The role of doctrine in nurturing personal faith must not be understated. In living a devout life and following Church teachings, we are increasingly compelled towards Christ. “There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith.”1
This idea was understood commonly by the Saints, as well as the Jewish people who preceded them. For Augustine wrote, “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand”.2 This is crucial. We must first commit ourselves to the doctrines of Christ’s Church, in order to fully develop in our relationship with Christ. How can we grow in our understanding of Christ if we have not first committed ourselves to the law of his Church? The Jews have a saying, “na’aseh v’nishma“, meaning we will do and we will understand. First comes submission, then understanding, or in this case relationship.
This is especially useful for the skeptic. Suppose someone is an agnostic, and not especially convinced one way or the other. Would it be better that the skeptic sit and ponder endlessly something that they simply can not understand in their current state? No, it would be much better that the person commit themselves to the life of the devout Christian. Blaise Pascal wrote about this is his famous wager, “You would like to cure yourself of unbelief, and you ask for remedies. Learn of those who were bound and gagged like you, and who now stake all they possess. They are men who know the road you desire to follow, and who have been cured of a sickness of which you desire to be cured. Follow the way by which they set out, acting as if they already believed, taking holy water, having masses said, etc. Even this will naturally cause you to believe and bunt your cleverness.”3
The modern Christian would have you believe that you must first and only find a relationship with Christ. Our protestant brothers and sisters will tell us faith is all that is required for the spiritual life, however we know this can not be the case. For James writes, ” You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.”4
1The Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York: Double Day, 2003), 89.
2 Saint Augustine, Tractate 29 on John 7.14-18
3 Blaise Pascal, Pensées (New York: Penguin, 1995), 343.
4 James 2:24-26 RSVCE