宗教的信念と結びつけられ、しばしば多様な宗教に分類される信仰について考察します。本書の著者で宗教哲学者のロジャー・トリッグは、すべての信仰には理性が必要であると説き、現代の議論を、特にキリスト教という文脈の中で歴史的な視点に置いて論じています。信仰には行動に対するコミットメントも含まれ、それはすべての社会生活にとって重要なことであると述べています。一般的に、宗教とは人々の生活にとって極めて重要であると考えられるものに向けられるもので、信仰は疎外されたり私物化されるべきではありません。信仰は人々の行動規範の中に浸透し、民主主義の中で対立する意見にいかに敬意を払うべきであったとしても、公共の場での役割を担っているのです。
 

• Explores meaning of faith for individuals and wider groups
• Surveys historical and contemporary discussions of faith within Christianity and beyond
• Examines the role of reason in faith, and questions whether it has to be at war with science

   
What is faith? It usually means religious belief, and sometimes diverse religions are grouped together as 'faiths', with reference to 'faith leaders' or 'faith schools'. What we have faith in matters, and that involves our reason, involving claims to truths that affect everyone. Faith is not just a personal attribute, like tastes, but should be open to public examination and debate.
    
In this Very Short Introduction, Roger Trigg argues that all faith needs reason. He puts contemporary discussions into historical perspective, particularly in the context of Christianity. The author argues that faith also involves a commitment to action and that matters for all social life. Because religion is typically directed at what is seen as of crucial importance for human life, faith should not be marginalized or privatized. It will permeate every idea of how people should behave, and has a role in the public square, however respectful it should be to competing views within a democracy.