1.1.m Lesson 2 What is Religion
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Lesson 2: What is Religion?
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What is Religion?
Section 1 of 1
What are Religions?
"Coined in the 1800s, the term
world religions
originally included only Buddhism, Christianity,
and Islam. Later it was expanded to include Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, and
Shinto. The term is used much more flexibly today."
"Religion is a characteristic of the human species, stretching from antiquity to the present,
from simple societies to the most complex, from the unlearned to the educated, from the
weak to the powerful, from the young to the old, from the peripheral to the centers of
powers."
Since the beginning of time and based on recorded history, religions and their associated
belief systems have had a tremendous influence on the integral dynamics of cultures and
societies. "Religion is so much a part of the experience of being human that few areas of
human activity and reflection are without some religious influence or association."
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Why Religions?
Almost every culture has, as part of its foundation, a particular religion or belief system.
Religion is one of the components that helps identify a culture. Some have called religion a
crutch or drug, such as Karl Marx, who said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature,
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the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the
people."
Others view religion as essential. Queen Elizabeth I of England said, "There is one thing
higher than Royalty: and that is religion, which causes us to leave the world and seek
God."
In many countries, the king was not only seen as the head of state but also as the
head of the national church. In many ancient cultures, the head of government was also akin
to being a god.
The first amendment of the United States Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law
respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Sociological studies of religion tend to key in on three major topics that help to define
religion:
Religious experience
- the sensations and feelings people have when connected to
the divine or force that is a basis for religious deference or respect for a specific deity.
These include such things as prayer, meditation, out-of-body experiences, trances,
dreams, and similar.
Religious beliefs
- specific ideas and truths that members hold to be essential when
connecting to a specific religion. These types of ideas include doctrine, confessions of
faith, rules, and similar commonly held truths.
Religious rituals
- these are actions that are expected or required for members of a
group to follow when practicing a certain religion or faith system. These include
sacraments, posture and orientation when praying, sacrifices, and related actions that
display conformity.
Selected Views on Religion from Noted Individuals
E.B. Tylor, "Father of Anthropology"
Tylor was one of the first scientists who was known as an anthropologist. He studied native
cultures and wrote a book,
Primitive Culture
(1871), based on his studies. He wrote about
religion as "the belief in spiritual beings" and argued that this belief exists in all known
societies. Tylor did not invent the concept of animism; however, he did give animism credit
for being the foundation of all religions. He defined animism as having two parts: belief in the
human soul that survives bodily death, and belief in other spirits, including deities.
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E.B. Tylor, Wikimedia, public domain,
link
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Emile Durkheim, Wikimedia, Creative Commons 4.0,
link
Émile Durkheim, "Founder of the French School of Sociology"
Durkheim saw religion as "a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things"
(
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
, Durkheim, 1912). He saw religion as a
fundamental element of society, part of the human condition, and the most fundamental
social institution. Durkheim viewed religion as the product of human activity versus divine
intervention. His sociological view of religion centered on three essential elements - sacred
objects, a set of beliefs and practices, and the existence of a moral community.
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Drawing of Ludwig Wittgenstein by Christiaan Tonnis, Wikimedia,
Creative Commons,
link
Ludwig Wittgenstein, "Influential 20th Century Philosopher."
Wittgenstein often spoke of ethics and religion together. Four main themes run through
Wittgenstein’s writings on ethics and religion: goodness, value, or meaning are not to be
found in the world; right living involves acceptance of or agreement with the world, life, God’s
will, or fate; one who lives this way will see the world as a miracle; there is no answer to the
problem of life–the solution is the disappearance of the problem. He opposed religious
interpretations that emphasized doctrine or philosophical arguments intended to prove God’s
existence, but he was greatly drawn to religious rituals and symbols. Wittgenstein is also
credited with the
family resemblance
(
Familienähnlichkeit
) approach to religion, discussed
in the video below.
Max Weber, "German Historian, Sociologist, and Political Economist"
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Weber wrote
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
. In this book, Weber credited
the Protestant reformation with the philosophy of a protestant work ethic that led to a higher
economic development in areas of Europe that were dominated by Protestant sects. Weber
was a proponent of believing in
theodicy
(an explanation of why, if a higher power does
exist, good and innocent people experience misfortune and suffering) and explains the
prevalence of religion in our society. Weber gave examples of theodicy -
karma
(present
actions and thoughts directly affect the future) and
predestination
(all events are directly
related to God's predetermined will).
Max Weber, Wikimedia, Creative Commons 4.0,
link
I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you
and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you
and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.
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Kahlil Gibran
Self Portrait by Kahlil Gibran, Wikimedia, public domain,
link
The following video presents and addresses the question, "What is religion?":
What Is Religion?, ReligionForBreakfast, Andrew Henry, YouTube,
link
Bases for Religions
Religions generally have several components that form the specific distinctions for each
religious group. Some of the general bases include:
deity/deities
established and accepted manuscripts that serve as guidelines and teaching
special places of worship
a hierarchy of leadership
spiritual practices, rituals, and traditions
Look at the examples below to better understand the foundations of religions.
At the center of most religions is a deity or group of deities that serve as the ultimate spiritual
guiding being(s). For Judaism, it is YHWH (Yahweh). For Islam, it is Allah. For Christianity, it
is the Lord God manifested in the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For Hinduism, it is a
group of gods including Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Rama, and others. In Buddhism,
there are all kinds of god-like creatures and beings called
devas
depicted in the early
writings of Buddhism. Other religions as well have deities or as in animism, spirits dwell in
animals and other items such as rocks, plants, and similar.
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All images above in the tabs presentation are from the Articulate Content Library.
Categorizing Religions Based on What is Divine
Some scholars have chosen to categorize religions based on what or who is divine. Look at
the chart below to see how the world's major religions would be classified using this yardstick
of classification.
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LU©
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there
isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there
isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.
Dalai Lama
Articulate Content Library
Animated map shows how the five major religions spread around the world
Business Insider, YouTube,
link
All religions must be tolerated... for every man must get to heaven in his own way.
All religions must be tolerated... for every man must get to heaven in his own way.
Epictetus
Theodoor Galle, Wikimedia, public domain,
link
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