Faith and Moral Virtues

To discuss the quality of the actualization of religious faith, and the factors contributing to its strength and continuity is of special importance. In addition to the fact that from a theoretical point of view, surveying this question is instrumental in achieving a deeper understanding of the concept of faith and that familiarity with it, as an existential question, has an impressive role in the inner development of man, from a practical view, it can also help us to present appropriate strategies to establish and develop it in society. Considering the fact that based upon the human's heart, the presence of faith can be increased or reduced, this paper, deals with the study of the basis of its semantic structure. First, different views used to determine the underlying components of the concept of 'faith' are divided into three theories: rational knowledge, intuitive knowledge and self resignation. Then through criticizing and surveying them, the physical and spiritual resignation to God, will be introduced as the final factor in the semantic structure of religious faith. Then, the role of good deeds as an innate necessity in acquiring moral virtues and the influence of these virtues on preserving and strengthening religious faith is explained.