Defining Religion: Approaches and Theories
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Questions and Answers

They don't believe in the ______ bunny.

Easter

No one at Temple Beth Shalom is down there talking about ______.

Jesus

If you want to understand Judaism, you need to understand what matters to ______.

Jews

We're going to try to get into the minds of Hindu ______ to learn what they do.

<p>practitioners</p> Signup and view all the answers

For as long as people have been studying religion, they have struggled to ______ it.

<p>define</p> Signup and view all the answers

The study of religion is basically broken down into ______ and methods.

<p>theories</p> Signup and view all the answers

Many of these definitions or theories have knowingly and unknowingly reflected the ______ of those articulating them.

<p>biases</p> Signup and view all the answers

The idea that religions have ______ is a problematic assumption.

<p>essences</p> Signup and view all the answers

Some religions are ______, while others are open to blending with other traditions.

<p>exclusivist</p> Signup and view all the answers

The description of Catholicism as the religion that doesn't care about bears, reflects the ______ of the Wendat people.

<p>biases</p> Signup and view all the answers

Many Western religions are ______, meaning that a person cannot be both a Christian and a Muslim.

<p>exclusivist</p> Signup and view all the answers

For example, Hinduism incorporates all different types of ______ into it.

<p>Buddhism</p> Signup and view all the answers

Not all religions say we must be the one and only way you ______.

<p>practice</p> Signup and view all the answers

Someone can be ______ and also be Catholic.

<p>Navajo</p> Signup and view all the answers

Many of these assumptions are only true for certain kinds of Western ______

<p>Christianities</p> Signup and view all the answers

These assumptions are sort of in the cultural ______

<p>discourse</p> Signup and view all the answers

The source of suffering is ______.

<p>desire</p> Signup and view all the answers

To stop suffering you must rid yourself of ______.

<p>desire</p> Signup and view all the answers

You try to reach Nirvana by following the Eight Fold ______.

<p>path</p> Signup and view all the answers

Academic theology is often called ______ theology.

<p>confessional</p> Signup and view all the answers

Religious studies focuses on the ______ dimension of religion.

<p>human</p> Signup and view all the answers

A Buddhist religious studies expert wouldn't ask how do we release ourselves from ______?

<p>suffering</p> Signup and view all the answers

______ asks, what was it about East Asia in the sixth century BCE that gave rise to this idea of suffering?

<p>Religious studies</p> Signup and view all the answers

Judaism is the religion that doesn't believe in ______.

<p>Jesus</p> Signup and view all the answers

Religion is an inextricably ______ phenomenon.

<p>human</p> Signup and view all the answers

The study of religion as an academic discipline began in ______ Europe.

<p>Western</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Protestantism, individual belief in ______ is central.

<p>God</p> Signup and view all the answers

For Hinduism, it matters much more what you ______.

<p>do</p> Signup and view all the answers

Judaism is seen as both a religion and an ______.

<p>ethnicity</p> Signup and view all the answers

The most holy day in the Jewish calendar is ______.

<p>Yom Kippur</p> Signup and view all the answers

Protestants believe that the ______ is the word of God.

<p>Bible</p> Signup and view all the answers

The definition of religion as a belief system primarily reflects a ______ perspective.

<p>Protestant</p> Signup and view all the answers

Each definition of religion is like a map made by a particular ______.

<p>cartographer</p> Signup and view all the answers

Students who take a lot of math classes might put the ______ building on their map.

<p>math</p> Signup and view all the answers

A map is always just a map; it's a representation of the ______.

<p>campus</p> Signup and view all the answers

Even if a map is perfectly accurate, it is still not the ______.

<p>campus</p> Signup and view all the answers

There is a troubling origin to the study of world religions and to religious ______ in general.

<p>studies</p> Signup and view all the answers

Religious studies began with white, mostly Protestant men trying to explain why other people were ______.

<p>religious</p> Signup and view all the answers

These early theories were inherently engulfed in white ______ and Protestant supremacy.

<p>supremacy</p> Signup and view all the answers

European scholars would use Western Christian ______ to measure the value of other religions.

<p>metrics</p> Signup and view all the answers

Christians have ______.

<p>Bibles</p> Signup and view all the answers

Jews use ______ candles in their religious practice.

<p>Shabbat</p> Signup and view all the answers

Hindus have different ______ that they use in their practice.

<p>objects</p> Signup and view all the answers

Symbols can mean very ______ things depending on the context.

<p>different</p> Signup and view all the answers

Religions consist of ______ that define themselves with and against others.

<p>communities</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Catholicism, authority figures may include priests, bishops, and ultimately, the ______.

<p>pope</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ultimate concern for Christianity is the ______ of the human soul.

<p>sinfulness</p> Signup and view all the answers

Paul Tillich is a scholar known for discussing the ultimate ______ of religions.

<p>concern</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Studying Religion on its Own Terms

Understanding a religion based on its own beliefs, rituals, and practices, not comparing it to other faiths.

Theories of Religion

The attempt to define what religions are and how they operate.

Methods in Religious Studies

The specific techniques that scholars use to apply their theories to real-world religions.

Scholarly Bias

The biases or perspectives that scholars may bring to their study of religion.

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Understanding a Religion's Internal Logic

The idea that understanding a religion involves understanding its core beliefs and practices, not just comparing it to other faiths.

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Defining Religion

The challenge of defining what counts as a religion and what does not.

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Self-Understanding in Religion

Analyzing how individuals or groups understand and define themselves based on their religious beliefs and practices.

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Relationship to Sacred Powers

The way that individuals connect with the sacred, spiritual, or divine through their religious practices.

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Protestant Perspective on Religion

A belief system that places importance on personal beliefs and internal convictions about the divine, often emphasizing specific doctrines and tenets.

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Religion as a map

Each definition of a religion is like a map created by a specific individual. Different perspectives and experiences lead to different interpretations and representations.

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Beyond Belief Systems

A more inclusive approach to religion that considers practices, rituals, community membership, and inherited traditions as central elements of faith.

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Origins of religious studies

The initial study of world religions was heavily influenced by Western, predominantly Protestant scholars who often viewed their own traditions as superior.

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Western Christian metrics

Western scholars used Christian criteria to evaluate other religions, often prioritizing the presence of sacred texts.

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Bias in Religious Definitions

Describing Judaism as a religion that 'doesn't believe in Jesus' reveals an assumption that Jesus is significant, reflecting a Christian-centric viewpoint. This illustrates the dangers of viewing other religions through a single lens.

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Judaism: More Than Beliefs

Judaism, unlike some religions, emphasizes shared identity and ancestry more than personal beliefs, making it as much a cultural tradition as a religious doctrine.

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White supremacy in religious studies

The study of world religions was deeply intertwined with Western supremacy and a bias towards Protestant Christianity.

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Early religious studies' biases

Early studies of world religions were often characterized by bias and a lack of diverse perspectives, reflecting the dominant cultural context of the time.

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The Bible in Protestant Theology

The Bible, for Protestants, has a unique status. It's seen as the direct word of God, a divine text with literal authority.

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Academic Study of Religion

Religion is studied through academic lenses, often influenced by the historical and cultural perspectives of scholars.

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Critical evaluation of religious studies

The study of world religions, while valuable, needs to acknowledge its historical roots and critically analyze its inherent biases.

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Western Origins of Religious Studies

The field of religious studies originated primarily in Western Europe, particularly among Protestant scholars, which has shaped the way religion is defined and understood.

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Subjectivity in defining religion

Different individuals, based on their experiences and knowledge, will create different maps, highlighting the subjectivity and context-dependency of the study of religion.

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The Limits of 'Belief System'

Defining religion as a belief system alone limits its scope, overlooking the importance of practice, community, identity, and traditions in diverse faiths.

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Descriptions vs reality

Our descriptions of religions are not the religions themselves. Instead, they are interpretations that are shaped by our perspectives and experiences.

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Essentialist View of Religion

A belief that a religion has a singular, unchanging core truth shared universally by all its followers.

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Religious Exclusivism

The idea that religions are mutually exclusive, meaning that someone can only belong to one religion at a time.

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Inclusivist Religions

Religions that allow for and even embrace the integration of other traditions or beliefs.

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All Religions Are the Same View

The assumption that all religions are fundamentally the same, despite their outward differences.

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Cultural Influence on Religious Understanding

How our culture can shape our understanding of religion, often because we are exposed to a dominant religious perspective.

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Western-Centric View of Religion

The tendency to interpret religious traditions based on how they are presented in a particular society, often Westernized.

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Religious Pluralism

The state of having multiple religious groups living together peacefully.

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Material Culture of Religion

The material objects, symbols, and cultural practices associated with a religion.

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Symbolism in Religion

A symbol's meaning depends on the context and how people interpret it.

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Community in Religion

Religions are not individual beliefs but communities united by shared beliefs and practices, distinct from other communities.

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Authority Figures in Religion

Leaders who hold authority within a religious tradition, guiding followers and interpreting beliefs.

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Ultimate Concern in Religion

The fundamental concern or problem that a religion seeks to address.

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Ultimate Concern in Christianity

The problem of human sinfulness and the need for salvation in Christianity.

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Relationship to the Sacred

The way that individuals relate to and connect with the divine or sacred.

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Confessional Theology

The study and analysis of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions, often done by scholars within a specific faith community.

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Religious Studies

The academic study of religion, examining its impact on society, culture, and human experiences.

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Nirvana

The state of being free from suffering and desire, an ultimate goal in Buddhism.

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Suffering and Desire

The central insight of Buddhism, that suffering arises from desire.

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The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path, a set of eight principles for living a righteous and virtuous life.

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Material Wealth and Liberation

The belief that material wealth does not lead to true liberation from suffering.

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Self-Critical Theology

The practice of self-reflection and criticism within theological discourse.

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Religion as a Human Phenomenon

The belief that religion is inherently tied to human experiences, actions, and creations.

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Study Notes

Defining Religion: Approaches and Theories

  • Studying religion involves understanding different religious traditions on their own terms, focusing on the practices and beliefs of the adherents rather than comparing them to other faiths.
  • Defining religion is challenging; there's no single, universally accepted definition. Theories and methods are key in the study of religion, offering frameworks to describe religious phenomena.
  • The criteria used to define religion have often reflected the biases of those defining them. Early Western approaches, heavily influenced by Protestant perspectives, focused on belief systems.
  • Definitions based on belief systems are useful for Protestantism but less applicable to other traditions where actions or communal belonging are more important.

Different Approaches to Defining Religion

  • Belief Systems: Protestantism often emphasizes individual belief as a defining feature within a religion.
  • Actions/Rituals: Other religions prioritize actions, rituals, and practices over beliefs.
  • Community Membership: For some faiths, communal belonging and identity are crucial aspects of religious affiliation.
  • Sacred Texts: Sacred texts are central to many, but not all, religions.
  • Defining religion as constructing a map: Just as a map is a representation of a geographic area (it's not the area itself), defining religion is a process of representation, not a direct capturing of the core essence of the phenomena.

Historical Biases in Religious Studies

  • Religious studies emerged from Western Europe, mainly within Protestant frameworks, often reflecting biases toward Western traditions.
  • Early scholars, consciously or not, prioritized and valued Western traditions over others.
  • This led to frameworks that judge the “worth” of other religions based on criteria that favor western religions, like the presence of a sacred text.

Characteristics of Religion

  • Religions as communities: Religion exists within communal frameworks where shared values and beliefs develop.
  • Authority figures: Recognizing and accepting certain individuals as authoritative figures, like priests or religious leaders.
  • Ultimate concerns: Each religion addresses the human condition and fundamental questions about existence.
  • Material culture and symbols: Religion encompasses material objects, rituals, and symbols that hold deeper meaning beyond their literal interpretation (e.g., flags, material items).
  • Inclusivity vs. Exclusivity: Some religions are open to incorporating elements from other traditions, while some are exclusive in their adherence to their own doctrines.

Secular Analysis of Religion

  • Secular universities conduct in-depth analysis of religious beliefs and their societal impacts from neutral perspectives and not driven by advocacy for a specific belief system.
  • Religious studies focuses on the human dimension of religion examining community rituals, politics, and texts that stem from religious practices.

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Related Documents

World Religions Lecture Notes PDF

Description

Explore the complexities of defining religion through various approaches and theories. This quiz examines how different traditions are understood on their own terms, the impact of belief systems, and the importance of action and community in the study of religion. Challenge yourself to navigate these multifaceted concepts.

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