The Origins of Taoism. (2009). Retirieved Nov. 9, 2020 from

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/history/history.shtml
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Taoism?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What is Tao-Te-Ching?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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3. What are the important virtues to develop in Taoism?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What is the Tao?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What is Yin-yang?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. What are the things that you appreciate about the
religion of Taoism?
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Week 13
Lesson Title Faith in Judaism
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Judaism – is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, dating back

nearly 4,000 years.
Essential Content
Historical origins of Judaism. Judaism began about 4000 years

ago with the Hebrew people in the Middle East. Abraham, a
Hebrew man, is considered the father of the Jewish faith
because he promoted the central idea of the Jewish faith: that
there is one God. At the time many people in the Middle East
worshipped many gods. It is said that Abraham and his wife
Sarah, who were old and childless, were told by God that their
children would be as plentiful as the stars in the sky and that
they would live in a land of their own which is the Promised
Land. This gradually came true.
Abraham's son, Isaac had a son, Jacob, also called Israel.
In this way the descendants of Abraham came to be known as
the Israelites. God promised the Israelites he would care for
them as long as they obeyed God's laws. While still traveling,
the Hebrews lived in Egypt where they were enslaved. Moses, a
Hebrew, was chosen by God to lead the Hebrew people out of
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Egypt. Moses led the Hebrew people out of the Sinai Desert
toward the promised land. At Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the
Law which would guide the Israelites today. The laws were
called the Ten Commandments and form the basis of the Torah,
the book of Jewish law.
It took many years for the Israelites to finally get to what
they thought was the Promised Land which iscalled Canaan.
After some fighting the Jews established the Israelite kingdom.
After many years, Canaan was conquered by the Assyrians, the
Babylonians and then eventually the Romans. The Israelites
once again found themselves enslaved, this time by
Babylonians. The Israelites were then taken over by Romans
who destroyed much of what had been built in Jerusalem by
the Israelites. Most of the Jews were scattered all over the
region and eventually moved from place to place to avoid
persecution which continues to this day. The dispersion of the
Jews is called the Diaspora.
The worst persecution of the Jews was during World War
II by the Nazis who murdered more than six million Jews or a
third of the world's Jewish population. This was called the
Holocaust. Beginning in the 1880's Jews began returning to
their homeland in growing numbers, this time to avoid
persecution where they lived. After World War II, many Jews
believed that for the Jewish people and culture to survive, Jews
needed to live in their own country where all Jews from
anywhere in the world would have the right to live and be
citizens. In 1948, Palestine was divided up and a Jewish state
of Israel was formed in the land that was once called Canaan,
surrounded by countries with predominantly Muslim
populations. Since Muslims also claimed rights to the land
where the Jews were living, there was conflict, which continues
to this day in the Middle East.
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Today nearly fourteen million Jewish people live all over

the world. Approximately half of them live in the United States,
one quarter live in Israel, and a quarter are still scattered
around the world in countries in Europe, Russia, South
America, Africa, Asia and other North American and Middle
Eastern countries. Anyone born to a Jewish mother is
considered a Jew.
Judaism Belief. The Jewish people believe there’s only one God
who has established a covenant—or special agreement—with
them. Their God communicates to believers through prophets
and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil. Most Jews
(with the exception of a few groups) believe that their Messiah
hasn’t yet come—but will one day. Jewish people worship in
holy places known as synagogues, and their spiritual leaders
are called rabbis. The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of
Judaism.
Jewish people believe in the Torah, which was the whole of
the laws given to the Israelities at Sinai. They believe they must
follow God's laws which govern daily life. Later legal books,
written by rabbis, determine the law as it applies to life in each
new place and time.
Founder of Judaism. The origins of Jewish faith are explained

throughout the Torah. According to the text, God first revealed
himself to a Hebrew man named Abraham, who became
known as the founder of Judaism. Jews believe that God made
a special covenant with Abraham and that he and his
descendants were chosen people who would create a great
nation. As discussed earlier in the Jewish History, Abraham’s
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son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob, also became central

figures. Jacob took the name Israel, and his children and
future generations became known as Israelites. More than
1,000 years after Abraham, the prophet Moses led the
Israelites out of Egypt after being enslaved for hundreds of
years. As said in the scriptures also, God revealed his laws,
known as the Ten Commandments, to Moses at Mt. Sinai.
Jewish Faith. As to their relationship with God, Jews believe that

there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with
whom every Jew can have an individual and personal
relationship. They believe that God continues to work in the
world, affecting everything that people do. The Jewish
relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for
the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for
the Jewish People...
• The Jews keep God's laws
• The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their
lives.
As to their Faith in a community, Jews believe that God
appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an
example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world. Jewish
life is very much the life of a community and there are many
activities that Jews must do as a community. For example, the
Jewish prayer book uses WE and OUR in prayers where some
other faiths would use I and MINE. Jews also feel part of a global
community with a close bond Jewish people all over the world. A
lot of Jewish religious life is based around the home and family
activities.
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As to how they live their faith, almost everything a Jewish

person does can become an act of worship. Because Jews have
made a bargain with God to keep his laws, keeping that bargain
and doing things in the way that pleases God is an act of worship.
And Jews don't only seek to obey the letter of the law - the
particular details of each of the Jewish laws - but the spirit of it,
too. A religious Jew tries to bring holiness into everything they do,
by doing it as an act that praises God, and honours everything
God has done. For such a person the whole of their life becomes
an act of worship. Being part of a community that follows
particular customs and rules helps keep a group of people
together, and it's noticeable that the Jewish groups that have
been most successful at avoiding assimilation are those that obey
the rules most strictly.
Jewish view of God. Here is a summary of what Jews believe about

God:
• God exists
• There is only one God
• There are no other gods
• God can't be subdivided into different persons (unlike
the Christian view of God)
• Jews should worship only the one God
• God is Transcendent:
- God is above and beyond all earthly things.
• God doesn't have a body
- Which means that God is neither female nor male.
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• God created the universe without help

• God is omnipresent:
- God is everywhere, all the time.
• God is omnipotent:
- God can do anything at all.
• God is beyond time:
- God has always existed
- God will always exist.
• God is just, but God is also merciful
- God punishes the bad
- God rewards the good
- God is forgiving towards those who mess things up.
• God is personal and accessible.
- God is interested in each individual
- God listens to each individual
- God sometimes speaks to individuals, but in
unexpected ways.
Sacred Writings. The Tenakh is the ancient collection of writings

that are sacred to the Jews. They were written over almost a
thousand years from 1000 to 100 BCE. The word Tenakh comes
from the three first letters of the three books included in this text:
the Torah, plus the Nev'im (prophets) and the Ki'tuvim (writings,
which include histories, prophecies, poems, hymns and sayings).
The Torah is written on scrolls and kept in a special cabinet
called the aron hakodish, the holy ark, in synagogues. The Torah
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is read with a pointer called a yad (hand) to keep it from being

spoiled. Each week, one section is read until the entire Torah is
completed and the reading begins again.
The Talmud is also an important collection of Jewish
writings. Written about 2000 years ago, it is a recording of the
rabbis (teachers of the law) discussion of the way to follow the
Torah at that time. Later texts, the Mishnah Torah and the
Shulhan Aruch, are recordings of rabbinic discussions from later
periods.
Judaism embraces several other written texts and
commentaries. One example is the 13 Articles of Faith, which was
written by a Jewish philosopher named Maimonides.
The Thirteen Principles of Jewish faith. The great codifier

of Torah law and Jewish philosophy,
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon ("Maimonides" also known as
"The Rambam"), compiled what he refers to as the Shloshah
Asar Ikkarim, the "Thirteen Fundamental Principles" of the
Jewish faith, as derived from the Torah. Maimonides refers to
these thirteen principles of faith as "the fundamental truths of
our religion and its very foundations." The Thirteen Principles
of Jewish faith (as recorded in Maimonides' introduction to
Perek Chelek) are as follows:
1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, who is perfect in every
manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that
exists.
2. The belief in God's absolute and unparalleled unity.
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3. The belief in God's non-corporeality, nor that He will be affected

by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or
dwelling.
4. The belief in God's eternity.
5. The imperative to worship God exclusively and no foreign false
gods.
6. The belief that God communicates with man through prophecy.
7. The belief in the primacy of the prophecy of Moses our teacher.
8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.
9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.
10. The belief in God's omniscience and providence.
11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.
12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.
13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.
It is the custom of many congregations to recite the
Thirteen Articles, in a slightly more poetic form, beginning with
the words Ani Maamin which means "I believe" done every day
after the morning prayers in the synagogue.
Search Indicator
About the Jewish Religion. (N.D.). Retrieved Nov. 13, 2020 from
https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/spotlight/pages/about%20the%20je
wish%20religion.aspx
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Bokser, B. Z. Moses Maimonides. (N. D.). Retrieved Nov. 15, 2020 from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moses-Maimonides
Cohen, G. Judaism. (N. D.). Retrieved Nov. 14, 2020 from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism
Jewish beliefs. (2009). Retirieved Nov. 16, 2020 from

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/beliefs_1.shtml
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Judaism?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What is Torah?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What is the Jewish view about God?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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LET’S INQUIRE!
1. What is the importance of the 10 commandments?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What is the importance of the prophet in their religion?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Which among the thirteen principles of Jewish faith is
quite similar to your own religion? Why?
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Week 14
Lesson Title Faith in Islam
Outcome(s)
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Islam – is an Arabic word which means "surrender, submission,

commitment and peace." Thus, Islam can be defined as a path
to attain complete peace through voluntary submission to the
divine will.
Pillar – refers to a fundamental principle or practice.
Muslim – refers to believers of Islam.
Essential Content
Historical origins of Islam. Muhammad, the founder of Islam was

born in Mecca (in modern day Saudi Arabia) in A.D. 570. At
that time, the religious setting of the Arabian Peninsula was "a
rather primitive polydemonism and worship of stones, stars,
caves and trees. Around A.D. 610 Muhammad came to believe
he was receiving visions, which he claimed were from the angel
Gabriel. The Islamic scriptures, known as the "Koran," are the
"reciting" of the revelations he claimed to have received for the
next 22 years.
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Muhammad's preaching of these visions in Mecca met with

considerable resistance. The reason for this was because
Muhammad's message threatened not only popular
polytheism, but the political and economic powers. As a result,
Muhammad found his first followers among the lower class and
those who were ripe for a new social order.
In 622 he traveled to Yathrib, which is now called Medina.
This event, called the "Hejira," is viewed as the turning point of
Islam. From then on, Islam was no longer just a religion but a
distinct political power. In Medina, the community of believers
became a state with Muhammad as its religious and political
leader.
In 630, Muhammad and his followers took over Mecca
without resistance. Muhammad declared the Kaaba (the temple
in Mecca) was the holiest shrine in Islam. To this day, Muslims
direct their prayers facing the city of Mecca and the shrine of
Kaaba.
By the time Muhammad died in 632, Islam had already
reached large portions of Asia, Africa and part of Europe.
Today, Islam claims over 450 million followers. According to
Carmody and Carmody, "Islam is the world's fastest growing
religion today. It is a great force in Africa, a middling presence
in China and the Soviet Union, a shareholder in the
petropolitics of the Middle East, a huge presence in Indonesia,
and the religion of more than 6 million North Americans."
Islam’s Articles of Faith. These are basic doctrines every Muslim

is required to believe.
"O believers, believe in God and His messenger and the Book He
has sent down before. Who so disbelieves in God and his angels
and His books, and His Messengers, and the Last Day, has
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surely gone astray into far error. Those who believe, and then
disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in
unbelief--God is not likely to forgive them, neither to guide them
on any way." (The Koran, Sura 4:135)
1. God - There is one true God and His name is "Allah"; Allah is
all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful. Yet, Allah is not a
personable, but a transcendent God, for He is so far above
man that He is not personally knowable. He created the world.
2. Angels - The chief angel is Gabriel, who was instrumental in

revealing the visions to Muhammad. Different than angels are
the jinn (jeanies or demons). The leader of the jinn is Shaitan
(Satan).
3. Scripture - There are four books Muslims consider inspired:

the Torah of Moses (first five books of the Old Testament), the
Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil, (the gospel of Jesus) and
the Koran. Muslims believe the former three contain error
because they have been tampered with by Jews and
Christians. Since the Koran is God's most recent and final
word, it is viewed as superior to all other writings.
When asked for a miracle to attest his claim to be a prophet,

Muhammad would refer to the miracle of the Koran. "Qur'an"
(or "Koran") is an Arabic word which means "recite."
"It is seen as a perfect revelation of God, faithful reproduction

of an original engraved on a tablet in heaven which has
existed from all eternity. Copies of the Qur'an are therefore
venerated very highly and are only touched and read by
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Muslims after ceremonial cleansing. According to Islamic

tradition, the Qur'an was originally written on palm leaves,
on shoulder-blade bones of camels and on stones.
Following Muhammad's death in A.D. 632, tradition states

that the first caliph, Abu Bakr, ordered Muhammad's former
secretary, Zaid, to collect and arrange writings. This was done
in cooperation with other and finally an authorized revision of
the text was established by Caliph Uthman. Other versions in
existence were ordered to be destroyed."
4. Judgment Day - On the last day the dead will be resurrected.

Allah will judge each person according to their deeds, sending
them to heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure.
"For many men the best part of the heavenly garden was
the bur: dark-eyed buxom virgins. In addition to his earthly
wife, each male in heaven could expect to have seventy bur.
They would never be sick, menstruating, pregnant (unless he
wished), bad-tempered, or jealous." He would be able to de-
flower them at will, and return to find them virgins again.
5. Prophets - The Koran lists 28 prophets, including Adam,

Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah and Jesus.
Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet.
6. Predestination - Allah has determined what he pleases and

no one can change what he has decreed. This is a sixth article
of faith that is considered by many to be part of the five
articles.
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This strong fatalism has played a central role in Muslim

culture, and may be connected to the lack of modern progress
that has characterized Muslim countries until recently.
Founder of Islam. The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with

the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be the last in
a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus.
Because Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger
of the word of God through the divine revelations, Muslims
from all walks of life strive to follow his example. After the holy
Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet (hadith) and descriptions
of his way of life (sunna) are the most important Muslim texts.
The prophet Muhammad, sometimes spelled Mohammed
or Mohammad, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 A.D.
He was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca, the
Quraish. Muslims believe he was sent by God to reveal their
faith to mankind. He worked as a merchant in Mecca. After
working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was
hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage
of her caravans to Syria. They eventually married. According
to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel visited
Muhammad in 610 A.D. while he was meditating in a cave.
The angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah.
Muslims believe that Muhammad continued to receive
revelations from Allah throughout the rest of his life. Starting
in about 613, Muhammad began preaching throughout Mecca
the messages he received. He taught that there was no other
God but Allah and that Muslims should devote their lives to
this God.
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The Five Pillars of Faith. Here are the five Pillars of Faith.
1. The Creed (Shahada) - "There is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his Prophet." This must be stated publicly to
become a Muslim. The creed is repeated regularly by
worshipers.
2. Prayer (Salat) - "The practice of prayer (salat) is five times a
day (upon rising, at noon, in midafternoon, after sunset, and
before retiring). The worshiper must recite the prescribed
prayers (the first surah and other selections from the Koran)
in Arabic while facing the Ka'aba in Mecca. The Hadith (book
of tradition) has turned these prayers into a mechanical
procedure of standing, kneeling, hands and face on the
ground, and so forth. The call to prayer is sounded by the
muezzin (a Muslim crier) from a tower called a minaret which
is part of the mosque (the place of public worship)"
3. Almsgiving (Zakat) - Muslims are required to give one-
fortieth of their income to help the poor.
4. Fasting (Ramadan) - Faithful Muslims fast from sunrise to
sunset everyday during this holy month.
5. The Pilgrimage (Hajj) - The Pilgrimage to Mecca is expected
of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime, unless
prevented by war or other conditions beyond the
worshipper's control. "It is the duty of all men towards God
to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make it
there." "The Kaaba (in Mecca) is the most sacred place for
believers. Much more than a mosque, it is believed to be the
place where heavenly power touches the earth directly. "
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Faith in Islam. The intended meaning of faith in Islam is important

for us to understand, as mistaken definitions of faith have caused
a number of problems in early Islamic history up until the present
time. However, the righteous predecessors had a clear definition
of faith that should serve as the basis of our understanding of
Islam.
“Faith” (al-iman) in the Arabic language means to affirm
something and to comply with it. It is understood that faith is
affirmation and not merely belief. Affirmation includes the words
of the heart, which is belief, and the actions of the heart, which is
compliance. Hence, faith in Islam means to believe in Allah, to
affirm His truth, and to submit to His commands.
Faith is not simply to believe in the existence of Allah. Iblees,
or Satan, believes in the existence of Allah, he knows Allah exists,
yet he does not have faith in Him. Neither is faith to believe in
Allah and the Unseen without reason or rational proof. Some
people deny the existence of Allah because He cannot be perceived
directly, but the inability to directly observe something is not
proof of its non-existence. There are numerous natural
phenomena in the universe, such as dark matter and dark
energy, that we know exist because we observe their signs, even
though no one has ever directly seen them.
In other words, we can reasonably infer the existence of
unseen phenomena by observing their indirect effects. In fact, it
is scientifically proven most of what exists in the universe cannot
be directly perceived by the senses. In the same way, we can
logically infer the existence of Allah by observing His signs in the
creation.
Therefore, faith in Islam means to submit to Allah, not
despite a lack of evidence, but rather because the proofs of His
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Lordship are overwhelming. True faith, then, must manifest itself

in the heart as sincerity, on the tongue as affirmation, and on the
limbs as action. Righteous deeds are the inevitable result of
sincere faith, such that Allah constantly emphasizes the reward
of those “who have faith and do good deeds.” A Muslim who has a
pure heart and performs many good deeds regularly has strong
faith, whereas a Muslim who has a heart tainted by spiritual
diseases and does not perform many good deeds has weak faith.
Even so, a Muslim with weak faith is still considered a believer
and his good qualities should not be dismissed.
Search Indicator
Bair, M. et al. The Background of Islam (N. D.). Retrieved Nov. 27, 2020 from
https://www.xenos.org/essays/background-islam
Khan, S. M. Islam. (2019). Retrieved Nov. 28, 2020 from
https://www.ancient.eu/islam/
Six Major Beliefs In Islam. (N. D.). Retrieved Nov. 29, 2020 from
https://sites.udel.edu/msadelaware/six-major-beliefs-in-islam/
What are the Pillars of Islam? (2018). Retrieved Nov. 30 from
https://onepathnetwork.com/what-are-the-pillars-of-
islam/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqo3-
BRDoARIsAE5vnaKB9eVGUqg7onOqPXFIzw7LqOesJcZXbiaa-
9KaGwG_YXgkYyx8O28aAgQ8EALw_wcB
LET’S INITIATE!
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question.
1. What is Islam?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What are the five Pillars of Islam?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Who is Allah?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. How did Islam begin?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. What do Muslims believe?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Since Judaism, Christianity and Islam are related with
each other, kindly provide the similarities and differences of the
said religions.
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The Relationship Between Faith and

Week 15
Reason
Lesson Title Faith and Reason
Learning Discus the relationship between faith and
Outcome(s) reason.
Time Frame 3 hrs.
LEARNING INTENT!
Terms to Ponder
Faith – is the belief in the truth of something that does not

require any evidence and may not be provable by
any empirical or rational means.
Reason – is the faculty of the mind through which we

can logically come to rational conclusions.
Essential Content
Introduction. Traditionally, faith and reason have each been
considered to be sources of justification for religious belief.
Because both can purportedly serve this same epistemic
function, it has been a matter of much interest to philosophers
and theologians how the two are related and thus how the
rational agent should treat claims derived from either source.
Some have held that there can be no conflict between the two—
that reason properly employed and faith properly understood
will never produce contradictory or competing claims—whereas
others have maintained that faith and reason can (or even
must) be in genuine contention over certain propositions or
methodologies. Those who have taken the latter view disagree
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as to whether faith or reason ought to prevail when the two are

in conflict. Kierkegaard, for instance, prioritizes faith even to
the point that it becomes positively irrational,
while Locke emphasizes the reasonableness of faith to such an
extent that a religious doctrine’s irrationality—conflict with
itself or with known facts—is a sign that it is unsound. Other
thinkers have theorized that faith and reason each govern their
own separate domains, such that cases of apparent conflict are
resolved on the side of faith when the claim in question is, say,
a religious or theological claim, but resolved on the side of
reason when the disputed claim is, for example, empirical or
logical. Some relatively recent philosophers, most notably the
logical positivists, have denied that there is a domain of
thought or human existence rightly governed by faith, asserting
instead that all meaningful statements and ideas are accessible
to thorough rational examination. This has presented a
challenge to religious thinkers to explain how an admittedly
nonrational or transrational form of language can hold
meaningful cognitive content.
Conflict of Faith and Reason. It has been said that he who defines
the terms, wins the debate. Skeptics know this and take
advantage of it. Witness some of the famous definitions of “faith”
provided by unbelievers. Mark Twain, for example, quipped,
“Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” Closer to our own
day, the atheist author Sam Harris defined faith as “the license
religious people give themselves to keep believing when reasons
fail.” Richard Dawkins, perhaps the most famous atheist of our
generation, claims: “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse
to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief
in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”
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The one thing all of these definitions have in common is the

explicit or implicit idea that faith is in conflict with reason.
Unfortunately, some Christians in the history of the church
have said things that have provided support for this view of the
relationship between faith and reason. Martin Luther, for
example, made very strong negative statements about reason,
many of which are quoted by skeptics in their attempts to prove
that Christianity is inherently irrational. Luther called reason
“the Devil’s greatest whore.” He said in a number of different
contexts that reason should be destroyed. The context is crucial,
because in these instances Luther was talking about the
arbitrariness of unaided human reason to discern divine things.
Still, his tendency toward hyperbole has played into the hands
of skeptics.
The vast majority of Christians throughout history,
however, have not rejected the right use of reason. This stems
from their attempt to be faithful to the teaching of Scripture,
which itself provides reasons to believe. John wrote his entire
Gospel to provide reasons to believe that Jesus is the Christ
(John 20:30–31). John, Peter, and Paul appeal to evidence for
the claims they make (1 Cor. 15:5–6; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1–
4). All human beings believe certain things based on the
testimony of others. Christians believe what they believe based
on the testimony of the Apostles. Such faith is a gift, but it is
not divorced from reason.
Understanding Faith. If we are going to understand better the

relationship between faith and reason, we must have a clearer
understanding of these two words. The word faith is used in
several different ways by Christian thinkers. It can refer to the
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beliefs that Christians share (the “Christian faith”). The

word faith also can refer to our response to God and the
promises of the gospel. This is what the Reformed Confessions
mean when they speak of “saving faith.” This faith involves
knowledge, assent, and trust. Finally, many philosophers and
theologians have spoken of faith as a source of knowledge. As
Caleb Miller explains, “The truths of faith are those that can
be known or justifiably believed because of divine revelation
and are justified on the basis of their having been revealed
by God.”
Understanding Reason. The word reason also has been used in
different ways. It can refer to our human cognitive faculties. The
relation of faith to reason in this sense involves asking whether
Christian beliefs are reasonable. In other words, did we properly
use our cognitive faculties in evaluating these beliefs? We can
also use reason to refer to a source of knowledge. In contrast to
the “truths of faith” known by divine revelation, the “truths of
reason,” in this sense, are truths known through natural
faculties such as sense perception and memory. A conflict
between knowledge derived through natural human faculties and
knowledge derived from divine revelation occurs only if an
apparent contradiction arises. Finally, in the narrowest
sense, reason can be used to refer to logical reasoning.
Christians should never argue that there is a conflict here
because this faculty is part of who we are as human beings
created in the image of God.
Relation of Faith and Reason. Most of the contemporary
discussion about the supposed conflict between faith and
reason has arisen in the context of discussions about science
and religion. Space constraints prohibit a full discussion of this
issue, but a few general points should be made in order to help
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us understand how to think about any alleged conflicts that

arise. In the first place, we must acknowledge with Augustine,
John Calvin, and many others that all truth is God’s truth. That
which is true is true because God revealed it, created it, or
decreed it.
HE REVEALED IT: All that God reveals whether through
general revelation in His creation or through special revelation
in Scripture, is necessarily true. It is impossible for God to lie.
HE CREATED IT: When we learn something about
creation that corresponds with what God actually made, we
have learned something true. God is the source of these truths
by virtue of the fact that He is the Creator.
HE DECREED IT: God is the one who has decreed
whatsoever comes to pass. When we learn something about
history that is in accordance with what actually happened, we
have learned something true to the extent that our knowledge
corresponds with what actually happened, and what actually
happened only happened, ultimately, because God decreed it.
A second major point that must be made is this: If all truth
has its source in God and if all truth is unified, then one thing
we know to be certain is that if there is a contradiction between
an interpretation of Scripture and an interpretation of what God
has created, then one or both of those interpretations is
incorrect. They cannot both be correct. Christians must
recognize that the conflict may be due to a misinterpretation of
creation, to a misinterpretation of Scripture, or to a
misinterpretation of both. This means we need to do a thorough
and careful examination of both the scientific theory and the
biblical exegesis to discover the source of the conflict. We must
make sure we are dealing with the actual teaching of Scripture
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as opposed to a mistaken interpretation of Scripture. And we

must examine the evidence for the scientific theory in question
to discover whether we are dealing with something that is true
about God’s creation or something that is merely speculation.
All of this hard work takes time, and it means that we do not
jump to hasty conclusions.
God created us in His image as rational creatures. Our
cognitive faculties were distorted by the fall, but they were not
destroyed, and even unbelievers can use these faculties to
discover truths about earthly things—as opposed to heavenly
things, about which they are completely blind (Calvin, Institutes
of the Christian Religion, 2.2.12–21). We do not fully
comprehend God, but this is because we are finite and God is
infinite. Faith and reason, rightly understood, cannot be and are
not in any real conflict.
Compatibility of faith and Reason. In today’s modern western
society, it has become increasingly popular to not identify with
any religion, namely Christianity. The outlook that people have
today on the existence of God and the role that He plays in our
world has changed drastically since the Enlightenment Period.
Many look solely to the concept of reason, or the phenomenon
that allows human beings to use their senses to draw conclusions
about the world around them, to try and understand the
environment that they live in. However, there are some that look
to faith, or the concept of believing in a higher power as the reason
for our existence. Being that this is a fundamental issue for
humanity, there have been many attempts to explain what role
each concept plays. It is my belief that faith and reason are both
needed to gain knowledge for three reasons: first, both concepts
coexist with one another; second, each deals with separate realms
SCP-Reed1 | 145
DEPARTMENT
of reality, and third, one without the other can lead to cases of
extremism.
When you think about the definition of rationality and the
definition of faith, where is the conflict? The answer is there is
none. If you define what reason is, and you define what faith is,
you realize that there’s no conflict. Reason assesses, faith trusts.
Reason assesses whether or not something or someone is
trustworthy, and then faith believes that certain things are true
in light of the reasons. Not blind faith, but a reasonable step of
trust. Reason assesses, faith trusts. No conflict. The opposite of
faith is not reason; the opposite of faith is unbelief, or lack of
trust. The opposite of reason is not faith; the opposite of reason
is irrationality. So, it certainly is possible to have reasonable faith,
and it is also possible to have unreasonable unbelief.
Conclusion. As John Paul II says in his encyclical, Fides et Ratio,
God has put the desire to know in our hearts, and in order to
achieve full understanding, both faith and reason together are
necessary.
Search Indicator
Koukl, G. Are Faith and Reason Compatible? (2011). Retrieved Dec. 2, 2020 from
https://www.str.org/w/are-faith-and-reason-compatible
Mathison, K. Faith and Reason (2013). Retrieved Dec. 2, 2020 from

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/faith-and-reason-article/
SCP-Reed1 | 146
DEPARTMENT
Samples, K. Faith and Reason: Compatible Partners (2012). Retrieved Dec. 3,

2020 from https://reasons.org/explore/publications/nrtb-e-
zine/read/nrtb-e-zine/2012/08/01/faith-and-reason-compatible-
partners
LET’S INITIATE!
question.
1. What is Faith?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What is Reason?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. Briefly explain the relationship between faith and reason?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
SCP-Reed1 | 147
DEPARTMENT
LET’S INQUIRE!
1. How compatible is faith and reason?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. Can man arrive at the knowledge of God using reason

alone without the aid of faith?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
SCP-Reed1 | 148
DEPARTMENT
LET’S INFER!
Activity 1. Kindly explain the existence of God using both faith and
reason.
SCP-Reed1 | 149

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ST.

JOHN PAUL II COLLEGE OF DAVAO

SIMPLIFIED COURSE PACK (SCP) FOR

Reed 1 – Preambles of Faith

By 2023, a recognized professional institution providing quality, economically

Serve the nation by providing competent JPCean graduates through quality

Course Code/Title Reed 1/Preambles of Faith

“Based 40” Cumulative Averaging Grading System

Reed 1- Simplified Course Pack (SCP)

Week Week Week

Welcome Aboard! This course covers the main premises of reason

SCP-TOPICS: PRELIM PERIOD TOPICS

Week 1 The Life of man: to know and Love God

This section provides meaning and definition of the

Man - is referred here as the whole of humanity.

God – is the supreme being who created the whole universe.

Human Person – is a substance essentially composed of

Man: Man is composed of body and soul. This composition is

Man’s capacity for God: Man’ s capacity for God is based

1. Man: The Image of God. Man alone is called to share, by

Man’s search for God: Created in God’s image and called to

have twofold point of departure: the physical world and the

1. The World/Creation. Starting from movement,

2. The Human Person. The goodness, truth and beauty

Ways to know God. Jesus defines eternal life as knowing

1. The final, complete, definitive way is Christ, God

3. The Holy Scripture is the Church book. It is called “the

Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1992). Retrieved August 2, 2020 from

“Gaudium Et Spes”. (1973). Retrieved August 3, 2020 from

Twelve Ways of Knowing God. (2011). Retrieved August 3, 2020, from

1. What is the capacity of man to know God?

1. As we share the image and likeness of God, how do we give

4. Can we really experience true happiness in this world without

SCP-TOPICS: PRELIM PERIOD TOPICS

Week 2 The Life of man: to know and love God

Revelation – the unfolding of one’s self.

The revelation of God – refers to God’s initiative to search for

Stages of God’s Revelation. God revealed himself in the beginning in

5. The final revelation. The final divine revelation is God revealing

Jesus is the fulfilment of the great promised of God to His people

Transmission of Divine Revelation. The transmission of God’s revelation

b. Modes of Transmission. There are two modes of transmission.

c. Magisterium of the church. The whole Church is entrusted to

In conclusion, we see that in the supremely wise arrangement of

DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON DIVINE REVELATION (Dei Verbum). 1965.

Vatican II on Divine Revelation. Fr. Kenneth Baker S.J. (2000).

1. What do you mean by revelation?

2. Who initiates in the relationship between God and man? Why?

1. How do you describe the relationship between God and man?

3. Which story of the stages of revelation that you can

4. What is the main reason why Jesus Christ is the final

Week 3 The Life of man: to know and love God

Believer – refers to someone with religious faith or an adherent

Filipino Believer – refers to Filipinos having religion that is

Man, as a Religious Being. Human being as created by God is the reason

Short Background of Filipino religious beliefs. The Philippines proudly

denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4

The pre-Hispanic belief system of Filipinos consisted of a

Today, one way of practicing one’s own belief in the Philippines

believers as well as show that in our country, to become more deeply

b. Meal-oriented. We Filipinos are meal-oriented (Salo-salo kainan).

risen Christ. Communion, in other words constitute the core witness