Faith Seeking Understanding

Thomas Aquinas presents a reasonable argument for the need of faith in the search for God. The truth of the intelligibility of God can be approached in two ways. First, Aquinas says that God can be known by the rational efforts of man, on reason alone. Secondly, since some men are incapable for various reasons to pursue God as philosophers or theologians, which many times takes many years of devoted study and application to arrive at some truths, God has provided faith. Faith, presents a way to God, which is common to all, yet not chosen by some because of various inhibitions. Aquinas names three reasons why some would be hindered in finding God if reason were the only way to God:

“The truth of the intelligible things of God is twofold, one to which the inquiry of reason can attain, the other which surpasses the whole range of human reason, both are fittingly proposed by God to man as an object of belief. We must first show this with regard to that truth which is attainable by the inquiry of reason, lest it appears to some, that since it can be attained by reason, it was useless to make it an object of faith” (SCG,Bk1 Ch4).

Three Reasons Faith is Important in Search for God

Aquinas wanted to give the benefit of the doubt that everyone , in one way or another, can easily find God. Aquinas saw into the nature of man, perhaps because he knew man was fallible. He came up with three reasons why man would fall short of his search for God if he depended on reason alone.
First, he says that searching for God requires diligent inquiry in order to gather the fruit of toiling for this type of knowledge. Aquinas noticed that some persons do not feel drawn to spending many hours in diligent searching for God by philosophical inquiry. He says, reason falls short in this way, since it is so difficult and many just give up altogether.
Secondly, some people do not use rational means because their indisposition of temperament; that is, it conflicts with a very active character. A person can be driven by a passionate temperament in the active life, yet not driven towards the contemplation of the intelligent things of God.
Thirdly, Aquinas gives the reason few are willing to take up the work of searching for the intelligent things of God is because of pure laziness. This kind of search requires that a person have some previous knowledge of other principles, which further study would require. Still after the first steps, others steps are required and further knowledge must build upon previous knowledge. He says that the science of Metaphysics which searches for first principles is of this kind of knowledge.