What is faith, then?

In the third talk Father Roger Keeler gave us, he asked us the question:

What is faith itself then? - personal adherence to the man of God who is Jesus Christ.

The big ideas:

1) Faith is God's gift to us, (1 Corinthians 12).

2) Faith is different from belief, differnet from knowledge; faith allows itself to be tested by reason. (The Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking)

3) St. Augustine also said that faith preceeds belief, allows us to hope for that which has not yet been seen.

4) Faith grows under new light through learning and the sacraments; when we put our faith into action.

5) Humanity needs hope - faith in God.

Each of these big ideas could be a study of faith.