Religion is difficult to define

Explain two reasons religion is difficult to define

Attempts to delineate religion has generated a sustained controversy among philosophers, social scientists, and theologians who are interested in studying religion. None of the definitions are completely satisfying as many are either functional, affective, or intellectual definitions. Due to its diverse nature and differences between varied religions, arriving at universally agreed definition of religion is problematic. This paper will try to explain two reasons religion is problematic to define.

Reason number is the complexity and vagueness of the word religion. Defining religion is complex in nature in the sense that it entails the entire human life, and certain people tend to explain it from different perspectives (Primal Religions n.d).  However, none of the definitions are exhaustive. There is no point one can claim they have achieved the whole truth of religion. The various scholars keep redefining the term in the light of their own, thereby making the meaning vague and ambiguous. In addition, many definitions fail to address the subject matter of religion or distinguish religion from other fields of study (Primal Religions n.d). Some define religion as a worldview insinuating that everything is religion. This qualifies every worldview, every ideology and every belief system as religion. Even the term belief is vague in that some beliefs are officially approved dogmas and doctrines while others are confined to certain individuals or groups.

Definitions of religions tend to be narrow in scope. Many definitions are restrictive towards the subject matter of religion, which leave aside a lot. The moment religion is delineated as a belief in supernatural or Supreme Being, it effectively precludes atheistic and polytheistic religious (Primal Religions n.d). For example, the focus on theistic religions excludes non-theistic religions like Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism and Buddhism that have been in existence since memorial.  Other definitions are too broad that anything can qualify as religion. For example, definitions that exclude words like divine and otherworldly allow anything to qualify as religion.

Select one method for studying religion and summarize in own words:

Comparative religion entails the comparison of specific elements or of whole religious elements at the face value. It is about investigating prayers, pilgrimage, rituals, symbolism and other belief systems of religion (Tiwari, 2009). Comparative method of studying religion encompasses the study of all forms of religious life. It involves informed consideration of differences and commonalities among world’s religions. Comparing the commonalities shared among various religions allows for a broadened understanding of various religious practices and beliefs about the divine, spiritual, sacred and numinous. Comparative study of various religions broadens learners’ appreciation and understanding of spiritual viewpoints.

Comparing religious phenomena helps identify aspects that would otherwise be missed Explain a strength of this approach to studying religion

Comparison of religions provides critical judgment and enables one to understand their religious faith and balance their judgment (Tiwari, 2009). Comparative method of studying religion enables people to know each and every religion more precisely. Comparative approach yields a better understanding of fundamental issues of religion like nature of salvation, ethics and metaphysics.

Explain a weakness

Comparative approach raises the issue of incomparability. Critics argue that religious phenomena are deeply rooted in sociocultural settings (Paden, 2005). When plucked out and placed alongside related pieces from unrelated cultures, they lose their meanings. In other words, comparativists are prone to decontextualizing and encroaching on the subject matter of certain religious traditions. In addition to that, comparison runs the risk of suppressing cultural differences (Paden, 2005). Comparativists may impose superficial uniformity on its examples. This means that universal patterns are permitted to dominate specific context of meanings.

References

Primal Religions [MOOC]. In Approaches to Studying Religions. Sophia Learning. Retrieved on December 22, 2021 from https://app.sophia.org/spcc/approaches-to-studying-religions–2/unit1/study-guide/7845/primal-religions-2

Tiwari, K. N. (2009). Comparative religion. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.

William E. Paden (2005). Encyclopedia of Religion. Retrieved on December 22, 2021 from https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/comparative-religion