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）和信念（fides quae creditur）之间的区别，这实际上已经成为宗教认识论的共同基础。基于这种构成性的分析分化，当代基础神学和宗教哲学主要关注宗教信仰的正当性的可能性条件和宗教信仰的合法性。然而，这种对宗教信仰合理化的强调减少了关于宗教信仰情感层面的问题，忽视了关于宗教信仰超越其正当性的可能性的条件的问题。在关注天生有严重认知障碍的人时，对信仰层面的相关性进行反思的根本重要性和必要性变得显而易见。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排除没有这种理性思维方式能力的人。这最终削弱了宗教信仰原则上人人平等获得和接受的普遍要求，但这一点很重要。此外，天生有严重认知障碍的人可能被剥夺对世界有全面宗教观点的地位，以及作为自主和自我决定的信仰主体的地位。因此，他们将被减少到宗教实践的不同领域的diaconia，（宗教）教育，牧区工作，最后但并非最不重要的圣礼实践的对象。在这些领域之外，这还带来了沿着人类学问题，即所有人，不论其认知能力如何，是否享有平等的尊严。因此，本研究计划旨在解决两个被忽视的研究问题：一方面，它集中在信仰分析中的信仰维度的相关性的反映。另一方面，它涉及的问题是，天生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。这种对宗教信仰的可能性的条件的反思，尽管出生时有强烈的认知障碍，但不能被视为边缘性的，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，这一研究项目不仅遵循科学目标，而且还通过强调与出生时有严重认知障碍的人受到歧视和排斥有关的问题，解决社会和政治层面的问题。它旨在说明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.