Special (double) issue: approaches to faith

Abstract

We find in contemporary culture starkly contrasting estimates of the value of faith. On the one hand, for many people, faith is a virtue or positive human value, something associated with understanding, hope, and love, something to be inculcated, maintained, and cherished. On the other hand, for many people, faith is a vice, something associated with dogmatism, arrogance, and close-mindedness, something to be avoided at all costs. The papers included in this special (double) issue on approaches to faith explore questions about faith in a variety of settings through a diverse range of examples, both secular and religious. The attempt to deepen our understanding of faith in the context of ordinary human relationships (e.g., between parents and children, friends, generals and their armies, business partners, citizens and the state), a commitment to ideals, or the pursuit of significant goals is clearly of general philosophical interest, as is the examination of potential connections between faith and topics such as trust or reliance. Discussion of the specific role that faith plays in religious contexts is also a matter of general social concern. Interest in religious faith, at least in the English-speaking world, has been amplified in recent years, not least in response to ongoing acts of religiously

How Does Trust Relate to Faith?

“… 2 See, e.g., Preston-Roedder (2013, 2018, 2022, in press), Bishop and McKaughan (2022), Buchak (2017b), Rice. McKaughan, and Howard-Snyder (2017), and McKaughan and Howard-Snyder (in press b, forthcoming). …”