Faith as a Substitute for Genuine Human Connection
A psychological approach enables a deeper understanding of how faith may become a replacement or compensate for the lack of fully developed human relationships. On one hand, this approach demonstrates that faith is more than mere rational knowledge; it demands an inner act of freedom, a break from habitual logic, and a striving to overcome the perceived limitations of human existence. As N.A. Berdyaev describes in one source, “knowledge is forced, faith is free; knowledge is characterized by coercion and safety, … in faith … there is risk and danger. [...] Only this feat of self-denial and self-giving moves one beyond 'too human' limits” (source: link txt). Here, the psychological dynamic is explained as a shift from the usual, often mechanistic interaction with the surrounding world to acts of inner freedom and emotional openness that faith offers.On the other hand, the psychological analysis of modern social relationships shows that, in conditions where interpersonal communication is often reduced to functional roles and mutual exploitation (for instance, a boss sees a subordinate merely as an employee rather than as a person with an inner life), the need for genuine human closeness remains unfulfilled. In this context, faith and participation in a spiritual community can act as an effective means to restore authentic contact between people. As noted in another source, “only the Church can reveal true humanity and authentic communication to this dehumanizing world. … In the spiritual family, we all learn to serve one another, from the little to the great” (source: link txt). Thus, faith becomes a kind of “psychological substitute bond” that compensates for the emotional emptiness arising from the de-individualization of social relationships.In summary, the psychological approach helps us understand that the substitution of human relationships with faith is based on faith’s ability to meet a person’s fundamental needs for genuine communication, emotional support, and self-sacrifice—needs that go beyond the traditional roles and functional interactions of everyday life.