Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) coined this Latin phrase, which has been an underlying definitional principle of theology for a 1000 years:
Fides quaerens intellectum - Credo, ut intellegam
"Faith seeking understanding - I believe, that I may understand."
I much prefer the version proposed by Jurgen Moltmann in 1964:
Spes quaerens intellectum - Spero, ut intellegam
"Hope seeking understanding - I hope, that I may understand."
Moltmann says "... it is hope that maintains and upholds faith and keeps it moving on ... hope is the mobilizing and driving force of faith's thinking, of its knowledge of and reflections on human nature, history and society. Faith hopes in order to know what it believes."
Yes. I agree.
When faith is shaken, as mine has been in recent years, hope upholds it; when you're bruised and beaten up by life, so that you're not even sure what you can depend on anymore, hope keeps faith alive.
For me, it's hope in the compassionate and loving nature of God, in the restorative and reconciling grace of God toward me - that's what keeps faith alive, and what constantly informs it of the dependable, trustworthy character of God.
Then, even in crisis, I can remain open to God's working on my faith - teaching, perfecting, maturing. No matter what it feels like.
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