Psychological Features of Religiosity of Students Future Clerics: Empirical Aspect

Abstract

The article analyzes the problems of the peculiarities of professional religious education Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv. The directions of development of religious education in Ukraine are outlined. The main socio-psychological features and conditions of the professional training of the students of theology are highlighted: clear timetable, partial social deprivation, predominance of professional education over professional training, life according to the provisions of the «church statute», permanent inclusion in practical activities. The author described the specificity of religious universities in comparison with public universities. The general features of religiosity and its components in theology students are empirically investigated and described. Among such components: attitude to religion as a philosophical concept; an attitude to magic as a faith in another world; the tendency to seek support and consolation in religion; external signs of religiosity; interest in the so-called «pseudoscience», mysterious phenomena; tendency to believe in the creator; the presence of religious consciousness; attitude to religion as a model of moral behaviour. Non-developed structural components of religiosity among the students of theology are detected. They are: faith in another world (which affects reality through certain signs) and reliance on knowledge (not faith) in perceiving the world around. The dynamics of the development of the religiosity of the students of the future clergy at 1–6 courses was observed. Conclusions are made on the increase of the general level of religiosity during studies in religious universities.