The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the views of one of the greatest representatives of Russian philosophical theism – S.L. Frank – on the nature and essence of the doctrinal dogmas of Christianity. The main question that attracts his attention is connected with the solution of the problem: how should the religious philosopher treat the dogmatic formulas? What are the limits of application and the degree of freedom of interpretation? However, the clarifying the position of the Russian philosopher-theist allows us to answer a more general question: how religious philosophy is possible in general, if philosophical thinking assumes a critical attitude to any proposition and religious dogma decisively rejects any attempt at criticism.

In addition, setting out his own understanding of the nature and essence of religious dogmas, the philosopher bases his personal religious experience letting the reader into the intimate depth of his religious worldview.

Frank proceeds from the dual nature of the dogmatic position, which combines the mystical and empirical aspects of being: as a fact of the religious experience of the communion of God and a cultural and historical phenomenon. Therefore, he also considers the question of the genesis and functional purpose of dogma, its impact on spiritual culture. Understanding of dogma as a result of the synthesis of the collective (universal) and individually-personal religious experience allowed S.L. Frank to defend his right to his free interpretation, which is the identification of the meaning and values of the Christian dogma.

Key words: S.L. Frank, religious faith, dogma, religious experience, religious truth, Epiphany, revelation

About the author

Irina Yu. Kulyaskina – DSc (Philosophy), Associate Professor, Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Sociology, Amur State University; of. 316, build 1, 21 IgnatievskoeShosse, Blagoveschensk, Amur region, Russia, 675027; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.