To say that there is an element of will involved with belief is true, and yet it hides as much as it reveals, perhaps even more. For it presupposes that we know what a belief is, and what a will or an act of will is. We use these and many other notions to get outside of ourselves and coordinate with others and with the particular circumstances of the world in which we find ourselves. They are in that way like hands and feet. Our hands and feet have no ‘meaning’ underlying their activity. We can say this, even though “meaning” itself is only useful in certain conversations, because we are currently having one of those conversations.

What we have is an individual dealing with the world. From outside we observe the individual and note certain consistencies. We use the language of “belief” and “will” as a verbal shorthand for discussing the individual with others, even if the others are only imaginary. (This is not to offer the “meaning” of the words, except in a very esoteric conversation.)

And what about from the inside?

Ah. Now we approach the community of God, where the conversations are of an entirely different nature.