Faith, Rationality and the Passions

Faith, Rationality and the Passions presents a fresh examination of the relation of religious faith, philosophical rationality and the passions, by bringing together the insights of leading scholars in philosophy, theology, history of science, psychology and neuroscience. The book re-examines some notable pre-modern accounts of the relation of passion, reason and faith, and from there goes on to overturn the widely-held presumption that it was the Enlightenment that was responsible for creating a gulf between reason and passion. Contributors reveal that the later creation of a stereotype of “Enlightenment reason” obscured the manifold differences and riches of thinking in a period in which ‘passions’ and ‘affections’ were viewed as significant, positive forces with which reason had to do, and ‘emotions’ were yet to be invented.

Presenting innovative research on several fronts, the book argues that the separation between reason and passion is more truly the effect of the invention of the category of ‘emotion’ in the latter part of the 19th century, and contributions outline its striking difference from classic ideas of passion. In formulating this new approach, the book brings together the work of contemporary philosophers, theologians and scientists who creatively collaborate in their efforts to seek a new integration of belief, reason and ‘emotion’.