RELIGIOUS FAITH AS AN OBJECT OF ANALYSIS IN THE SCIENTIFIC WORKS OF CONTEMPORARY FOREIGN RESEARCHERS
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, MAKSYMENKO Ihor 
Published: December 2024

B a c k g r o u n d . During times of hardship, people turn to God, hoping to receive support and salvation. Today, in Ukraine, religious faith has gained particular significance, as it helps to overcome difficulties, sustains motivation, and offers hope for a better future. Scholars have long paid attention to the psychotherapeutic function of faith. This article analyzes foreign research on the phenomenon of religious faith.

M e t h o d s . The study utilizes theoretical, hermeneutic, comparative, logical methods, as well as methods of description, analysis, and synthesis.

R e s u l t s . The main approaches used by foreign scholars in their works have been identified. At the same time, distinctions between theological, philosophical, and psychological approaches have been clarified. According to the author, the psychological approach is characterized by analyzing faith as a particular mental state that defines a person's individual characteristics. The article specifies that modern foreign researchers focus on the psychotherapeutic function of faith, analyzing the influence of religious faith on a person's motivation, their ability to overcome obstacles, and achieve personal growth. Some researchers view the phenomenon of faith through the lens of intolerance. It is argued that many works by foreign scholars are devoted to the analysis of the complex set of internal feelings experienced by a believer and the impact of these feelings on the process of believing. In contrast, philosophers analyze the phenomenon of faith analytically, sometimes without a strict focus on mental processes. In their works, they explore the connections between faith, hope, expectation, conviction, and trust. It is clarified that contemporary researchers analyze both the rational and irrational elements of religious faith, the problem of God's hiddenness, and the experience of His presence. It is noted that the theological approach is characterized by an appeal to revelation as a source of truth about God and the surrounding world, which humanity has received from God. Modern foreign theologians analyze the role of faith, its significance, and how much it helps in combating sin and knowing God. It is specified that sometimes theologians try to reconcile theology with the achievements of modern science. In doing so, they seek to justify the existence of God and prove that religious faith can be rational, believing that faith should motivate a person to take risks and be accompanied by an act of will. The article notes that theologians also consider different types of faith depending on the strength of the believer's conviction.

C o n c l u s i o n s . Thus, in the works of foreign researchers, three main approaches to the analysis of the phenomenon of religious faith can be conditionally distinguished: psychological, philosophical, and theological. In addition to analyzing the psychotherapeutic function of faith, modern foreign researchers also examine the effects of religious faith on a person's motivation, their ability to overcome obstacles, and achieve better outcomes. Faith motivates a person, gives them hope, and spurs them to fight. A large number of foreign philosophers also study religious faith. They explore this phenomenon analytically, sometimes without focusing strictly on mental processes. Researchers analyze the rational and irrational elements of religious faith and actively examine the problem of God's hiddenness and the subjective experience of His presence. In their works, contemporary foreign scholars attempt to analyze the interrelation between the phenomenon of faith and such concepts as hope, expectation, conviction, and trust. In their studies, faith takes on several specific contexts: faith as a search for God; faith as trust in the Absolute; faith as hope for possible future outcomes and divine intervention; faith as a desire for God's existence; faith as a firm belief in the truth of the religious paradigm. Religious faith is also studied by a number of foreign theologians. They analyze its role, significance, and how much it helps to overcome sin and know God. Sometimes theologians try to reconcile theology with the achievements of modern science, and they also consider different types of faith depending on the strength of the believer's conviction.