Pascal and the anxiety of faith

Abstract

This article explores the concept of "restlessness" in Christian faith according to Blaise Pascal. The author distinguishes three types of restlessness in Pascal's thought: metaphysical restlessness in the face of death, spiritual restlessness due to the world's distractions, and the restlessness of salvation and sin for the believer. Pascal describes a genuine anguish in the face of finitude (death) and in the face of sin (separation from God). However, beyond that, there is a unique Christian restlessness in Pascal, one that "intensifies" responsibility by being bound to God. In "The Conversion of the Sinner" (1653), there is restlessness "about" faith, a fear of the possibility of belief. Then, in the experience of the "Memorial" (1654), there is restlessness "within" faith, a fear of losing God once one has believed and loved. It is not enough to believe, but one must continue to believe, even in uncertainty. The "Memorial" consecrates not only the memory of the past but also fidelity to what has occurred. Peace disappears in the second version, showing that faith is not a permanent state. Restlessness is constitutive of the believing existence for Pascal. It is not about achieving certainty but about continuing to believe once belief has already been embraced.