Abstract

This paper develops an account of faith as a global trait of character, and explores how it relates to trust and hope. This account is developed in terms of the functional role faith occupies: what it is that global faith does in our lives. Global faith is taken to be a disposition to persevere in seeing the good in situations, events, circumstances, and people. This trait is explored through real and fictionalised situations of difficulty and strife, and when looking back at one’s past experiences and challenges. The paper locates global faith within the broader family of faith-attitudes, contrasts it with similar accounts, and shows how it contributes to valuable trustfulness and hopefulness.