4 A Conception of Faith in the Greek Fathers

Abstract

Abstract A frequent complaint about the application to theology of ideas from analytic philosophy is that such applications are unhistorical; they impose anachronistic concepts and questions upon issues from the Christian theological tradition, while ignoring vital elements of this tradition that do not fit into analytic ways of thinking. This chapter considers a subject where this accusation is the opposite of the truth. It uses a contemporary debate in analytic philosophy — that of the nature of testimony as a source of knowledge — to gain a better understanding of an important theological tradition on the nature of Christian belief. This tradition, developed by the Greek Fathers, is not only illuminated but supported by current arguments for testimony as an autonomous source of knowledge.