Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe

This paper analyzes, from a historical-philosophical perspective inspired by Étienne Gilson, the various attitudes adopted by medieval Christian thinkers toward the tension between reason and revelation. Through a typology that distinguishes two major “spiritual families” –the Tertullian and the Aug...

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Main Author: Ceferino Muñoz Medina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Étienne Gilson Society 2025-06-01
Series:Studia Gilsoniana
Subjects:
Online Access:http://gilsonsociety.com/files/169-194_Medina.pdf
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author Ceferino Muñoz Medina
author_facet Ceferino Muñoz Medina
author_sort Ceferino Muñoz Medina
collection DOAJ
description This paper analyzes, from a historical-philosophical perspective inspired by Étienne Gilson, the various attitudes adopted by medieval Christian thinkers toward the tension between reason and revelation. Through a typology that distinguishes two major “spiritual families” –the Tertullian and the Augustinian– the text reconstructs the main medieval positions regarding theological knowledge and its relationship with philosophy. The Tertullian family, paradigmatically represented by figures such as Tertullian, Tatian, and Peter Damian, upholds a radical distrust of natural reason and defends the absolute self-sufficiency of Christian revelation as the sole and exclusive source of truth. In contrast, the Augustinian family –whose founding figure is Saint Augustine and which includes authors like Saint Anselm, Roger Bacon, and Ramon Llull– proposes a positive articulation between faith and reason, based on the premise that revealed truth can and must be the object of rational inquiry. This line of thought, while preserving the primacy of faith, affirms the illuminating role of reason in deepening the Christian mystery. The text suggests that these two attitudes not only coexisted throughout the Middle Ages but also offer interpretative keys for understanding the later development of Christian philosophy. In doing so, it challenges the reductive image of the Middle Ages as a dark age, revealing instead its internal complexity and enduring relevance in the ongoing dialogue between theology and philosophy.
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spelling doaj-art-d28fb6270b334b7fbbede2bc3b49e9562025-07-16T18:57:34ZengInternational Étienne Gilson SocietyStudia Gilsoniana2300-00662577-03142025-06-0114216919410.26385/SG.140208Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la FeCeferino Muñoz MedinaThis paper analyzes, from a historical-philosophical perspective inspired by Étienne Gilson, the various attitudes adopted by medieval Christian thinkers toward the tension between reason and revelation. Through a typology that distinguishes two major “spiritual families” –the Tertullian and the Augustinian– the text reconstructs the main medieval positions regarding theological knowledge and its relationship with philosophy. The Tertullian family, paradigmatically represented by figures such as Tertullian, Tatian, and Peter Damian, upholds a radical distrust of natural reason and defends the absolute self-sufficiency of Christian revelation as the sole and exclusive source of truth. In contrast, the Augustinian family –whose founding figure is Saint Augustine and which includes authors like Saint Anselm, Roger Bacon, and Ramon Llull– proposes a positive articulation between faith and reason, based on the premise that revealed truth can and must be the object of rational inquiry. This line of thought, while preserving the primacy of faith, affirms the illuminating role of reason in deepening the Christian mystery. The text suggests that these two attitudes not only coexisted throughout the Middle Ages but also offer interpretative keys for understanding the later development of Christian philosophy. In doing so, it challenges the reductive image of the Middle Ages as a dark age, revealing instead its internal complexity and enduring relevance in the ongoing dialogue between theology and philosophy.http://gilsonsociety.com/files/169-194_Medina.pdfrevelationreasonmedieval philosophyfaithgilson
spellingShingle Ceferino Muñoz Medina
Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
Studia Gilsoniana
revelation
reason
medieval philosophy
faith
gilson
title Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
title_full Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
title_fullStr Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
title_full_unstemmed Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
title_short Razón y Revelación en la Edad Media: la Primacía de la Fe
title_sort razon y revelacion en la edad media la primacia de la fe
topic revelation
reason
medieval philosophy
faith
gilson
url http://gilsonsociety.com/files/169-194_Medina.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ceferinomunozmedina razonyrevelacionenlaedadmedialaprimaciadelafe