REASONS FOR CHOOSING BETWEEN RITUAL FORMALISM AND ACTIVE FAITH IN CHRISTIANITY

Abstract

The article examines the concept of active faith and the formal performance of rituals, and also clarifies the reasons for the choice between these manifestations of spirituality and religiosity in different periods. A systematic analysis of biblical and general historical sources on the outlined issue is carried out. The statement of the harmful consequences of ritual formalism and the advantages of active faith does not cover the full scope of the study. A deeper analysis of the causes and sources that lead to spiritual practices that are opposite in their essence and effectiveness is needed. It is also important to investigate whether such factors depend on the historical period, prerequisites and circumstances, or are purely a problem of human nature and individual disposition. The study is conducted taking into account the current state of Christianity within this thematic framework through direct communication with believers of different communities and by analyzing the religious practice of the 20th and early 21st centuries. For a deeper understanding of the problem, early identification of trends in faith and ritual, and their consideration in the ecclesiastical practice and ministry of churches, the root causes that influence the choice of believers between form and essence, formality and effectiveness have been systematized.