This entry is focused on the laying out the definition of the word Faith in the Christian context, in relation to reason and truth. Other uses of the term “faith,” such as in reference to the community of believers, are not discussed here.
While the subject of faith in the Christian context concerns God, this entry separates the teachings about faith from the definition of faith in order to maintain a general perspective.
What Faith is
The key passage that defines faith is Hebrews 11, which begins by explicitly stating
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see
The chapter then elaborates on what the ancients had done by faith and were commended for (Hebrews 11:2).
“Confidence in what we hope for”
Confidence: the quality or state of being certain1Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “confidence,” accessed March 6, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confidence..
Hope: to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true2Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “hope,” accessed March 5, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope.
Faith essentially is the feeling or state of certainty (or trust) that one has of something that one desires for. The following would thus not be classified as faith:
- Confidence in something undesirable (e.g. expecting misfortune with certainty).
- Doubt that something desirable will happen (e.g. doubt that one will strike lottery ).
“Assurance about what we do not see”
Assurance (similar to confidence): the state of being assured: such as being certain in the mind3Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “assurance,” accessed March 5, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assurance.
Faith also has to be about something that we do not see—not just limited to literal sight, but also in terms of perception/understanding. This is illustrated in Hebrews 11:17-19, where Abraham trusted in God’s promise that “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” even though he could not comprehend how this would happen if he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac.
The following would thus not be classified as faith:
- Confidence in what is already visible or understood (e.g. confident that phone alarm will ring at set timing).
- Doubt in something not fully understood (e.g. doubt that aliens exist).
Faith is confidence in something that’s unseen and hoped for
Putting it together, there are three key aspects to faith
- A feeling of certainty/trust directed towards something
- that is not fully perceived or understood
- and hoped for
Intuitively, from this definition, faith can be viewed as existing on a spectrum, ranging from small to huge. Higher levels of faith are characterized by
- greater trust in something
- that is less understood and
- more eagerly hoped for.
What Faith is not
As this entry serves to define what the word “Faith” is, it is helpful to point out misunderstandings about what faith is.
Faith does not necessitate action
A common teaching about faith is that “True faith is accompanied by action,” supported by passages like James 2:17:
James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
However, dead faith is still faith, just like how a rotten apple is still an apple. The adjective “Dead” and “Rotten” describes an aspect or quality about the noun but is not essential to it. One can possess faith, even if they choose not to act on what they hope for, particularly if the subject of that faith does not strongly motivate any required action. For example, one can have faith—trusting and hoping— that it will rain tomorrow to enjoy the cooler weather without feeling the need to take any action regarding it.
Faith is not believing in something without questioning it
Perfect faith—complete trust in something that we have zero understanding about that we are intensely hopeful about—does imply the absence of doubt or questioning (specifically complete trust).
However, faith at any other point on the spectrum does not rule out the possibility of doubt or questioning. As we doubt, question and investigate, we gain more insight into what we have faith in and this may in turn result in a higher level of trust. This process can sometimes make it difficult to quantify or compare the amount of faith we initially had compared to what we have after gaining greater understanding, especially when the level of trust and level of understanding move in different directions.