Faith and reason are like two wings upon which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart the desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that by knowing and loving God, men and women can come to the fullness of the truth about themselves." - St. John Paul II
Is faith unreasonable? Is it irrational? Skeptics and doubters often ask these questions, charging believers with being anti-science and anti-reason.
But Catholic theology is anything but that. It invites questions and holds to the tradition of fides et ratio -- faith and reason, together. We never need to set reason aside to embrace the gift of faith. Faith seeks understanding reason is essential. But faith also goes beyond reason.
This "two-winged" principle of the Catholic faith is the bedrock of a new website recently launched by Franciscan University of Steubenville. The site called faithandreason.com makes engaging Catholic resources from the University more easily accessible to a wider audience, including:
- Full, recent episodes of Franciscan University’s long-running EWTN show, Franciscan University Presents, covering a variety of theological and cultural topics. Hosted by Franciscan University President Father Dave Pivonka, TOR ’89, with theology professors Dr. Regis Martin and Dr. Scott Hahn, the show features guests such as Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Noelle Mering, and Father Gerald Murray.
- Franciscan Magazine stories highlighting academics, student and alumni profiles, current and historical events, theology, and more.
- Podcasts from Franciscan University, including the Legends From the Hill alumni podcast and the They That Hope podcast hosted by Father Pivonka and catechetics professor Deacon Bob Rice.
In addition, a new podcast called Franciscan University Presents, which brings episodes from the hit EWTN television show to an audio-only format for the first time, will be available on the site. The show allows listeners to enjoy episodes about prayer, Church teachings, societal issues, and more while on the go. (The podcast is also available on most major podcast apps.)
“We are very excited to launch Franciscan University’s Faith and Reason website and offer Catholic content that educates, evangelizes, and encourages people to dive deeper into their faith journey and grow in their love for Jesus Christ,” said Kimberly Sponseller, executive director of Marketing and Communications at Franciscan University.
The site will continue to expand, said Sponseller. "We will regularly add new videos, articles, and other faith-filled content featuring Franciscan University’s top theologians, scholars, evangelists, guest speakers, and more for our Catholic audiences to enjoy and be edified,” she said.
To learn more, visit faithandreason.com.
