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Faith Within Reason
Is it possible to think about religious beliefs philosophically? Should religious beliefs be viewed as a flight from reason or as capable of rational support? Can theologians learn from philosophers? Can philosophers learn from theologians? Is it possible to be both a good Christian and a good thinker? Can there be such a thing as reasonable faith?
This book is chiefly concerned with these questions and others related to them. A collection of previously unpublished papers written by the late Herbert McCabe O.P., it examines the nature of religious belief, especially belief in God, with an eye on both theological and philosophical arguments. Some thinkers have sought to drive a wedge between philosophy and theology. Like Thomas Aquinas, whose writings he especially admired, McCabe seeks to show how the two can be systematically connected. Some religious truths, he argues, may defy our understanding. But this does not mean that they cannot be reasonably discussed.
This book is chiefly concerned with these questions and others related to them. A collection of previously unpublished papers written by the late Herbert McCabe O.P., it examines the nature of religious belief, especially belief in God, with an eye on both theological and philosophical arguments. Some thinkers have sought to drive a wedge between philosophy and theology. Like Thomas Aquinas, whose writings he especially admired, McCabe seeks to show how the two can be systematically connected. Some religious truths, he argues, may defy our understanding. But this does not mean that they cannot be reasonably discussed.
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2007
About the author
Herbert McCabe
20 books45 followersHerbert McCabe was a much loved member of the English Province of the Dominican Order of Preachers. He was born on the 2nd August 1928 and studied chemistry and philosophy before joining the Dominicans in 1949.
“Faith seeking understanding” guided him through his life’s vocation - the study and teaching of the writings of St Thomas Aquinas. His work as a student chaplain led to the publication of The New Creation (1964) and Law, Love and Language (1968). Social radicalism and profound orthodoxy met and matched in Herbert’s thinking and preaching.
He was editor of New Blackfriars from 1964. Controversy attended these years in his life and ministry, and after some time in Ireland he taught in Oxford in the mid 1970s. “He had an unrivalled clarity of utterance, and in his hands Thomas became a vivid living voice...” (Eamon Duffy, The Tablet, 7 July 2001).
He regarded as his finest work the booklet The Teaching of the Catholic Church which was a catechism rooted in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council commissioned by the then Archbishop of Birmingham.
A loyal friend, fierce critic of woolly thinking and passionate advocate of social justice, he was made a Master of Sacred Theology by the Dominican order in 1989. He died on the 28th of June 2001.
“Faith seeking understanding” guided him through his life’s vocation - the study and teaching of the writings of St Thomas Aquinas. His work as a student chaplain led to the publication of The New Creation (1964) and Law, Love and Language (1968). Social radicalism and profound orthodoxy met and matched in Herbert’s thinking and preaching.
He was editor of New Blackfriars from 1964. Controversy attended these years in his life and ministry, and after some time in Ireland he taught in Oxford in the mid 1970s. “He had an unrivalled clarity of utterance, and in his hands Thomas became a vivid living voice...” (Eamon Duffy, The Tablet, 7 July 2001).
He regarded as his finest work the booklet The Teaching of the Catholic Church which was a catechism rooted in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council commissioned by the then Archbishop of Birmingham.
A loyal friend, fierce critic of woolly thinking and passionate advocate of social justice, he was made a Master of Sacred Theology by the Dominican order in 1989. He died on the 28th of June 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 16, 2026
Herbert McCabe might be one of the most underrated theologians of the 20th century. He had a profound insight into both philosophical and theological matters, and his training in analytical Thomism only reinforced his unique sociopolitical perspective. How many Marxists are Thomists, or vice versa? I imagine not that many. This collection of essays and sermons focuses on McCabe’s “philosophical theology,” as the editor (Brian Davies) puts it. While the writings in this collection are varied and lack a clear throughline, they all, more or less, return to basic questions about faith, reason, and belief. Is it possible to be religious and reasonable? Can a Christian be a good thinker? Can faith and reason co-exist? Is a belief in God reasonable? Can theology and philosophy learn from each other?
The answers to those questions arrive in this book at various points, but what those answers are will be up to the readers. For me, though, I think I gained a new appreciation for various aspects of Thomistic thinking, Catholicism, and Christian doctrine as a whole. I approached this book as an agnostic, and while it didn’t change any of my fundamental opinions, it did offer plenty of food for thought, and I’ve gained even more admiration for Herbert McCabe’s beautiful perspective on Christianity. By far the most powerful part of this book is his sermon “Forgiveness,” which is an utterly majestic meditation on the parable of the Prodigal Son, and how he believes God actually functions in terms of forgiving sin. The main takeaway here is that God doesn’t damn us; we damn ourselves by letting sin change our image of God from a loving one to one of Satan. When I say that McCabe has a beautiful interpretation of Christianity, this is what I mean. His warmth as a writer and pastor is very apparent here, and he goes out of his way to make sure people can see what he sees by using plain language and an inviting analysis of the parable.
Another essay I particularly enjoyed is “Evil and Omnipotence.” In it, McCabe addresses the problem of evil and suffering with a sharp, almost dispassionate clarity, yet his reasoning is so rigorous that it becomes difficult to find a logical counterargument. McCabe’s argument can be summed up in three ways (as I understand it): 1) A natural world is inherently perishable, and this consequence of a material world has a natural order, and while non-human suffering is a part of this, this price is not exacted by God, but by the material world and biology. It is possible that God could have created a non-material world, but we all seem to prefer a material one, so it is hard to place the blame on God here. 2) When humans sin, it is a failure of being human, and the negation of being human is not a consequence of God’s actions; rather, it is a consequence of the absence of being human. 3) God is not guilty by neglect, because, if I understand McCabe correctly here, God’s charge does not involve making us act in a human way. “It is a kind of cosmic megalomania to suppose that God has the job of saving my soul and is to be given bad marks if he does not do that.”
Other writings here that stood out to me are “A Very Short Introduction to Aquinas,” in which McCabe does a good summary of his basic views as informed by the Thomistic method, and “Freedom,” where McCabe answers what exactly defines freedom in the context of human society and relationships (love and friendship). “Is Belief Wishful Thinking?,” “Are Creeds Credible?,” and “Doubt is not Unbelief” serve as a great trilogy to open the book, as they all address fundamental issues that atheists may have about faith in general, although McCabe does not approach these topics with the atheist specifically in mind.
Overall, this book is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in Herbert McCabe. Most of the essays are highly accessible, though “Soul, Life, Machines, and Language” is a bit complex, yet it still offers considerable intellectual rewards. This collection will be especially valuable to open-minded agnostics and to Christians looking to broaden their intellectual horizons.
The answers to those questions arrive in this book at various points, but what those answers are will be up to the readers. For me, though, I think I gained a new appreciation for various aspects of Thomistic thinking, Catholicism, and Christian doctrine as a whole. I approached this book as an agnostic, and while it didn’t change any of my fundamental opinions, it did offer plenty of food for thought, and I’ve gained even more admiration for Herbert McCabe’s beautiful perspective on Christianity. By far the most powerful part of this book is his sermon “Forgiveness,” which is an utterly majestic meditation on the parable of the Prodigal Son, and how he believes God actually functions in terms of forgiving sin. The main takeaway here is that God doesn’t damn us; we damn ourselves by letting sin change our image of God from a loving one to one of Satan. When I say that McCabe has a beautiful interpretation of Christianity, this is what I mean. His warmth as a writer and pastor is very apparent here, and he goes out of his way to make sure people can see what he sees by using plain language and an inviting analysis of the parable.
Another essay I particularly enjoyed is “Evil and Omnipotence.” In it, McCabe addresses the problem of evil and suffering with a sharp, almost dispassionate clarity, yet his reasoning is so rigorous that it becomes difficult to find a logical counterargument. McCabe’s argument can be summed up in three ways (as I understand it): 1) A natural world is inherently perishable, and this consequence of a material world has a natural order, and while non-human suffering is a part of this, this price is not exacted by God, but by the material world and biology. It is possible that God could have created a non-material world, but we all seem to prefer a material one, so it is hard to place the blame on God here. 2) When humans sin, it is a failure of being human, and the negation of being human is not a consequence of God’s actions; rather, it is a consequence of the absence of being human. 3) God is not guilty by neglect, because, if I understand McCabe correctly here, God’s charge does not involve making us act in a human way. “It is a kind of cosmic megalomania to suppose that God has the job of saving my soul and is to be given bad marks if he does not do that.”
Other writings here that stood out to me are “A Very Short Introduction to Aquinas,” in which McCabe does a good summary of his basic views as informed by the Thomistic method, and “Freedom,” where McCabe answers what exactly defines freedom in the context of human society and relationships (love and friendship). “Is Belief Wishful Thinking?,” “Are Creeds Credible?,” and “Doubt is not Unbelief” serve as a great trilogy to open the book, as they all address fundamental issues that atheists may have about faith in general, although McCabe does not approach these topics with the atheist specifically in mind.
Overall, this book is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in Herbert McCabe. Most of the essays are highly accessible, though “Soul, Life, Machines, and Language” is a bit complex, yet it still offers considerable intellectual rewards. This collection will be especially valuable to open-minded agnostics and to Christians looking to broaden their intellectual horizons.
May 20, 2020
McCabe has an engaging, chatty, writing style. It makes you feel as though he is engaging in conversation with you. His theology is grounded in the simple, yet profound truth, that God is love. For him, everything else is commentary. I was not always convinced by his arguments, notably when it can to theodicy, but every chapter gave me plenty of food for thought. I shall read more of his book, and have ordered ‘God, Christ, and us.’
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May 12, 2025Really vibe with this. I can't fully sign onto every point he makes, but these essays do a lot in explaining how one can believe in God, what faith actually means, and why it's important.
August 28, 2026
4 of the essays will stick with me for a long time.
March 21, 2016
This was a great find. Some of the clearest writing on knotty philosophy that I've read. McCabe taught the thought of Thomas Aquinas to his students, and over the years his teaching must have been refined to the highest degree, because here is the best summary of Aquinas applied to current questions (both theological and scientific) that I have read. As a lay reader of all this, I found it highly accessible and applicable (with the minor exception of a few pages that I found to be overly "philosophical). The essays in the first half of the book form a sort of arc, and then the second half is more scattershot. The second half contained some of my favorites, including a brilliant and comforting essay on the prodigal son. Good reading for both mind and soul (and a good definition of soul, while we're at it).
May 27, 2013
McCabe is very insightful, but perhaps sometimes not especially precise/rigorous (choose your metaphor). Nevertheless, I find myself turning again and again to a few of the writings in here (e.g. the sermon on "Forgiveness") with increasing appreciation.
January 25, 2011
Is McCabe the greatest Dominican since Thomas?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews