One effort used to describe the relation of faith and reason views human reason as the "ground floor" of humanity's knowledge of God. According to Newport, this approach assumes that human reason was not seriously affected in the Fall and as a result serves as an adequate foundation for knowledge of God. As a result of giving priority to human reason, revelation becomes the "second story" for knowledge of God. These two realities according to this approach provide the context for coming to an awareness of God. This approach is also called "evidential theism."
Advocates of this approach include the medieval catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas who argued that human reason has a prior creative role to faith. He also contended that reason prepares the way to faith in God. In addition, Aquinas contended that while human reason cannot prove the existence of God, human reason could demonstrate that belief in God is not irrational.
In addition, catholic theologian Karl Rahner also serves as a representative of this approach. Rahner also utilizes the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Rahner places such an emphasis upon human reason that he argues humanity has a sort of built in capacity to believe in God, which is evidenced by humanities search for meaning and significance. For Rahner, reason can even prove to be a means of a salvific relationship with God, in contradistinction to Aquinas who stopped short of this position.
This approach has made valuable contribution to the discipline of theology. It has provided a stimulus to intellectual examination of religious faith. In addition, the approach has attempted to take Christian faith seriously as not just an emotional but also an intellectual or reasonable faith.
Further, the approach has attempted to provide a rational basis for belief in God's existence, which, while it is impossible to actually prove God's existence, has provided rational pillars upon which belief in God's existence can be built. Unfortunately, the approach has typically become overly optimistic regarding humanities capacity to experience salvation through the use of human reason alone.
