The Eyes of Faith

Abstract

The Eyes of Faith presents a systematic theology of the sense of the faithful (sensus fidelium) and shows the fundamental and necessary interrelationship between sensus fidelium, tradition, Scripture, theology, and the magisterium. Ormond Rush provides fresh perspectives on a number of issues. He proposes that tradition and Scripture are the products of the sensus fidelium and that the inspiration of Scripture is best understood in terms of the Holy Spirit working through the sensus fidelium. In addressing the role of the sensus fidei in the lives of individual believers, the book provides a unique approach to the way Christians make sense of their faith within the diverse contexts of daily life. It shows how the imaginative capacity of the sensus fidei forms a foundational notion for understanding the diversity of spiritualities, inculturations, and contextualizations of the Gospel in the history of the church up to the present. This ecclesial activity of interpreting the Christ event through the sensus fidelium enables the church to proclaim the Gospel in new times and cultures throughout history. The Eyes of Faith proposes that, for an effective teaching of the faith to contemporary Christians, the distinctive roles of the magisterium and of theology must be conceived primarily in terms of, and in relationship to, the ecclesial Spirit-given capacity of the sensus fidelium.