Elements for a mathematics of faith
Although seemingly distant, mathematics and faith are linked by a large number of numbers: the 1 in monotheism, the 2 in the duality between good and evil, the 3 in the Trinity, the 4 in the Gospels, the 5 in the wounds of Christ on the cross, the 6 in the days of the creation of the world, the 7 in the deadly sins, the 8 in the beatitudes, the 9 in the novenas, the 10 in the Decalogue, the 12 in the apostles, etc. The champion of theological numerology was Augustine, who went so far as to say: “Take away numbers from things, and they will all perish”. Numbers also help us measure faith and monitor its changes, as in the recent survey conducted by sociologist Daniele Marini's Community Media Research. In 2000, for example, 79.2% of the population in Italy declared themselves formally Catholic, while in 2017 the percentage dropped to 60.2%. And while in 2000, 49.6% of declared Catholics assiduously practised religious rites and services, today only 25.6% do so.
