According to Wilken, without faith, we would not be able to learn very much, even in our day-to-day lives. On page 171, he gives the example of a child “knowing” who their biological father is for no real reason other than their mother telling them so which in tern means the child “knows” through belief. He argues that many situations of knowledge like this (school, practicing skills) actually correspond to having some degree of faith/trust in authority and not solely to information obtained through reason and evidence alone. Therefore, it is practically impossible to function in this life without any faith at all.
He also argues that without a belief in God, one cannot truly understand Him. If we do not open ourselves up to the existence and presence of God which involves much more than just seeing, we will not experience him. On page 182, Wilken writes, “The accent is always on what God does, and when God appears the response of humans is not…’Yes, I see it,’ but wonder, adoration, obedience, and love.” The true benefit of belief in God is not necessarily the “knowledge that he exists” we implant in ourselves but rather all of the increased perception and emotional stimulation that results from it. To completely reject faith in favor of reason alone discredits one’s wholistic understanding of God and gives them little foundation to reject belief in the first place.
James Duke, Foundations of Theology 