The author of the article, based on the thesis about the openness of B. Pascal's philosophical system, compares the views of this philosopher with the views of the biblical Job, and also investigates the consequences of Pascal's adogmatism. According to the author, Pascal and Job are united by a common understanding of God as a problem within which search occurs through pain, and faith through doubt. They are also united by an adogmatic attitude towards church authorities, established opinions and traditions. (...) After all, the support for Pascal was not dogmatics itself, but the living tension of spiritual forces, exhausting confession. In Pascal's philosophy, the paradoxical logic of the heart is revealed, which opens up the possibility of understanding spiritual laws. The author comes to the conclusion that Pascal's adogmatism changes the very method of theology, since the openness of the philosophical system made it possible to create a field for new interpretations of biblical truths. (shrink)

The paper deals with relations between philosophy of religion, theology and phenomenology within the changeable structure of scientific knowledge. It is religion itself as religious life in its immediacy and almost physical reality rather than philosophical or theological knowledge as knowledge of religion, which becomes the subject matter of phenomenology. With this immediacy, potentialities of the scientific phenomenological approach are preserved because life does not remain indifferent to questions of the subject who cognizes and is open to reflexion, questions, doubts (...) and research. Phenomenology is regarded as via media, tsar's way, which combines potentialities of philosophy of religion and Christian theology. Philosophy of religion remains external and neutral to the processes, Christian theology being internal and involved in the latter. Phenomenology is used to make Christian theology at least partially accessible for philosophy of religion. In this way the role of phenomenology is intermediary and integrative. In propinquity to philosophy of religion and theology, phenomenology which serves both and enriches itself through both can be reasonably called 'vіa medіa'. (shrink)

Recalling the discussions with the religious scholar and friend Natalia Gavrilova, I decided to collect under one title three short and completely different texts - different in genre, time and purpose of writing. It seems to me that Natalia lived and thought precisely in connection with education-religiosity-sense. At least, the experience of our communication testifies to this version. We have repeatedly talked about the triple crisis - education, traditional religiosity and ultimate meanings. In memory of those conversations, I want to (...) say again about this crisis triad, and at the same time to offer possible Christian answers. (shrink)