It is nice to read an article finally that has no overtly political overtones or agenda - and yes, faith certainly involves life in God through Jesus....

Hebrews 11 is something that I have been taught since I was a little girl - we are a people of hope - "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen."  The entirety of that chapter binds us to those who came before us - of course, the following two chapters are wonderful, too.  

Yes, "faith is not just reading off a list of doctrines and giving ascent to those doctrines saying, "I believe this. I believe, I believe. …" - but those doctrines and core beliefs certainly give us the foundation to build our relationship and uphold our hope.