Chapter 1

General Introduction

I. Why Study Religion?

A. Purpose and Value
Consider few questions:
Why there are a number of violent conflicts currently in the world?
Does the dispute over religious ideas motivate conflicts?
Why some religious followers claim on the "True Faith" and even fight in
its name?
Is it better to engage in philosophical inquiry over religious differences or
fighting over them?
Is it better to identify the source of dispute and establish a dialogue or take
up arms and fight?

CONT.,
Strategies for studying religions and establishing of a dialogue:
You must be interested in it.
Recognise benefits; studying religion is necessary to understand art history,
history, business, and philosophy.
Globalisation of the world / religion helps us understand world politics.
Understanding Islam leads to understanding of Muslim economic and
political policies.
Understanding religions lead to understanding current debates over moral
issues and conflicts.
Knowledge of religions leads to understanding of cultures particularly in a
pluralistic society.
Establishment of peace and justice requires an understanding of world
religions.

B. Studying/Teaching Approach
What is the purpose of this subject?
Is it an objective, phenomenological, historical description of major
religious traditions?
Is it philosophical questioning of religious beliefs and practices?
What one has to take into account while study or teach religions?
Do not study religion to attack it.
Do not criticise religion unless you understand it.
Do not practice religio-centricity:
Exclusivism: we are right; you are wrong.
Inclusivism: we know better than you.
Put aside misunderstanding, prejudice, and bigotry.
Do not use your convictions, emotions, and feelings while study other
religions.
Put aside two words orthodoxy and heresy.
Do not make quick judgements without a proper knowledge.

CONT.,
Rid of bias and put aside 'confessional' approach, use an academic
approach.
You must be objective, even sympathetic to the religion you study.
Create religious honesty.
Make careful observation of sources.
Enrich yourself with knowledge of languages.
Use descriptive approach, and omit philosophy and comparison in the
beginning.
Understand religion from the standpoint of the religious believers
Equip yourself with knowledge and understanding then criticise, debate,
and discuss.

C. Historical Developments of the Disciplines

How old is an interest in religion?
Who initiated the study of religions?
Greeks; Herodotus (c. 484-425 BC).
Muslim writers due to the expansion of Islam.
Christians due to colonisation.
19th century study of religion by sociologists.
How do scholars on religion classify the study of religion?

II. The Definition of Religion

A. Religion: What is it?
How one can define religion?
Do we have to take into account context: who, when, where, how?
Do religious scholars provide one single definition of religion?
What does religion include?
Religion includes beliefs, scriptures, rites and rituals, festivals and
organisational structures.
What does belief include?
Belief in the existence of supernatural or spiritual powers.
Belief of Supreme Being.
Belief in a range of a lesser deities or spirits.
Belief in a transcendent otherworldly realm.
What is the meaning of religion?
Derived from Latin "relegere" and means duty; in plural, "religiones"
means ritual duties.

CONT.,
Definitions:
Religion is "the divine, a superhuman power" "power" "the Holy."
W. C. Smith suggested that religion involves religious experience/faith
[internal dimension], and cumulative tradition [external dimension].
Baird defined religion as "that which is of ultimate or supreme concern to
individuals or groups."
Religion is a "set of beliefs having to do with god or gods, and through
which is taught a moral system."
Paul Tillich defined religion as that which is of "ultimate concern"-- which
is more important than anything else.
A sense of power beyond the human

III. Theories of the Origins of Religion

How did the religion originate?
Ghost Theory, religion evolved from the primitive stage (dreamsmanifestations of spirits, veneration, rituals, religion).
Animism, religion has its origins in the primitive perception of spirits
animating the world of nature.
Natural Historical Theory, propagates a gradual development from
henotheism, polytheism to monotheism.
Original Monotheism Theory, degeneration from belief in, or revelation
of the one God.
The Magic Theory, claims three stages of human development, and these
are magic, religion, and science.

IV. Types of Religions

Basic Religions: Africa and North American indigenous religions
Religions originating in India: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism
Religions originating in China and Japan: Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto
Religions originating in the Middle East: Zoroastrianism, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.

V. Terminology
Theism.

Derived from the Greek word theos which means belief in a

personal god.
Asceticism. An extreme denial of worldly pleasures and possessions.
Atheism.
Belief that there is no God of any kind.
Deism.
Belief in an "absentee God."
Polytheism. Belief in a multitude of personal deities.
Pantheism. Belief that God is identical with nature.
Monotheism.
Belief in one Supreme Being.
Animism. Belief that all animals and objects contain individual
spirits.
Mysticism. A belief which sees enlightenment and spiritual powers
coming through contemplation/meditation.

Christians (total)
Catholic
Protestant
Orthodox
Anglican
Other
Muslims
Sunni
Shi'a
Hindus
Buddhists
Chinese religions
Confucians
Jains
Shinto
Sikhs
Jews

VI. Overview of Religions

1.75 billion
1 billion
363 million
167 million
73 million
160 million
1 billion

705 million
303 million
180 million
6 million
3.6 million
3.1 million
18 million
14 million

VII. Approaches to the Study of Religions

The Personalist Approach: What do the followers of this religion or religious
community believe to be true?
Founder Wilfred Cantwell Smith.
Characteristics:
Descriptive approach.
Person-oriented and verifiable.
Its focus of study:
What does belief or ceremony mean to persons?
What does the believer accepts as true and important?
Study of not things but qualities of personal living.
Study not much religious system but observing religious persons.
Smith is more interested in feelings, thoughts, and effects of certain
ceremony on individual than in description of ceremony.
He preferred the word faith rather than religion; why?
Religious diversity within the religion.
Religious change and development.

What Hidden Structure is Understood by the Structuralist?

Has its beginning in linguistics.
Structuralists ask two essential questions:
What does the language mean?
What does the behaviour mean?
Characteristics:
Rational search for formal rules = "system."
Language = system = speech is act.
Religion = system = practice.
Structuralists consider cognitive or conscious aspect and practice or
expression.

The Functionalism: What Role Does Religion Play in the Life of Society as a
Whole?
Propagators: Emile Durkheim and Bronislaw Malinowski.
What Durkheim and other functionalists ask: How does the religion function
in the life of the society and the individual? What are the social consequences
of religious rites and beliefs upon the individual and their groups? Why
religion persists on such a universal scale? What is the function of religion?
How functionalists explain religion:
Reference to its value for society.
How it serves to discipline individual?
How it binds individuals together into social units?
How it preserves and transmits the traditions?
How it gives to individual identity and cohesion?
For example, through religious ceremonies:
Religion brings solidarity;
Create social groups;
Transmit social values;
Prevent destabilisation of the society after the catastrophe (death for
example).

The Normative Approach: Are the Beliefs of this Religion True?

Founder Hendrick Kreamer.
What Kreamer asks:
Is it true of religious beliefs and practices?
Whether deities exist and scriptural statements are true?
How one should study religion according to Kraemer?
How can the religions be studied, compared and evaluated?
His study of religions:
Kraemer holds that he is a believer in Jesus Christ, and that the Judgements
of Jesus apply to all religions.
Christ is the measure and standard of true religion.
Kraemer's starting point is revelation, which is not to be confused with
intuition and is not derived from religious consciousness.

The Normative Approach: Are the Beliefs of this Religion True?

Founder Hendrick Kreamer.
What Kreamer asks:
Is it true of religious beliefs and practices?
Whether deities exist and scriptural statements are true?
How one should study religion according to Kraemer?
How can the religions be studied, compared and evaluated?
His study of religions:
Kraemer holds that he is a believer in Jesus Christ, and that the Judgements
of Jesus apply to all religions.
Christ is the measure and standard of true religion.
Kraemer's starting point is revelation, which is not to be confused with
intuition and is not derived from religious consciousness.

Phenomenology and History of Religions Approach: Does the Object and

Method of Religious Study Rest on Historical Grounds?
Propagators: Robert Baird and Eliade Mircea.
Characteristics:
Studies of religion from a historical perspective.
The object of study and the methods used to understand religion are
governed by historical considerations.
It has an interest in describing the concerns of individuals.
The attempt to trace back religion itself or some belief, practice, or tradition
to its starting point.
This approach limits historical conclusions to those, which can be
empirically supported or inferred by empirical data.
It does not claim that religion in all its aspects is reducible to the historical
level.
It has its own methodology but it does not deny other approaches.