Faith
Faith is a multifaceted concept that primarily denotes a form of trust or belief, which can extend to both secular and religious contexts. At its core, faith involves having confidence in a person, entity, or idea without the necessity for tangible proof. In religious traditions, faith often encompasses a set of beliefs and practices organized around a higher power or spiritual principles, such as those found in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Each tradition has its unique interpretation of faith; for example, Christians may see faith as a reflection of their relationship with God, shaped by the teachings of Jesus, while in Buddhism, faith is characterized by various beliefs in the Buddha's teachings and overcoming doubt.
Faith may also be viewed as a journey, with individuals striving to deepen their understanding and commitment to their beliefs through practices like prayer, meditation, and ethical living. Despite the common thread of trust in a higher authority, faith can be tested by challenges or crises, prompting believers to reevaluate their convictions. Ultimately, faith serves as a guiding force in the lives of many, influencing their actions and shaping their worldview across diverse cultures and spiritual practices.
Faith
The word faith has many meanings. At its most basic, it refers to a level of trust held toward a person, thing, or belief, with or without any religious connotations. It can also refer to an overall religious tradition of beliefs and practices, as when one speaks of the Christian faith, Jewish faith, Islamic faith, Buddhist faith, and so on.
Derived from the Latin word for trust and brought into common usage in the Middle Ages, the word faith can also refer to the concept of trusting or having confidence in a deity or spiritual concept. It is thought of as belief or trust in a higher being with little or no proof or evidence. Religious followers of many faith traditions, however, can often point to something that they say supports their faith. For example, a person might say that he has faith in the power of prayer because things he has prayed for in the past have come to pass. Others may raise challenges against the person's evidence, but to the person with faith, his reasons are sufficient to justify his beliefs.
Faith also takes on a variety of connotations in different religious traditions. It can be seen as a gift of the deity or as something toward which the individual works during life. Some see it as a standard to be achieved, while others see it as both a force that works in their lives and the evidence that their faith is at work.
Comparative Concepts
In the Buddhist tradition, the word for faith is saddhā. There are four different kinds of saddhā: belief in the Buddha's teachings, acquired faith that comes from the realization of the successful achievement of magga-phala (or life's purpose), determined and unwavering belief in the Buddha, and respect for the Buddha's teaching that still allows for doubt and/or belief in other teachings. Buddhism posits that practitioners who overcome eight doubts will achieve true faith. Buddhists must overcome doubt in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, threefold training (morality, concentration, and wisdom), past lives, future lives, present lives, and dependent origination (the idea that everything that exists is dependent on the existence of other things) to reach nirvana.
Christians believe that their faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit both shapes their lives and is evidenced by their actions. Christian beliefs are based on the teachings of Jesus as described in the Bible's New Testament and encourage a life that emulates Christ in love of God and love of neighbor. Believing that Christ's death on the Cross opened the doors of heaven to all who seek eternal life, Christians take it as a matter of faith that they can show appreciation for this gift and love for God by following what Jesus taught. In so doing, their faith that Christ died for their salvation guides their life path, and their actions provide evidence of their faith. Furthermore, in the Christian tradition, faith begets faith; living in faith brings one closer to God, which increases faith and enables the person to live even more truly to their beliefs.
The Christian concept of faith has changed somewhat over the years and varies somewhat by denomination. The Westminster Confession of Faith, a 1646 document that came out of the Protestant Reformation, states that in order to have faith in God, the Holy Spirit must first work on the human heart. Under this theology common to the Reformed Christian churches, a person must first be born again, or have a spiritual renewal. This allows the Holy Spirit to bring new life; before that, the person is spiritually dead and without faith. In the evangelical tradition, however, having faith is a prerequisite for being born again.
In the Hindu religion, faith is largely an experience the practitioner attains. By living according to the principles of the Hindu tradition; believing in the divine beings Brahman, Shiva, Krishna, and others; and perfecting the practice of mediation, Hindus can reach a state beyond the rational, reasonable, and real state of ordinary existence, and this defines the Hindu concept of faith.
Faith in Islam is a basic human instinct that can be trained and perfected, depending on the guidance and spiritual support the person receives in formative years. Muslims believe living faithfully requires belief in and willing submission to God's will. God's will is believed to be revealed through the writings of the Prophet Muhammad in the Qur'an, which contains God's guidance for living a righteous life.
The concept of faith in Judaism might be thought of as more of a covenant or contractual relationship between God and his people. The Hebrew Bible details instances of God telling his people to do something; they obey, or not, and God shows his pleasure or displeasure in response. Faithfulness in the Hebrew scriptures is often referred to as righteousness; Abraham's obedience in nearly sacrificing his son Isaac and his willingness to pack up his entire family and move with no idea of a destination, both done in response to requests from God, were "accounted as righteousness," and earned God's favor. This individual response of obedience out of respect and love for God typifies Jewish faith.
Common Ground
What these spiritual concepts of faith have in common with each other is a level of trust in the reliability of a higher power or authority. Concepts and beliefs, such as there is life after death and that God will reward the good and punish the wicked, are accepted on faith because the believer trusts the source. Raising questions and having doubts can happen when a person's faith is tested. Sometimes people experience a crisis of faith, or extreme doubt in their beliefs. People can overcome these periods of doubt by taking time to reevaluate their beliefs and reconcile the obstacles that are hindering their faith.
Bibliography
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Kainz, Howard P. The Existence of God and the Faith Instinct. Cranbury: Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp., 2010. 75–92. Print.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. New York: Penguin Books, 2009. Print.
Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw. The Workings of Kamma. Singapore: The Pa-Auk Meditation Centre, 2012. 372–373. Print.
"The Reformation." History Channel. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Web. 2 Sept. 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/reformation
Sproul, R.C. What Is Faith? Orlando: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2010. Print.
Tilley, Terrence W. Faith: What It Is and What It Isn't. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2010. Print.