The Posture of Faith

Abstract

While faith is often described as a cognitive state, many philosophers argue that faith includes a noncognitive factor, and is not merely a species of belief. In this chapter, a novel model of this affective component is developed, based on recent work in clinical psychology concerning the relationship between posture and approach motivation. It further argues that this model accurately represents many crucial features of faith: faith can motivate us to act against our desires, faith is both voluntary and passive, faith makes us vulnerable, faith is an activity, and faith can intensify belief.

Analysis of faith

“…For Page (), faith (or at least the noncognitive component of it) is a posture—the posture of leaning in. Faith is “a positioning of oneself towards the object of faith and an increased motivation towards this object as a result” (p. 24).…”