The Significance and Evolution of Christian Faith
Why is faith, known as pistis or fides in the classical languages, vital to Christians? What does it signify, and how was it practiced within early Christian communities? Are the concepts of Christian faith fundamentally different from the divine-human pistis/fides found in Greek, Roman religions, or ancient Judaism, or do they share essential similarities? Furthermore, how did the advent of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire influence the practice of pistis and fides in the public sphere of Greek and Roman life?
Contemporary interpretations of faith are largely influenced by Augustine of Hippo, who characterizes it (De trin. 13.2.5) as the dual concepts of fides quae and fides qua, meaning belief in Christian doctrines and a heartfelt faith. In my 2015 publication, Roman Faith and Christian Faith, I argue that the early Christians held a distinct perception of pistis/fides. It represented not merely belief but a relational trust and loyalty between humanity and God that extended to interpersonal relationships, church authority structures, and the conception of the kingdom of heaven. While Christians uniquely emphasized trust in God and Christ, their understanding of pistis/fides remained aligned with the traditions of contemporary Greeks, Romans, and Jews.
The work titled The Invention of Faith aims to demonstrate how Christian faith transformed over its initial four centuries into a concept and practice that is radically distinct from its origins. This evolution was influenced by various factors including social, political, theological, and spiritual dimensions. Christians from different regions or those tracing their spiritual lineage to various apostles articulated faith in various ways. Inside congregations, members were often guided to express their faith in manners specific to their roles—householders were encouraged to show loyalty to their bishops, while wives were instructed to obey their husbands. In a range of settings—from burial grounds to bishops’ councils and schools for catechumens—faith was portrayed diversely as a life practice, guiding principle, or narrative. Notably, certain aspects were more pronounced due to internal disputes and external pressures. Beginning in the fourth century, the environment significantly influenced the concept of faith. Influential figures like Cyril of Jerusalem and Egeria the pilgrim wrote about newly constructed, ornate places of worship that captivated the faithful, enhancing their passion for God through atmospheric elements such as incense and the visual beauty of worship spaces.
As Christianity was adopted as the state religion in the later Roman Empire, the importance of faith grew exponentially. The concluding section of The Invention of Faith examines how Christian pistis/fides impacted Roman governance, legal frameworks, social relations, and spirituality in subsequent periods. It illustrates that as the empire transitioned into successive states, Christian faith became central to the evolution of societies and mental constructs in both near-eastern and western contexts during critical formative times.
Researcher: Professor Teresa Morgan
