Credința ca dovadă și dovada credinței. Viziunea biblică despre credință și receptarea acesteia în gândirea filosofică a lui Gabriel Marcel
The Faith as a Proof and the Proof of Faith. The Biblical Vision about Faith and Its Reception in the Thought of Gabriel Marcel

Summary/Abstract: This theological-philosophical study explores the concept of faith through a comprehensive scriptural, patristic, and existential analysis. It undertakes an in-depth hermeneutical examination of Hebrews 11:1, emphasizing the theological nuances inherent in the Greek terms pistis, hypostasis, and elenchos, as interpreted by the Church Fathers. Within this exegetical framework, faith emerges as hypostasis – the ontological grounding of things hoped for – and as elenchos, the internal evidence of unseen realities, highlighting faith’s profound ontological and epistemic dimensions. Moreover, the study investigates the intrinsic relationship between faith and spiritual cognition, positing faith as a distinct mode of spiritual knowledge that surpasses conventional rationality. Additionally, the research engages existentialist Christian philosopher Gabriel Marcel’s distinctions between opinion, conviction, and faith, drawing significant parallels with Orthodox theological teachings. Both perspectives characterize faith as an existential and ontological act transcending mere intellectual assent, involving the holistic commitment of the person in a dynamic relationship with divine transcendence. The paper argues that faith holds a deeply ontological character: it does not merely consist in affirming doctrinal truths, but represents a fundamental mode of existence oriented toward God, rooted in trust and personal communion. Furthermore, it emphasizes the essential interconnectedness of faith, hope, and prayer. Faith sustains hope in the fulfillment of divine (eschatological) promises and is nourished through prayer, which simultaneously expresses and strengthens faith itself. By integrating scriptural, patristic, and philosophical perspectives, the study highlights faith's theological and philosophical significance as both a foundational theological virtue and a transformative existential reality.

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