Is the Catholic faith multi-dimensional? It is, and in this paper, I will examine and contrast the objective faith which is believed and the subjective faith by which it is believed.
While the distinction is highly theological, it has significant practical implications for how a Catholic lives out his beliefs. To understand the dual nature of faith, one must first establish how Catholicism defines the overarching concept of faith.
What Is Faith?
A biblical definition of faith cannot be divorced from the concepts of hope and trust. For this reason, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews defines faith as “The realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).
If we apply Thomistic thought to the above Scripture, we can suggest that the “substance” corresponds to the interior light of faith (fides qua), while the “evidence” anchors it to objective divine truth (fides quae). These terms, fides qua and fides quae, will be explained below.
Such a definition of faith entails the view that faith transforms one’s perception of God and the world through Christ. Faith, therefore, is both a relational dependence and an active loyalty to Christ.
Owing to the relationship between grace and works, the Church Fathers saw faith as “The first movement towards salvation.” (Alexandria, Clement Of. The Stromata. 2019).
By placing the biblical commentary on faith within the wider Catholic tradition, we can suggest that a working definition of faith is having good reasons to believe and trust in God.
As with most things inherent in the human condition, faith encompasses an objective and subjective component.
Faith Which Is Believed
Fides quae creditur is a Latin phrase translated as “the faith which is believed.” It refers to the objective body of truths, doctrines, and Divine revelations that God has revealed to humanity and that the Catholic Church preserves and teaches. Four core concepts form the faith which is believed.
First, Catholic theology speaks of an objective content of the Catholic faith. This objective content is usually referred to as the “deposit of faith” (depositum fidei). It consists of the specific teachings, historical facts, and mysteries of the Christian religion.
The second aspect of fides quae creditur includes the ecumenical creeds, such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.
The Creeds (creed is Latin for “I believe”) form the foundation for unity and worship. The Creeds further outline the absolute non-negotiables of the Catholic faith. Considered essential are the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the nature of the Church as the mystical body of Christ.
Third, an objective body of faith protects against heresies. The Creeds of the Catholic Church were forged in response to specific theological controversies. For example, the Nicene Creed (emerging from the councils of 325 AD and 381 AD) was developed to defend the full divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit against heresies like Arianism. It provides a clear, universally recognized safeguard for orthodoxy.
Finally, an objective body of faith connects or tethers the faith to Sacred Tradition. Since the faith which is believed provides the necessary symbols of faith, they function as the primary reference points for catechesis and baptismal preparation. It binds modern believers to the historical legacy and unchanging truths of the Church across time.
Therefore, when one considers fides quae creditur, one is taking in the whole body of the deposit of faith of the Catholic Church. But, how does the individual take that teaching in?
Faith By Which It Is Believed
In the Catholic theological tradition, fides qua creditur (the faith by which it is believed) is considered an inseparable counterpart to the faith which is believed.
If the faith which is believed refers to the objective deposit of faith, then the faith by which it is believed (fides qua creditur) is the subjective personal aspect of faith.
Specifically, fides qua creditur is the personal act of trust, the movement of the human heart, and the grace to believe. Said differently, the faith by which it is believed is the spiritual faculty or virtue by which an individual accepts Divine revelation.
It is not merely an intellectual agreement, but a relational act of surrendering one’s will and intellect to God.
It is all too easy to discuss fides quae creditur and fides qua creditur as abstract theological concepts. However, to be of value to the practicing Catholic, it is necessary to show the practicality of these concepts.
Why Both Matter In Catholic Life
A comprehensive faith integrates the human person as the active subject who experiences and expresses belief (fides qua creditur), and the Divine revelation or truth as the objective focus of that belief (fides quae creditur).
Together, they create a dynamic relationship where personal lived experience and universal theological truths inform one another.
For this reason, the Catholic Church notes that belief has a twofold reference: to the person, and to the truth: to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 177).
These concepts have practical value when speaking of faith. A belief system predicated solely on the objective fides quae creditur reduces faith to a sterile rationalism or legalism. Catholicism becomes only about the rules and dogmas, but lacks a personal relationship with God or a life of charity.
On the other hand, a belief system that is built only on fides qua creditur reduces faith to a vague emotional sentiment without any real structure, truth, or meaningful definition. This position can lead to a groundless fideism.
Ultimately, fides qua creditur is the spiritual engine by which a Catholic personally grasps and lives out the objective truths contained in the fides quae creditur.
Lastly, it is vital to understand grace as the source of the “two faiths.” The personal act of faith is entirely dependent on the grace of God, which enlightens and moves the human will to embrace the objective truth. Properly construed, grace not only contains the objective truths of which God is the source, but it also makes faith in those truths possible.
Conclusion
From what has been said, it should be clear why Catholicism insists on the inseparability of the “two faiths.” It is impossible to have a subjective trust in God without believing what He has revealed, nor is it possible to be saved by merely knowing church doctrines without personally assenting to and living them.
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