Philosophy and theology

From its beginnings Christianity was not a fundamentalist, closed-minded cult but a public religion offering a rational account of God, creation and salvation. As the Pope writes in Fides et Ratio: 'superstitions were recognised for what they were, and religion was…purified by rational analysis.' Part of this rational analysis is the development of theology: rational enquiry into God and religion. However, theology uses philosophical ideas and arguments: without philosophers' ideas about identity, cause, personhood, moral principles etc. theology would not happen.

The Church has no particular philosophy of her own. The modern Church recommends Thomas Aquinas's philosophy, but not even he had the full truth since all human thinking is weakened by the Fall and new philosophical developments are always possible. The Pope has recently explained philosophy is not just a university subject but a style of thinking practised by everyone: every Christian has a 'philosophy of life'. The Church has a duty to warn of philosophical schools incompatible with Catholic faith and so unsuitable for believers (relativism, utilitarianism, postmodernism, consumerism etc.). Catholics are encouraged to explore the riches of philosophical tradition - and to see for themselves why certain philosophies stand condemned.