Catechism 101: How Faith Works

Catechism 101: How Faith Works

From Crash Course Catholicism by Dr Caitlin West

May 25, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

This episode discusses how Faith works in action, focusing on the roles of the mind, will, and grace of God.

How does faith actually work? There's a gap between logically knowing something is true and actually believing it. In this episode of Catechism 101, we unpack exactly what it takes to cross that gap. This episode covers: The difference between knowing something is true and actually believing it Why faith is a gift from God The four things that have to happen to make an act of faith Why the will matters just as much as the intellect Why God is the most credible source there is. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Introduction 2:11 — Why we can't force faith 3:39 — The ocean metaphor 4:44 — Breaking down an act of faith 7:56 — Why the information source matters 13:25 — What to do if you're struggling to believe CRASH COURSE CATHOLICISM A series on Catholic teaching and why it makes sense. ▶ Previous episode — What Is Faith?: https://youtu.be/dSs_AxrpiKE ▶ Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw6henAD9rk0-RxLqLoqycLVftmfFo9-r ▶ Read the blog post: https://www.caitlinwest.com/post/how-faith-works SUPPORT THE PODCAST This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of viewers. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Caitlin West

Topics covered

  • Faith
  • Catholicism
  • Grace of God
  • Mind and Will
  • Act of Faith

Keywords

  • Catholicism
  • Faith
  • Grace
  • Mind
  • Will
  • Spirituality

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