When I was growing up, I thought of faith and belief as synonymous. I never had the difference explained to me by a respected authority, and I’m not sure how much a religious education would have helped. When I was younger, I was usually sure of my beliefs, but I’ve had to mature quite a bit to comprehend what faith really means. In the process, I’ve found that the right image can ground me in a deeper understanding of the difference in these two words.
This essay, which appears in print in the July/August 2024 issue of Commonweal Magazine, can also be found on the Commonweal Magazine website. In this piece I discuss the difference between faith and belief and how Caravaggio's painting of the Doubting Thomas story can help us understand the unique nature of faith as an experience.
Caravaggio
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
1601-02
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