Religious beliefs, in particular, are only one sub-set of a larger class, which political philosophers, following John Rawls, call conceptions of the good. On this view, a liberal state protects, not only freedom of religion, but more generally freedom of conscience; it disestablishes, not only dominant religion, but also any controversial conception of the good. The point has been made with particular acuity by legal scholar Winnifred Fallers Sullivan in her book The Impossibility of Religious Freedom. Religion-making involved singling out certain social activities and cultural practices as religious and de-politicizing them (see Hinduism in India). Second, secular modernity is itself rooted in a distinctive Protestant anthropology, the ethos of which neatly maps onto a modern liberal subjectivity that encourages the individual to cultivate the autonomy and discipline required to relate to her beliefs and ends in the right way. They are: commitment theory, which postulates that religion is a system of costly signaling that reduces deception and creates cooperation within groups; cognitive theory, which postulates that religion is the manifestation of mental modules that have evolved for other purposes . The term fundamentalism can be used in very different religious contexts and texts to describe the devotion and strict loyalty to a set of principles or ideas. The reflexive effect of the study of religion on religion itself may in practice make it more difficult for the student of religion to adopt the detachment required by bracketing. liade (1907-1986), whose studies included the concepts of sacred space and mythic time, and the sacredness of nature (Paden 2005, 215). She has published extensively in the areas of republicanism and toleration, theories of law and the state, and global justice. For the workers to bear their miserable and unfulfilling life, the capitalists created various belief-systems, foremost of which was religion, for the working class to see their state as something positive and justified. Yet the strategy of disaggregating religion has a further, more portentous implication for normative political theory. Durkheim further claimed that more complex societies had more complex religious systems, but they were all same in that they had religions as ways of unifying their societies. The second ground for skepticism is that religion has served to define the western idea of the secular, and remains deeply entangled with it. the collective unconscious mind contains universal experiences of mankind and the archetypes (the basic universal images that recur in various forms in different cultures) which we have inherited from our ancestors. But because they wanted to know who would eventually be saved and enter heaven, they thought that financial success was one good indicator. Much of the interesting work done in anthropology, sociology, and religious studies departments, for example, draws on both the first and the second approach). As a belief system, religion shapes what people think and how they see the world. The distinction, however, is not an absolute one, for, as has been noted, descriptions of religion may sometimes incorporate theories about religion that imply something about the truth or other normative aspects of some or all religions. A participatory observation, deep interviews and documentations were employed to collect the data of this study. The Comparative Study of Religions World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery, Fourth Edition, considers one religion at a time, chapter by chapter. The term theology, though often used to refer to Christian theology, also applies to the systematic study of the other monotheistic religions, standardly referring to Judaism and Islam. To a great extent, the meanings now attached to the terms religion and religions have tended to promote the study of religion in order to understand the world in which we live rather than as part of a desire for personal religious self-fulfillment. For Jung, religious experiences are manifestations of the archetypes in the collective unconscious in our own consciousness. Omissions? A comprehensive overview of the history and context of feminist approaches to the study of religions, including a helpful discussion of the relationship of these approaches to feminist theology. Another illustration of religious beliefs is the creation stories we find in different religions. This distinction depends to some extent upon taking a projectionist view of religion as a human product. Phone: 212-377-2700 Fax: 212-377-2727. I do not think it is, although I cannot make the full case here. Sociologists today employ three primary theoretical perspectives: the symbolic interactionist perspective, the functionalist perspective, and the conflict perspective. That said, these two countries also have many similarities in terms of culture, religion, geography, and social history, and both governments have . Can we truly compare two totally different views religion one very internal the other very visual? Consequently, the systematic study of the doctrines of Buddhism and Hinduism, for instance, are respectively called Buddhist philosophy and Hindu philosophy, and not Buddhist theology and Hindu theology. Anthropology of religion, on the other hand, explores the ways religious practices are embedded in specific forms of sociality, regimes of power, historical struggles, and modes of production (Lambek 2008, 5). Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. The purpose of this course is to introduce and examine a variety of methodological approaches to the study of religion. Download file to see previous pages. Methodologies in religious studies are the interpretive models on which the analysis of religious phenomena and resources are discussed. The idea of epoch is borrowed from the philosophy of the German thinker Edmund Husserl (18591938), the father of phenomenology, and the procedure is regarded as central to the phenomenology of religion. It looks at the percentage of each country's population that belongs to eight major religious groups, as of 2010. These studies suggest the significance of religion in health communication and in our . Since becoming aware of our unconscious makes us a whole person (a fully realized Self), religion is thus seen by Jung as something positive (Merkur 2005, 177). Corrections? Peter Connolly. Consider an analogy with marriage. Your email address will not be published. Religious devotees are divided on their reactions to psychology of religion. Can we categorize all religions within Ninian Smart definitions? The study of religion emerged as a formal discipline during the 19th century, when the methods and approaches of history, philology, literary criticism, psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, and other fields were brought to bear on the task of . It can be seen to designate: a) religion as practised in particular locations or by particular people; b) a specific modality of religious practice; c) the fundamental nature of all religion. Is religion a valid category of scholarly inquiry? He explains that such experience definitely will change positions on previous views regarding religious tradition. Such struggles were political through and through, and it is impossible to discern any common core or essence to all the world religions, as W. C. Smith pointed out in 1962. No plagiarism, guaranteed! Still another difference is that while theology limits itself to its own internal theory of religion (its own account for its origins and functions), religious studies considers external theories of religion (accounts of the origins and functions of religion by other academic disciplines). To him, sacred meant extraordinarysomething that inspired wonder and that seemed connected to the concept of "the divine.". b.) The term phenomenology also refers to the attempt to devise a typology, or classification, of religious phenomenareligious activities, beliefs, and institutions. Is religion a valid category of scholarly inquiry? This research focuses on the legal basis for anti-corruption measures in Indonesia and Malaysia and touches upon aspects of enforcement. This is a legitimate perspective from the standpoint of faith. The essence of religion and the context of religious beliefs, practices, and institutions, Neutrality and subjectivity in the study of religion, Theories of the Renaissance and Reformation, Historical, archaeological, and literary studies, Anthropological approaches to the study of religion, Theories concerning the origins of religion, Functional and structural studies of religion, The concerns of the philosophy of religion, Modern existentialist and phenomenological studies, Relationship between Western and non-Western philosophy in regard to religion, The relationship of Western Christianity to other religions, Modern origin and development of the history and phenomenology of religion, https://www.britannica.com/topic/study-of-religion. What Wittgenstein said about the concept of game also applies to the concept of religion: the fact that we cannot identify a single feature that all religions exhibit does not mean that the concept of religion is meaningless. 3.Theology requires its learners to have some degree of faith whereas religious studies does not . a creation of capitalism, for Weber it is the other way roundcapitalism is largely due to religion, more specifically, the Calvinist religion. 47. Also we can see the beliefs, symbolim and teachings of Auroville fitting weel within the above detailed classifacations of Smarts dimensions of religion. (Michael T.Mclaughlin,p96, Editrice Ponteficia Universita` Grecoriana Roma 2003)In many occasions he confirmed that he does not intend to promote any old religion or to find a new one and he strongly oppose religious particolarism. These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences people, and vice versa. So he is proposing a mystical goal and from his yogic teachings he guides,shows and achieves that. 10. It all depends on the person you are and the personal period of life you are going through. Another reason is that questions about the origins and functions of religion have often been conflated with questions about the truth of religion, and this has led to controversies that tend to hinder the development of common concepts, methodologies, and problems. Religious rituals are behaviors or practices that are either required or expected of the members of a particular group, such as bar mitzvah or confession of sins (Barkan and Greenwood 2003). Smart contemplated these question for many years investigating various religions in the world. The study of the religious notions of primitive people arose within the context of evolutionary theory. We pick out, from the complex notion of religion that we have inherited, distinct elements and values that democratic law has good reason to protect. Sociologists use a variety of methods to analyze culture. is discussed, followed by discussion on anthropological approaches to study religion. The disaggregated approach does not claim that it captures the fullness of the lived, anthropological reality of religion. India is a multi-cultural and a diverse nation with a flourishing history of pluralism that has been thriving for thousands of years. (Scott London ,the future of religion an Interview with Ninian Smart June 1999 issue ofThe Witnessmagazine. ) In his own words: Man is on a transitorily passage . One of the many reasons for this failure is that each discipline enlisted to study religion has its own distinctive methods and topics, and scholars often disagree about how to resolve the inevitable conflicts between these different intellectual perspectives. In Marrett's view, the first form of religion was a belief in an ever-present and ubiquitous force that gave power to all elements of life (Durkheim 203). First, different disciplines will have different answers to the question of what the concept of religion is for; and as a result they will work with different conceptions of religion. It does this by examining the dynamics of the constituent parts of societies such as institutions, communities, populations, and gender, racial, or age groups (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2013). (Peter Connolly,pp1-2Approche to the Study of Religion,Biddles L.T.D.) In the above definition Marx has stressed few points about religion which require special emphasis. The stage from man to super being is the next which depends from the approach of the achievement on the evolution on earth. The idea is that one who experiences financial success is blessed and is thus favored by God. Thus, some political ideologies, such as communism and fascism, have been regarded as analogous to religion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Social Science Research Council The idea is that one who experiences financial success is blessed and is thus favored by God. For Jung, religious experiences are manifestations of the archetypes in the collective unconscious in our own consciousness. These philosophical issues include, among many others, whether we can adequately prove the existence of God, reconcile the existence of evil with the existence of a God who is wholly good and all-powerful, reconcile Gods omniscience (the power to know everything) and foreknowledge (the power to know future events) with human freedom, explain the nature of miracles, determine the meaningfulness of religious language (how religious linguistic expressions acquire their meanings), and many others. Such distinctions, however, only serve to shore up the arbitrary power that the state has to demarcate the sphere of its own sovereignty. Muller, an authority of Sanskrit (the classical religious language of India), urged that the study of religion should not be limited to the religions of the Mediterranean (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) and that the great religions of the East should also be seriously studied. For our purposes, we shall . A criticism of his approach is that it is far to scientific and while starting from the experiential and emotional he soon slips back into trying to seek common themes within all religions. It has emerged as the single most important means of communication for those interested in critical approaches to the study of religion. But the historical process itself has to be investigated scientificallythat is, by considering the evidence, using the techniques of historical enquiry and other scientific methods. Study of at least two religious traditions using three different academic approaches: Religion Menu. In this post, I briefly set out three distinct approaches to the study of religion: criticizing religion, upholding religion, and disaggregating religion. Particularly, this study used an interdisciplinary approach, that is, a combination of religious and social approaches. St. Augustine used this theory to resolve the philosophical question, If everything comes from God, where does evil come from? According to him, evil exists in the world but it does not come from God, for what only comes from God is good. For the last four decades universities and schools have been acting in response to a constant , steady demand for courses upon the study of religion .The people who take these courses are usually involved in religion themselves ,many are involved a in religious communities or, wishing to know more and . Other religions are sourced in man's rebellion against God and/or demonic influence. R.R. Bonferroni correction compensates for multiple . And the best- known scholar of comparative religion of the last generation was Mircea Eliade (1907-1986), whose studies included the concepts of sacred space and mythic time, and the sacredness of nature (Paden 2005, 215). It is the logic of Natures process. 2. The study of religion can roughly be divided between descriptive and historical inquiries on the one hand and normative inquiries on the other. On the one hand, some view psychology of religion as a program that reduces religious phenomena believed to be real to mere psychological phenomena. by Ccile Laborde February 5, 2014. Required fields are marked *. The most influential proponent of comparative religion in the nineteenth century was Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900). Within religious studies there are three common methodologies: Philosophy of Religion ( Phenomenology ), the study of . We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Forte geertz symbols rituals and faith based behavior nov 8 14 ppt study of religion, attempt to understand the various aspects of religion, especially through the use of other intellectual disciplines. Psychology is the study of human and animal behavior and how thinking processes operate. Thus, when William James describes religion as. For example, a religious (or spiritual) approach to cancer treatment can be more effective than a secular approach (Croucher & Harris, 2012), religious attendance promotes healthier living, and people with HIV/AIDS often turn to religion for comfort as well. In other words it is a fair and full study of all religions" (Whaling, 2006, "Theory and methods in religious studies: Contemporary approaches to the . Aurobindo offers no guidance upon other religions as his account is purely personal. So the starting point of the disaggregation strategy is to accept that, as religion is indeed not a thing but a term of art (it has different meanings in different contexts), different dimensions of it will be appropriated in different ways in different disciplines. The Christian theologian, for example, may see a particular historical process as providential. The modern sovereign state is grounded in a distinctive political theology that mobilizes the structural categories of metaphysics and theology to bolster and consolidate the higher identity of secular citizenship. Which of these four approaches do you take in your everyday life, and why? Box No. Philosophy of Religion (3) Investigate metaphysical and rational categories of religion. It is a childish illusion for, as Freud remarked, religion originates in the helplessness and anxiety of childhood and early manhood (quoted in Merkur 2005,166). Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) defines religion as "a unified system of beliefs and Sociologists study religion as both a belief system and a social institution. Approaches to Studying Religion (three courses): Three courses, one in each area, covering more than one major religious tradition; level II or level III courses may be used to fulfill this requirement; a general education course in . The disaggregating approach helps us answer this critique. (Stephen H.Phillips.p79,Aurobindo`s Philosophyof Brahman,E.J.Brill Leiden 1986), The strength of Smart can be seen that he does not wish to strip religion or faith down to one or two elements say belief in The Virgin Birth and the dogma of out with the church there is no salvation but his classificatory account makes it clear that it has many elements and strands. First of all we have to say that both, Smart and Aurobindo have not defined religion from objective point of view but rather to determine religion in terms of its own value. First, as religion is not a thing but a term of art, it is perfectly legitimateas suggested abovethat different dimensions of it are appropriated in different disciplines and areas of life. Approaches to ReligionSpring 2010REL 111. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The first is that religion is (as Daniel Dubuisson once wrote) the Wests most characteristic concept, around which it has established and developed its identity. There is a deep and significant continuity between the Christian defense of the true religion and the nineteenth-century invention of world religions. The universalism of the concept masked an internally hierarchical classificatory scheme, which, as Tomoko Mazuzawa has shown, was crafted within the crucible of the missionary and colonial encounter. The other sense of the subjectivity of religion is properly a matter for theology and the philosophy of religion. 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