Within a subset of philosophy, there is a discipline called metaphysics. This discipline is concerned with being as such. Catholic metaphysics subscribes to dualism in cosmology and its philosophy of mind.
It is unnecessary to go into the specifics here other than to note that dualism refers to the theory that the universe (cosmology) comprises two fundamental substances. Similarly, the philosophy of mind dualism suggests that the mind and body are two distinct substances.
In this paper, I want to suggest that such a dualism also exists in the spiritual life.
Spiritual Dualism
The concept is relatively simple. We can comprehend faith and a relationship with God in two fundamental ways. The first way is intellectual. Under this auspice, one possesses theological knowledge, memorizes various prayers, and understands the teachings of the Catholic faith.
In the second way, one “descends into the heart,” so to speak. At this level, one enters into a relationship with God and even falls in love with God. It has been my experience that one can emphasize one aspect – usually the intellect – at the detriment of the other aspect, the heart.
An Intellectual Faith
“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope [faith].” – 1 Peter 3:15.
Contrary to the opinions of its critics, faith does not eschew reason or an intellectual life. In fact, one can argue that faith in God begins with reason.
To see why this is the case, it must be understood that the human mind cannot accept a proposition that is known to be false. In order to convince a person of a proposition that he does accept, one must provide supporting evidence. This fact extends to the existence of God. Therefore, for those with faith, there must be evidence.
That evidence can take various forms. We accept or reject things based on what we have experienced ourselves, as well as what our teachers, family, friends, and experts tell us.
If, for example, people we know and trust tell us that they believe in God, we may at least infer that it is possible for God to exist. If our study of history suggests that every known civilization has engaged in religious practice, we may be inclined to think that there is something to the claims of God’s existence. Finally, if we study three thousand years of philosophical arguments for the existence of God (or gods), we may be further persuaded.
All of this is to say nothing of the Catholic Church’s creation of the university system and its strenuous support for the sciences.
The point that I want to make is that intellect and reason frequently play a significant role in developing one’s faith.
Heart And Soul
We moderns have a very different view of the (metaphorical) heart than our ancestors. We tend to reduce the heart to the center of our emotions. However, from a biblical and mythological standpoint, the heart can (and has been) considered synonymous with the mind.
In such a context, the mind refers to a substance that thinks (particularly abstractly), wills, and is concerned with intentionality and qualia or what a thing is like. It is, essentially, that aspect of one’s intellectual life that can not be reduced to the brain or body.
For example, Saint Paul writes, “[Pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones.” (See Ephesians 1:17-18).
Biblically, the heart encompasses various functions, including the mind, desires, and will. In a sense, the heart can be divided into two parts. The first concerns thinking, ideas, memories, and imagination, while the second concerns what we love, want, seek, and feel.
An Imbalance
What has been said so far is a preamble to the issue that this essay seeks to address. It is not only possible, but I think it is probable that for most of us, there is an imbalance in our spiritual lives.
The imbalance occurs when we stress one aspect of the brain-heart dichotomy over the other. When we emphasize the brain in the spiritual life, we can fall into the trap of seeing our faith as an intellectual exercise.
In such an instance, we may view the success of our faith journey as a matter of possessing knowledge about Catholicism or theology. As one who chose Thomas Aquinas as my patron saint, I in no way wish to denigrate the rich intellectual tradition that is so important to Catholicism. However, I want to suggest the need for a spiritual balance between the heart and brain.
I want to mention three problems that can occur when there is an over-emphasis on the intellectual side:
- Catholicism can lose its mystical or spiritual import. The effect of this is to reduce one’s faith to a series of rules or moral precepts.
- This view can lead one to stress God’s judgment over/above His mercy.
- There is a danger of failing to enter into a personal relationship with God.
At the other end of the spectrum is the tendency to emphasize the heart aspect of faith to the detriment of the intellectual side. This results in an over-sentimentalizing of Catholicism, which can lead to two fundamental dangers. The first is emphasizing God’s mercy over/above His judgment. This second problem lends itself to God becoming an abstraction.
Here, I am reminded of the phrase that underscored the teachings of saints Anselm and Augustine: fides quaerens intellectum (faith that seeks understanding).
Conclusion
The purpose of this paper is to bring to light something that I have personally experienced in my life: a tendency to favor one aspect of the spiritual life over another.
Like many things in life, finding the proper balance is critical to the spiritual life.
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