THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE SYSTEM OF SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL FORMATION OF THE PERSONALITY IN A HIGHER SCHOOL WITH A RELIGIOUS FOUNDER

Abstract

The study is devoted to the theoretical and methodological foundations of the system of spiritual and ethical formation of the individual in higher education institutions founded by religious organizations, with particular reference to the case of the Private Higher Educational Institution Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences. The necessity of moving beyond secular pedagogical terminology in order to conceptualize the central construct – spiritual and ethical formation – is substantiated. The proposed concept of formation, in contrast to traditional informational and behaviorist approaches, is understood as a process aimed at restoring the image of the Creator in the human person, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and volitional dimensions and leading toward personal wholeness. This approach is universalized for all students, regardless of their future profession, thereby transforming each graduate into a «servant within their own field». The study emphasizes the necessity of integrating spirituality and ethics in order to avoid the risks of secular moralism and religious instability. Ethical behavior is interpreted as the «fruit of the Spirit», emerging from the synergy between human reason and divine Revelation. Such ethical competence is implemented as a cross-cutting principle through the integration of professional disciplines with applied value-oriented courses. It is demonstrated that a key role in the implementation of this system is played by the educational actors whose interaction is grounded in the pedagogy of partnership and a subject–subject model of engagement. Faculty members employ an incarnational approach, acting as mentors and exemplars of values, while students function as active agents of their own formation. The institute’s activity, guided by a holistic understanding of the human person, seeks to create an «atmosphere of grace» and an integrated educational space in which academic integrity is understood as an act of Christian obedience and respect for truth. At the same time, the internal limitations of the model are identified, including the risk of «soft» coercion within a highly value-saturated environment, the tension between the rights of the founding body and academic freedom, and the limited generalizability of the findings, as the study focuses on a single institutional case.