Can It Be Rational to Have Faith?

Abstract

This chapter begins with the idea that faith statements in religious contexts and in more mundane contexts express the same attitude and so share some typical characteristics. It is concerned with the relationship between faith and rationality, and develops a unified account of statements of faith concerning mundane matters and those concerning religious faith. The chapter considers the sense in which faith requires going beyond the evidence, and argues that faith requires terminating the search for further evidence. There are two types of costs that seem particularly relevant to situations involving faith: interpersonal costs and the costs of postponing a decision. The chapter explains the distinction between epistemic rationality and practical rationality. Epistemic rationality concerns believing what the evidence suggests. Practical rationality, on the other hand, concerns selecting the means to achieve one's ends.

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