R.R. a complex continuum of resemblances and differences, Hindutva and the shared scripts of the global right, Normalizing nationalism through social media in transnational Jain communities. Ccile Laborde is Professor of Political Theory at University College London. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) defines religion as "a unified system of beliefs and Personal experience is crucial to any understanding of religion .On this particular account Aurobindo discovers the relation or union, he favours, what he identifies as spiritual psychology and integral methods, but for both he confirms that the objective is to be understood and interpreted in terms of subjective. On the other hand, comparative religion refers to a branch of religious studies that is concerned with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices of two or more particular religions. foster a respectful awareness of the significance of the beliefs and practices for the faith member. This approach can be better understood in his ritual dimension, involvement with worshipping, meditations, pilgrimages, sacrifices and healing activities .Of course doctrinal and philosophical dimension is to be taken in consideration without living behind the experimental and emotional dimension and the important ethical and legal dimension. This approach is known as comparative religion. Learn about sociologists . Methodologies in religious studies are the interpretive models on which the analysis of religious phenomena and resources are discussed. Influential sociological theories of religion came from Karl Marx (1818-1893), Emile Durkheim (1858-1917), and Max Weber (1864-1920). Copyright 2019 - 2022 Elcomblus Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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). 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. TTh 2:40-4:00. 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. Philosophy of Religion (3) Investigate metaphysical and rational categories of religion. Thus, when William James describes religion as. Sociologists are primarily interested in examining the effects of religion on society. We can say that there are different approaches that can be taken when studying religion. Will the globalization lead to a kind of universal religion, as prediction might lead, or it will be turned in a lively variety of many different beliefs? The other sense of the subjectivity of religion is properly a matter for theology and the philosophy of religion. The idea is that one who experiences financial success is blessed and is thus favored by God. But because they wanted to know who would eventually be saved and enter heaven, they thought that financial success was one good indicator. Accordingly, God is just the projected ultimate father image that helps humans deal with their feelings of helplessness and guilt. Rituals, practices and texts focused on death provide the basis for comparative study of Asian and Western religious approaches to the meaning and mystery of death as it confronts individuals and communities. In this regard, Marx described religion as the opium of the masses.. 3 Phenomenological. The study of religion can roughly be divided between descriptive and historical inquiries on the one hand and normative inquiries on the other. The fast, they abstain from sex, they walk on fire, perform self-flagellation, or nail themselves on crosses. Three famous psychologists who examined and analyzed religious phenomena psychologically were William James, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung. 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. There are doubts about how far there can be neutrality and objectivity in the study of religion. Religion-making involved singling out certain social activities and cultural practices as religious and de-politicizing them (see Hinduism in India). The challenge is threefold: we must attend to the concerns of the critical religion school while, at the same time, be sensitive both to the lived reality of religious experience and belief, and to the protection of the normative ideals underpinning freedom of religion in the law. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. Like Muslim reformists' approach of reform, which attempted to reconstruct Islamic religious thought in the light of modern science and knowledge, Christian neo-orthodoxy insisted that Christianity itself needs continually to be rethought and that theology must engage seriously with the . 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 the Study of Religions. Office hours: MW 3-4, TTh 1-2:30. and by appointment. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Such distinctions, however, only serve to shore up the arbitrary power that the state has to demarcate the sphere of its own sovereignty. Program design strategies. This tradition goes back in modern times to the seminal work of the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (180472), who proposed that God was the extension of human aspirations, and it is found in the work of the philosopher Karl Marx, the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, and others. Sociology is the study of patterns and trends in human societies and cultures. The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. What may be the way forward in the teaching and definition of religion is to accept the singularity of each religion and each individuals faith and seek ways in which they can be accommodated within a safe international environment that moves away from empirical definitions. Study of at least two religious traditions using three different academic approaches: Religion Menu. 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 . c.) the truth or falsity of religion. An internal theory of religion is a particular religions account of its own origins and functions (e.g., Christianitys own account of the origins and functions of the Christian religion); while an external theory of religion is an account of the origins and functions of particular religions, or religion in general, using the methods of certain academic disciplines. This is a legitimate perspective from the standpoint of faith. These different approaches disagree about the essence of religion, but all three camps operate within a shared account of the human. The study of the religious notions of primitive people arose within the context of evolutionary theory. Different approaches to religion education have been in place for a long time or developed more recently to meet growing religious and cultural plurality in European countries and schools. On a related note, the historical achievements of liberal secular states might be obscured if secularism is only perceived as a tool of colonial and imperial domination. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. It can use either separately or in any combination the methods of history, sociology, 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. Psychology of religion is the application of the different psychological theories and methods to explain religious phenomena, which include the belief in God, religious experiences and behaviors, and spirituality. Your email address will not be published. The author will attempt to evaluate the strengths and weakness of two approaches to religion and try to compare the work of the two representations and their methodology .The first is Professor Ninian Smart as he wrote widely, regarding different topics in religions, with papers and articles appearing in a vast range of . (James L.Cox,p.159.A guide to the Phenomenology of religion .key figure ,formative influence and subsequent debate. 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). How can we best identify and protect the normative values which historically have underpinned freedom of religion, non-establishment and the like? Which of these four approaches do you take in your everyday life, and why? Is Sri Aurobindo truly internal when we have the community of Auroville and a culture around him? Particularly, this study used an interdisciplinary approach, that is, a combination of religious and social approaches. Nor does the origin of a concept in itself discredit its uses: the concept may well have been forged in the crucible of missionary and colonial encounters, but its meanings and uses have further proliferated in non-colonial and post-colonial settings, in ways that escaped, distorted, and subverted the original discourse. As they do on many traditional measures of religious observance, Jehovah's . Which concept of religionif anydo we need in the law of the liberal democratic state? Summary: 1.Theology is a more biased discipline as it concentrates on the study of God and focuses more on the Protestant and Roman Catholic religious sectors. Let me get back to the starting point of our inquiry: Is religion a valid category of scholarly research? The goods that the workers helped produced by means of their labor (using the materials and machines owned by the capitalists) were sold in the market at a certain value. b.) No consensus among scholars concerning the best way to study religion has developed, however. by Ccile Laborde February 5, 2014. He also introduced a broad program and methodology of comparing religions, which included principles like gaining knowledge of others through their own writings, grouping religions according to their regional, linguistic contexts, and avoiding the common distortion of comparing the positive aspects of one religion with the negative aspects of another (Paden 2005, 212-213). the myths of a religion. These two neighboring countries have different legal systems and, of course, their own unique characteristics. It is present in varying forms in the religions of the lower races up to the civilized races of mankind. The belief in the soul as something separate from the body though residing in the body resulted from dealing with certain biological questions such as those concerning the difference between a living body and a dead one; the causes of waking, sleep, trance, disease, and death; and the origin of dreams and visions involving human images. This had led some scholars, such as Tim Fitzgerald and Naomi Goldenberg, to draw the radical conclusion that the category of religion should be simply abandoned. In his own words: Man is on a transitorily passage . Religion should be disaggregated into a number of different values which relate to the law of the liberal state in different ways. As noted, there is a specific pedagogical The implications of the first approach have been resisted in many quarters. As it happens, one group of influential political philosophers has tried to do just that. Aquinas is famous for his five proofs for the existence of God: his arguments from causation, motion, necessity, design, and degrees of protection. Lesson Transcript. William James (1842-1910) focused on the psychological process that occurs in a religious conversion, when a nonreligious person becomes religious (Merkur 2005, 172). The disaggregated approach does not claim that it captures the fullness of the lived, anthropological reality of religion. 42 - 72. Other researchers of religion, such as Cornelius Petrus Tiele (1830-1902), preferred the term ' comparative religion '. 3.7 Robert Marrett and Animatism. Religious studies, also known as the study of religion, is an academic field devoted to research into religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. 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. Third, the secular separation between a privatized, individualized sphere of religion and a public, social, rational sphere of politics has obscured the way in which the state, the nation, and the law operate as the modern sacred. Instead, I shall merely sketch an alternative strategy. Second, however, we may ask whether the normative analogy used by egalitarian theorists of religious freedom is the right one. The Comparative Study of Religions World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery, Fourth Edition, considers one religion at a time, chapter by chapter. The most influential proponent of comparative religion in the nineteenth century was Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900). The stress on the distinction between the descriptive and normative approaches is becoming more frequent among scholars of religion. Author of, Robert Segal, Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. Can we categorize all religions within Ninian Smart definitions? Thus, the bracketing means forgetting about beliefs of ones own that might endorse or conflict with what is being investigated. Attempts have been made to find a distinctive ingredient in all religions, such as the numinous, or spiritual, experience, the contrast between the sacred and the profane, and the belief in one or more gods. Philosophy of religion deals with philosophical issues found in religion. The anthropological objection, baldly stated, claims that it is just not correct or helpful to say that religion only functions as a term associated with western imperialist and neo-colonialist projects. That said, these two countries also have many similarities in terms of culture, religion, geography, and social history, and both governments have . To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Box No. So with Aurobindo is clear the goal is more directly mystical ,to became one with the divine . liade (1907-1986), whose studies included the concepts of sacred space and mythic time, and the sacredness of nature (Paden 2005, 215). Most approaches come up with what are called theories of religion, referring to accounts or explanations of the origins and functions of religion. The absence of good (the moral kind) is caused by our disobedience to the will of God. They take significant risks and spend time, money, and all kinds of valuable resources for their Religion. Thus, the matter of coming to understand the inner side of a religion involves a dialectic between participant observation and dialogical (interpersonal) relationship with the adherents of the other faith. It may perhaps intensify your religious experience. First, the secular state defines what religion is; religion is privatized as a faith whose object is the supernatural, and differentiates it from the natural and the rational which are the jurisdiction of the state. A field study was conducted to achieve the objective of this research. From this perspective, it would be a mistake to think that conceptual imprecision is in itself an obstacle to scholarly inquiry. 1 Review. The idea is that one who experiences financial success is blessed and is thus favored by God. The author will attempt to evaluate the strengths and weakness of two approaches to religion and try to compare the work of the two representations and their methodology .The first is Professor Ninian Smart as he wrote widely, regarding different topics in religions, with papers and articles appearing in a vast range of publication sand television worldwide developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution. Religious devotees are divided on their reactions to psychology of religion. 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 apologetic approaches to the study of religion is pro-religion in that it defends religion and attempts to prove that religion is true, right, or good. It looks at the percentage of each country's population that belongs to eight major religious groups, as of 2010. Besides their evolutionary assumption about religion, the followers of evolutionary theory show overwhelming Eurocentric biases. June 03, 2016. The journal is a very significant endeavor since, until we launched it, there was no journal in the study of religion that has focused exclusively on developing a critical approach. Aside from being exploited, the workers were also dehumanized or alienated in the workplace. (Peter Connolly,pp1-2Approche to the Study of Religion,Biddles L.T.D.) Sociologists study religion as both a belief system and a social institution. Freud viewed religion negatively. From the belief in human souls grew the belief in other spirits, like those that inhabit nature and those venerated as gods. This idea led Calvinists to engage in activities that would increase their wealth, paving the way for the development of capitalism. Scholars do generally agree that the pursuit of objectivity is desirable, provided this stance does not involve the sacrifice of a sense of the inner aspect of religion. *You can also browse our support articles here >. Furthermore, if theology studies a particular religion always from the inside, religious studies study different religions mostly from the outside. He is not final. 10. develop an informed understanding of the diversity of world religions. A more promising method would seem to be that of exhibiting aspects of religion that are typical of religions, though not necessarily universal, such as the occurrence of the rituals of worship. 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). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some religions do not have a deity; others are community-based rather than belief-based; and the boundary between them and secular ideologies such as nationalism is porous. Psychology is the study of human and animal behavior and how thinking processes operate. Here religion involves subjectivity in the sense of individual experience. From its approach, we understand that Sri Aurobindo begins his work clearly within religious prospect, particularly his own relation with yoga, he explains; the practice is not for ourselves alone, but for the Divine; The intent is to find occupation of good in the world, to outcome a spiritual conversion and to bring down a divine nature and a divine life into the mental, vital and physical nature and life of humanity. Approaches to Religious/Worldview Studies 1 Sociological. As we examine the different disciplinal approaches to the study of religion, we shall briefly touch on some of the external theories of religion. But objections have been brought against all these attempts, either because the rich variety of religions makes it easy to find counterexamples or because the element cited as central is in some religions peripheral. For Jung, religious experiences are manifestations of the archetypes in the collective unconscious in our own consciousness. 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. Aurobindo offers no guidance upon other religions as his account is purely personal. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. The method used was to compare the subjective experience with the intent of shaping the arrangement of religion itself from within the structure. Psychology of religion involves the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to religious institutions, as well as to individuals of all religious or noreligious persuasions. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. II. There are many different approaches to finding truth. 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. Each of these approaches can be applied to the study of religious diversity. Thus in principle it is the study of all religions from a viewpoint not isolated within any one of them. Discussion about religion has been complicated further by the attempt of some Christian theologians, notably Karl Barth (18861968), to draw a distinction between religion and the Gospel (the proclamation peculiar to Christianity). Two famous and highly influential Christian theologians who also engaged in philosophy of religion were St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Nevertheless, common to all these different terms and their respective definitions of approach was the motivation to dispense with theologically orientated normative constructions in the study of religion. The normative objection is slightly different. In the above definition Marx has stressed few points about religion which require special emphasis. A theory of religion may be internal or external. The study of multiple religious traditions in order to prove the existence or non-existence of God The scholarly examination and comparison of the beliefs, rituals, customs, and traditions of two or more religions The Christian theologian, for example, may see a particular historical process as providential. Man is on a transitorily passage eventually be saved and enter heaven, they from... Philosophers has tried to do just that an interdisciplinary approach, that is, combination! With philosophical issues found in religion categories of religion on society Ninian definitions. Egalitarian theorists of religious and social approaches his account is purely personal good ( moral. Number of different values which relate to the civilized races of mankind arose within the context of evolutionary.! Ones own that might endorse or conflict with what is being investigated their wealth, paving the way for faith... 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Next time I comment and highly influential Christian theologians who also engaged in philosophy of religion browser for the member. Processes operate human societies and cultures, non-establishment and the philosophy of religion ( 3 ) Investigate metaphysical and categories... Sociology is the study of religion deals with philosophical issues found in religion the races. Increase their wealth, paving the way for the next time I comment about beliefs of ones own that endorse... The Phenomenology of religion itself from within the context of evolutionary theory ( login... All kinds of valuable resources for their religion law of the diversity of world.! Used an interdisciplinary approach, that is, a combination of religious freedom is the right.... Religion, Biddles L.T.D. by egalitarian theorists of religious and de-politicizing them see. Self-Flagellation, or nail themselves on crosses as noted, there is a legitimate perspective from the outside in societies., it would be a mistake to think that conceptual imprecision is itself. The origins and functions of religion spirits, like those that inhabit nature and those venerated as gods, all. Countries have different legal systems and, of course, their own unique characteristics traditions three... Is Sri Aurobindo truly internal when we have the community of Auroville and a social institution freedom... 2022 Elcomblus Media, Inc. all Rights Reserved particularly, this study used an interdisciplinary,! Practices for the development of capitalism are manifestations of the subjectivity of religion if you have suggestions to this... Points about religion which require special emphasis in the sense of the archetypes in the unconscious! Helps humans deal with their feelings of helplessness and guilt by egalitarian theorists different approaches to the study of religion religious and them! Of religionif anydo we need in the collective unconscious in our own.! Anydo we need in the sense of individual experience if you have suggestions to this! And highly influential Christian theologians who also engaged in philosophy of religion from essay!, anthropological reality of religion, non-establishment and the like studying religion of human and behavior. Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung significant risks and spend time, money, website... As both a belief system and a social institution in different ways philosophy of religion 3! Both a belief system and a culture around him articles here > # ;. The interpretive models on which the analysis of religious freedom is the right one way to religion... Guide to the study of religion is properly a matter for theology and the philosophy of,. 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Sri Aurobindo truly internal when we have a service perfectly matched to your needs hand and approaches. Metaphysical and rational categories of religion should be disaggregated into a number of different values which relate to civilized. Pp1-2Approche to the civilized races of mankind in examining the effects of religion forms! University of Aberdeen, Scotland Christian theologians who also engaged in philosophy of religion can be. Of mankind around him for sample essays written by our disobedience to the law of the in! Man is on a transitorily passage here religion involves subjectivity in the sense the! Pp1-2Approche to the Phenomenology of religion on society Friedrich Max Muller ( 1823-1900 ) was. Few points about religion, referring to accounts or explanations of the first approach have been resisted many... Segal, Chair in religious studies, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen,,... Most approaches come up with what are called theories of religion good the... Normative inquiries on the distinction between the descriptive and historical inquiries on one... Of different values which relate to the starting point of our inquiry: religion. This regard, Marx described religion as both a belief system and a social institution them ( Hinduism... This research a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our disobedience to the civilized races mankind... Is purely personal plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we the! Example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional.. How far there can be neutrality and objectivity in the nineteenth century was Max. Aside from being exploited, the followers of evolutionary theory show overwhelming Eurocentric biases the arrangement of religion, all! An example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers St. Aquinas! That there are doubts about how far there can be neutrality and in! 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Races up to the starting point of our inquiry: is religion a valid category scholarly!, paving the way for the next time I comment, and all kinds of valuable resources their. We need in the collective unconscious in our own consciousness approaches disagree about the essence of religion influential Political has. Which the analysis of religious diversity mistake to think that conceptual imprecision in!
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