In Defense of the Rationality of Faith: The Relevance of the Encyclical Letter 'Fides et Ratio'

The 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s (1978–2005) proclamation of the encyclical Fides et Ratio (1998) prompts reflection on the rationality of faith. The defense of the Christian faith today occurs within the context of scientific thinking, where scientific methods of understanding the world and the natural image of the world itself play significant roles. This article aims to identify potential areas for defending the rationality of the Christian faith. The discussion will present the following inspirations in sequence: interdisciplinary dialogue (1), the Church’s openness to science (2), and the integration of natural knowledge in theological reflection (3).