The Catholic Message Board

I have been asked to explain why the fake St Thomas quote "To those with faith, no explanation is necessary, to those without faith, no explanation is possible" is false and heretical.

I initially responded sarcastically by saying that if St Thomas believed that, then he wasted his life by writing the Summa Theologica, Summa Contra Gentiles, and all those Bible commentaries, if no explanation is necessary, why did he spend his life explaining things?'

Sarcasm is fun, but what are the more substantive problems with this fauxtation?

I never heard it in connection to St. Thomas. According to QI, it's most frequent link is to the Song of Bernadette: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/08/07/believer/

That's interesting indeed, but the source of the quotation is not my question.

IMHO the main problem isn't that it's heretical, necessarily. The main problem is that it's largely meaningless without clarification on what counts as explanation, and as written it smacks of fideism.

It's true that no explanation (read: argument, evidence at the natural level, or clear conceptual grasp of the ideas at stake--taking just those things and leaving God's additional action on the side) is sufficient to generate the virtue of faith, which is infused directly by God and can't be fully accounted for naturally. So in at least that one sense, to those without faith no explanation is possible. And I guess in a similar sense, if you already have the infused virtue of faith, you don't need to have those above-mentioned things in order to preserve it. So they're not necessary. And in general, the first clause is not really a problem, since the word 'necessary' is so strong. Are explanations necessary for a newly baptized baby? Obviously not. Etc. Explanations aren't strictly necessary, but it is clear that God has given us the power of reason and in general is pleased when we use it well for his glory.

So we can give the quotation an orthodox interpretation, but the problem is that that's not how it wants to be read. It wants to be read as denying the goodness of human reason, and brings to mind the famous Luther line about reason as the devil's whore.

My wife has a good friend who uses the quotation, attributed to St. Thomas, as her email signoff. Thus far, I have refrained from going into teaching mode about it with her.

You are of stronger character than I.

Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:40 pm You are of stronger character than I.

It is possible that mrs. gherkin has suggested that if I bring this up with her friend, I will face a salad shooter squad.

Behind every good pickle is a salad shooter.