"In sum, to say nothing of otherworldly benefits, faith adds to reason seven worldly strengths: (1) a cosmic stage for the drama of liberty; (2) a watchful conscience; (3) restraint of vice and gains in social peace; (4) fixed, stable, and general ideas about the dynamics of life; (5) a check on the downward bias of the principle of equality and the materialism toward which it gravitates; (6) a new conception of morality as a personal relation with our Creator, and thus a motive for acting well even when no one is looking; and (7) through the high honor paid to the marriage bond, the quiet regulation of mores in marriage and in the home."On Two Wings, 43.
I'm reading Novak's On Two Wings on the recommendation of a friend, and I must say I'm discovering new details about the American experience. The quote above is especially striking to me in light of my recent reading on the history of the human dimension of spirit in Christianity. Almost every point is in some way an affirmation of the role of faith in fostering morality. The one thing I've missed in this book so far is any whiff of spirit...
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