Faith, Beginning of

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FAITH, BEGINNING OF

"Beginning of faith" is a technical term that had its beginning as a result of the Semi-Pelagian heresy. Although conceding the necessity of God's grace for justification, the Semi-Pelagians taught that man could at least desire faith and wish to believe without divine help. In other words, these heretics held that "the beginning of faith" was natural, not supernatural. At issue, of course, was the acquisition of faith in adults, not children.

In opposition to this heresy, the Second Council of Orange (529) defined the Church's official position: the increase of faith, the beginning of faith, and even the very desire or wish to believe, is a gift of God (H. Denzinger, Enchiridion symbolorum, ed. A. Schönmetzer 375). Thus the council recalled the teaching of St. Paul that faith is a purely gratuitous gift. No one can strictly merit it, i.e., no amount of effort by a human being can force God to give him faith. "For by grace you have been saved … for it is a gift of God" (Eph 2.8).

The Council of Trent reaffirmed the teaching of Orange and called attention to man's freedom at the beginning of faith. Though always an unmerited gift of God, faith requires man's free and personal assent. The council stated: the Scripture text "be converted to me … and I will turn to you" (Zec 1.3) shows men that they are free in the act of faith; and when they answer "Turn to us, O Lord, and we shall be converted to You" (Lam 5.21), they witness to the fact that the grace of God has first to come to them (ibid. 1525).

See Also: semi–pelagianism.

Bibliography: É. amann, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 14.2:1796–1850. s. harent, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables générales 1951–) 6.1:55–514. j. auer, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 5:676–677. j. guillet, Themes of the Bible, tr. a. j. lamothe (South Bend, Ind. 1960). h. lennerz, De gratia Redemptoris (3d ed. Rome 1949). l. lercher, Institutiones theologiae dogmaticae 4.1 (5th ed. Barcelona 1951) 253–359. l. cerfaux, "La Théologie de la grâce selon saint Paul," La Vie Spirituelle 83 (1950) 5–19.