How to Solve Apparent Contradictions of Faith and Reason (Aquinas 101)

As John Henry Newman said, ten thousand difficulties do not make for one doubt.

One way to understand the Summa theologiae is to say that Thomas Aquinas provides us not only a book, but an extensive curriculum into a variety of resolutions of a multitude of difficulties in Scripture and Tradition. And his resolutions, as well as the different ways he resolves questions and difficulties in faith, help us to understand some of the most fundamental truths of all. But despite the many questions and difficulties and complexities of theology, the point of it all remains simple. The point is to know the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ, and to know and love him more and more and enjoy him in eternity.

How to Solve Apparent Contradictions of Faith and Reason (Aquinas 101) - Fr. James Brent, O.P.

❓ Questions you want answered? Make sure to put #AskAFriar in your comment!

— WHAT'S NEW —

— WHAT'S NEXT —

— SOCIAL MEDIA —

— SUPPORT —

— THE THOMISTIC INSTITUTE —

— AQUINAS 101 —

#ThomisticInstitute #ThomasAquinas #Catholic #Thomism

This video was made possible through the support of grant #61944 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

[SoyElta]

I watch these within the hour it comes out. I study monks to make myself a better teacher 💜

[gregorypilau]

This man is very intelligent in explaining very tough philosophical questions. Am glad to have found this channel.

[brockjones]

Fr. James Brent is on another level. Such an intellectual giant, and a great gift to the church

[rainbowahead]

Really insightful talk condensed in 9 minutes! It's amazing that Fr. Jame Brent explained so many key points of nuances with crystal clarity within such a short time!

[ycxnzeh]

Thank you Fr. Brent! I’ve watched many Islamic scholars point out inconsistencies and contradictions in the Bible and it was disheartening to see. I’m glad I found your channel and I hope to see more videos like this which strengthens my faith! Amen!

[caseymckee]

Please intercede for my salvation! Thank you!

[andrewmangum]

I also think it's important to understand that because the gospels fall into the genre of "bioi, " or ancient lives, where authors would rearrange the details thematically or exclude certain details to better fit the narrative that they were telling. It's even more remarkable that the gospels were written within living memory of Jesus's earthly ministry, and it should be noted that they use their sources far more judiciously than is the norm for other ancient bioi.

Also, I enjoyed hearing Fr. Brent speak at the recent TI Conference in Greenville. His talk really illuminated a lot of St. Thomas' epistemology for me. :)

[juanperez]

Interesting approach to studying these apparent contradictions.
Love these videos from the Thomistic Institute

[mauijttewaal]

Very nice.
So all understanding is preliminary and contradictions are just challenges?!

[michaelbergfeld]

Learning by intelligence, this must be hard for many.

[affel]

Great video, as always! I would find a video on what St. Thomas calls the "biggest sin" -- unbelief -- very interesting and helpful. I feel like it would tie in nicely with videos like this and with your videos on the theological virtue of Faith.

God bless!

[joelfeddersen]

Could you possibly get an episode in response to the book 'The Immortality Key' by Brian Muraresku? Or the podcast he did with Jordan Peterson because it shook up my faith

[falnica]

How can it be a "research program" if you already know the conclusion you want to prove?

[kamaunicholas]

Very good video. I think that it depends on the axioms which I consider as "basic beliefs." Science also has these "basic beliefs" so in some way we can imagine it relying on Faith. Theology, specifically Christian theology, also has a set of axioms that have to be considered in order to proceed with their methodology for example the axiom that scripture is divinely inspired therefore cannot contain contradiction. For a non-Christian, they do not hold some of the axioms held in Christian theology thus can find inconsistency with the scriptures. That is how I understand it.

[JohnR.T.B.]

Also if I were to tell people living in Jesus' time how I travel using jet planes, how I can communicate with other people instantly using smart phones, etc. they will not believe unless they see these things for themselves.

[alfonsocantor]

I dont know how to ask this on the website but if we found an intelligent civilization which comprises of "rational animals" like us humans and in their world there is also their own version of the Bible(prophecies and Resurrection of Christ) which have same essence but with different details such as Christ taking the flesh of the life form there due to the difference in environment in their planet, how does will it impact the church and society in general?

[frankiebortolussi]

Can u help me understand thus contradiction? The bible states the universe is Geocentric, whereas Reason tells us the Solar System is Eliocentric!

[vincenzoguandolo]

I have an honest question for any interested Christian out there (two really) that concern two major biblical contradictions. The first concerns Jesus' birth: In Matthew 2:14, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus are instructed by God’s messenger to flee to Egypt because Herod ordered the death of every boy two years and younger. They remain in Egypt until Herod dies. In Luke 2:2 it claims that the census ordered by Caesar was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. It is also said that Mary was pregnant with Jesus as they traveled to Bethlehem. This is the problem: Herod died in 4 BC, but Quirinius didn’t become governor of Syria until 6 AD. According to the Bible, however, Jesus had to have been born before 4 BC but after 6AD. How can this be resolved? Other issues include the fact that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt while Herod slaughters all males under 2 years old (Mt. 2:13-16). Yet in Lk. 2:21-39, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus did not flee to Egypt, but remained for temple rituals. No massacre is mentioned.

The second question is about Jesus' Genealogy: In Matthew (1:6), Jesus' lineage was traced through David's son Solomon, while in Luke (3:31) his lineage is traced through David's son Nathan. Later, Matthew (1:17) says that there were 28 generations from David to Jesus, while Luke (3:23) claims that there were 43 generations between David and Jesus.

[whoami]

At what point do we admit the difficulty is irresolvable and that the Bible— or human reason— are at fault?

Edit: I realize this is probably a difficult question, but I dare you to answer it.

[misterprogressive]

If you want to fly then buy a plane ticket or a space cake.