Philosophy for Faith Formation – PF3 Ministries – is an educational outreach to catechists and catechetical leaders that supports their use of philosophy in faith formation. This outreach also extends to anyone interested in better understanding the role of philosophy in teaching theology. The following quotes from John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV underscore the continued relevance that philosophy and theology have in the world today.
- “The truths of philosophy, it should be said, are not restricted only to the sometimes ephemeral teachings of professional philosophers. All men and women, as I have noted, are in some sense philosophers and have their own philosophical conceptions with which they direct their lives. In one way or other, they shape a comprehensive vision and an answer to the question of life’s meaning; and in the light of this they interpret their own life’s course and regulate their behaviour. At this point, we may pose the question of the link between, on the one hand, the truths of philosophy and religion and, on the other, the truth revealed in Jesus Christ.” – John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, Paragraph 30 – (here)
- “Dear friends, you have before you a very exacting journey. First of all, it is necessary to promote high-level academic centres in which philosophy can dialogue with other disciplines, in particular with theology, favouring new, suitable cultural syntheses to orient society’s journey.” – Benedict XVI, European Symposium for University Professors – (here)
- “Many of Pascal’s writings are steeped in the language of philosophy. This is especially true of his Pensées, the collection of fragments, published posthumously, that are his notes and sketches for a philosophy inspired by a theological concern. Scholars have attempted, with varying results, to restore the collection’s original form and unity. Pascal’s passionate love for Christ and for serving the poor, which I mentioned earlier, were not so much the sign of a disconnect in the mind of this bold disciple, as of a deeper growth towards evangelical radicalism, a progression, aided by grace, towards the living truth of the Lord. Pascal, who possessed the supernatural certitude of faith and considered it fully compatible with reason while infinitely surpassing the latter, sought as much as possible to engage in dialogue with those who did not share his faith.” – Francis, Sublimitas et Miseria Hominis – (here)
- “Theology is the wisdom, therefore, that opens up greater existential horizons, dialoguing with science, philosophy, art and all human experience. The theologian is a person who lives out, in his or her theological work, a missionary fervor by communicating to everyone the “knowledge” and “taste” of faith, so that it may illuminate our lives, redeem the weak and the excluded, touch and heal the suffering flesh of the poor, help us build a fraternal and supportive world, and lead us to an encounter with God.” – Leo XIV, Address to Participants in the Seminar Promoted by the Pontifical Academy of Theology – (here)
~ Boethius ~