A Thought-Provoking Review of Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s
Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them
Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them by Wilfred Cantwell Smith prompts us to reconsider our assumptions about religion and the human condition. Smith, with his academic rigor and novel provocations, challenges the reader to conceptualize faith as an encounter in the wild rather than belief, which he contends is doctrinal and static.
Biographical Background of Wilfred Cantwell Smith
Wilfred Cantwell Smith was a renowned comparative religionist who studied at the University of Toronto and gained prominence through appointments at institutions such as McGill University and Harvard University. Toronto-born in 1916, Smith’s career was marked by his devotion to interfaith dialogue and understanding. He believed in transcending dogma to enter into the human and experiential aspects of religion.
Smith was a pioneer in the field of religion, and especially Islam, which he studied early on. His career was celebrated for promoting global and intercultural scholarly conversation, and he helped steer the academic discourse toward a more empathetic, holistic approach to the study of religion. Smith passed away in 2000, leaving a lasting legacy through his numerous influential works, including The Meaning and End of Religion.
Content and Analysis
Smith’s provocative core claim is that our contemporary understandings of “belief” have been too narrowly influenced by the West, or more precisely, modern Europe. This has led us to mistake belief for faith and to desiccate religion. Smith argues that where belief is dogmatic and intellectual assent to statements, faith is personal, living, a trust or commitment beyond intellectualization.
Structure and Arguments
The book takes you on a journey through historical, linguistic, and philosophical analyses.
1. Historical Context: Smith traces the fall of “faith” and “belief,” demonstrating to us how the two words swapped their definitions. He notes that the Enlightenment introduced a radical shift because ‘belief’ took on dominance, relying more on intellectual agreement than on personal faith and devotion.
2. Linguistic Examination: Through examining different languages and religions, Smith highlights how non-Western traditions often do not rigidly separate faith and belief as seen in Eurocentric discourse. That’s a convenient comparative foil that enriches the discussion.
3. Philosophical Discourse: Smith engages with contemporary philosophical debates, questioning the validity of equating faith with belief in modern theology. He bases his argument on the necessity of a more expansive idea of relational faith that involves personal experience and cultural contexts.
Critique
Smith’s work is lauded for its depth and its opacity. Part of the book’s power lies in its interdisciplinary approach — drawing from history, linguistics, and comparative religion — rendering it a classic of religious studies.
But some readers will find Smith’s arguments dense, occasionally wandering into too-niche argumentation that can alienate those less familiar with theological and academic jargon. His insistence on a firm divide between faith and belief could be faulted for oversimplifying the complicated ways they overlap in personal and communal spirituality.
Moreover, even if Smith’s critique of Western religion is accurate, it is not entirely evident that he applies the same Western religious suspicion to non-Western religions with equal vigor. This may make his comparison seem disproportionate.
Conclusion
Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them remains one of the most revolutionary works in religion, leading scholars and novices alike to reconsider everything they understand about it. Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s work remains influential today, offering a nuanced framework for considering — and critically examining — reductive classifications of religious experience. And while it’s sometimes a bit dense, the book is required reading for anyone who wants to dive into the nuanced relationship between faith and belief — and how each shapes the human spiritual experience. Smith’s legacy as a scholar dedicated to promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue is well captured in this compelling volume.
