“if I apprehend God objectively, I do not have faith; but because I cannot do this, I must have faith (70).”
If it is possible to come to know God in an objective world, then faith is not possible. There is no need for faith when there is all you need to know, in a form of truth ‘out there.’
"Objectivity and faith are at complete odds with each other. What does objective faith mean? Doesn’t it amount to nothing more than a sum of tenets? (72)”
When one can know God through objective truth, then she can ascend to the gospel. She can mentally ascend, by agreeing with key, “objective,” tenets of Christianity. She can tell me the facts of the old, old story and therefore, she has made it to understanding the gospel. But isn’t there something in the gospel about descent? Isn’t the beauty of the gospel about God’s descent into humanity? God’s descent into humanity is beyond our objective reason precisely because it doesn’t make any sense.
“For an existing individual, therefore, there is no objective truth “out there.” An objective knowledge about the truth or the truths of Christianity is precisely untruth. To know a creed by rote is, quite simply, paganism. This is because Christianity is inwardness. Christianity is paradox, and paradox requires but one thing: the passion of faith (73).”
Faith is most definitely inward. It would seem that our existence is where we might begin. Inside of us, there is a yearning for faith.
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