Courageous Trust/Faith vs. Beliefs - In the Gospels, Scripture scholars tell us that there is not a single passage in which the Greek word for 'faith' (πίστη) means, strictly speaking, 'beliefs.' For example, that Jesus marveled at the Roman Centruion's 'faith' means that he was surprised by the man's deep trust not by the way he could rattle off a list of beliefs. He would have found it hard to do so. And when Jesus reproved the disciples for their 'lack of faith,' he meant their lack of trust and courage; it wasn't a reprimand for dropping one or another article of faith from the creed. The reason is obvious: no creed existed. No beliefs had been spelled out. Faith was courageous trust in Jesus and the Good News which he lived and preached. Eventually this trust would crystiallize into explicit beliefs, it is true. But the starting point is trusting courage, not beliefs. And in our life of faith just as in lighting a fuse -- it makes a vital difference at which end we start.
Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness: the Heart of Prayer