Is the Ability to Have Faith Universal? On the Possibility of Religious Practices of People with Strong Cognitive Impairments by Birth

宗教信仰的结构显示了信仰（fides qua creditur）和信仰（fides quae creditur）之间的区别，这实际上已经成为宗教认识论的共同点。基于这种本构分析的辨析，当代基础神学和宗教哲学主要关注宗教信仰正当化的可能性条件和宗教信仰的正当性。然而，这种对宗教信仰合理化的强调淡化了有关宗教信仰的情感层面的问题，并忽视了有关超出其理由的宗教信仰的可能性条件的问题。当关注那些天生就有严重认知障碍的人时，反思信仰维度的相关性的根本重要性和必要性就变得显而易见。因此，强调信仰的理性证明，并试图将宗教信仰概念化为宗教存在的理性表现的方法，可能会导致没有这种理性思维方式能力的人被排斥在外。这最终削弱了，但重要的是，宗教信仰的普遍主张，原则上，每个人都可以平等地获得和接受。此外，出生时就有严重认知障碍的人可能被剥夺了对世界具有全面的宗教观的地位，以及作为自主和自决的信仰主体的地位。因此，他们将被简化为不同领域的宗教实践的对象，包括宗教教育，牧灵工作，以及最后但并非最不重要的圣礼实践。在这些领域之外，这带来了关于所有人的平等尊严的人类学问题，尽管他们有认知能力。因此，该研究项目旨在解决两个被忽视的研究问题：一方面，它侧重于在分析信仰中反映信仰维度的相关性。另一方面，它处理的问题是，先天有严重认知障碍的人在多大程度上有能力拥有宗教信仰，从而成为信仰的主体。尽管先天有严重的认知障碍，但这种对宗教信仰可能性条件的反思不能被视为边缘问题，因为它直接进入了具有理论和实践意义的基本神学问题的核心。此外，该研究项目不仅遵循科学目标，而且通过强调有关歧视和排斥出生时患有严重认知障碍的人的问题，解决了社会和政治层面的问题。它的目的是描述克服宗教社区内这种歧视和排斥做法的可能性，并为参与和全面包容的可能性奠定基础。

The structure of religious convictions shows a distinction between faith (fides qua creditur) and belief (fides quae creditur), which has virtually become common ground in religious epistemology. Based on this constitutive analytic differentiation, contemporary fundamental theology and philosophy of religion focus mainly on the conditions of the possibility of the justification of religious convictions and the legitimacy of religious beliefs. Such an emphasis on the rationalization of religious beliefs, however, diminishes questions regarding the affective dimension of religious faith and neglects questions regarding the conditions of the possibility of religious convictions beyond their justification. The fundamental importance and necessity of a reflection on the relevance of the faith-dimension becomes evident when focusing on people with strong cognitive impairments by birth. Hence, approaches which stress the rational justification of beliefs and attempt to conceptualize religious convictions as a rational performance of religious existence might lead to an exclusion of people without the capabilities of such rationalized ways of thinking. This diminishes finally, yet importantly the universal claim of religious convictions to be, in principle, equally accessible and acceptable for everyone. Additionally, people with strong cognitive impairments by birth might be denied the status of having a comprehensive religious view of the world as well as the status as autonomous and self-determined subjects of faith. They thereby would be reduced to be just objects of religious practices in its different fields of diaconia, (religious) education, pastoral work and last but not least sacramental practices. Beyond these fields, this brings along anthropological problems with regard to the equal dignity of all human beings despite their cognitive abilities. Hence, the research project aims to address two neglected research question: on the one hand, it focusses on the reflection of the relevance of the faith-dimension within the analysis fidei. On the other hand, it deals with the question in how far people with strong cognitive impairments by birth have the capability to have religious beliefs and thus to be subjects of faith. This reflection on the conditions of the possibility of religious convictions despite strong cognitive impairments by birth cannot be seen as marginal, as it leads right into the heart of fundamental theological questions with theoretical and practical implications. In addition, this research project not only follows scientific aims, but addresses also a social and political dimension by stressing questions regarding the discrimination and exclusion of people with strong cognitive impairments by birth. It aims at depicting possibilities to overcome such practices of discrimination and exclusion within religious communities and to set the ground for possibilities of participation and comprehensive inclusion.