The relationship between natural science and Christian faith in the thought of Blaise Pascal

Four hundred years ago, on 19 June 1623, Blaise Pascal was born, a thinker whose approach not only did not contradict the "intuitive" truth of the old faith and the "geometric reason" of the new, but was in perfect harmony, mutually reinforcing and enriching. During these four centuries, the rationality which had been claiming ever greater autonomy for itself has come of age and is now showing signs of 'over-ripening': it has lost what was of intrinsic value, namely its unshakeable faith in truth and in the knowability of reality. This is how overblown rationalism turns into irrationalism. The human spirit is prone to flitting between these extremes. Today, we still find indispensable support in finding the balance between the two extremes in the thought of the brilliant French mathematician, physicist, philosopher and theologian. The aim of this study is to reinterpret Pascal's writings on the relationship between faith and rationality and to highlight their current emphasis.