Some great minds in 18th/19th century debated all this in context of rationality. Kant, et al. Some of the discussions were in fact about the "utility" of belief.

As to "rational belief", isn't that an oxymoron? There is 'rational knowledge'. Belief is precisely regarding matters where reason remains mute. Your beliefs and your knowledge are the full content of your world reality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Schleiermacher