Justification by faith, as emphasized by St. Paul and again in the Protestant Reformation, signifies that our forgiveness and salvation are gifts of God's grace. But, what does "faith" here mean? Belief? No. Trust? No. Indwellling of Christ? Yes. "Faith" in "justification by faith" grasps the living Christ himself.
Religion decline is made obvious not only by the decline of church attendance and the rise of the 'nones'. In the university, the professor of theology is being replaced by a scientist who analyzes the brain circuitry of those odd ducks who are still believing religious beliefs. Will the cognitive science of religion make theology obsolete? In this blog post, we ask Luis Oviedo OFM, who edits the quarterly: Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology. I contend that the public systematic theologian will still earn an honest living by making transparent original sin's influence on society and the human need for divine grace. The public theologian still contributes to the common good even with religion decline..