Religions have played a powerful role in human societies throughout history. Their influence on individuals and societies makes their study within an academic context essential. Religions offer explanations, provide comfort and support, act as the glue that binds societies together, encourage moral conduct and serve as an alternative to secular ideologies like communism and fascism. These functions and impacts are what make them so fascinating and challenging to research.
A religion is a group of beliefs that include devotional practices, ritual observances, and often a moral code. They also tend to have a sacred history, narratives and mythologies. They also often have holy texts, symbols and shrines, and may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe and other phenomena. Many scholars use a functional definition of religion that includes the belief that there is an ultimate reality, the purpose of human life, and a system of morality. This definition of religion is flexible and leaves the door open for a wide range of religious belief systems to be considered legitimate.
For example, animism – the belief that all things, including animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems and human handiwork have a spiritual essence – is considered to be a religion by some scholars. However, others do not consider it a religion because it does not involve a system of worship or veneration.
Because of the broad spectrum of belief systems that qualify as a religion, scholars have developed different ways to analyze them. Some scholars use a structural approach that looks at the forms and structures of a religion. Others use a more open or polythetic approach to define religion. They look at the properties that a religion has and compare those to other types of social formations to see how they function.
Some scholars look at how a religion is created, reshaped and maintained in society. Others examine the psychological and sociological aspects of a religion. Still other researchers are focused on a religion’s place in the world and its impact on politics.
In the past few decades, some scholars have begun to take a more reflexive approach to their work on religion. They pull the camera back to look at how a concept like religion is constructed and used. They argue that the fact that what is considered a religion shifts according to one’s definition reveals how socially constructed the concept of religion is.
A common approach to the study of religion is to combine the methods of other disciplines such as anthropology, phenomenology, psychology and sociology. These combined approaches allow students to gain a richer understanding of the diversity and power of religions around the world. Students learn that while religions differ in their beliefs and practices, all religions are complex and dynamic. They also discover that, while some religions seek acceptance, others use their teachings as a way to control the lives of their followers. It is important to remember that a religion is not something that can be forced on anyone; it is an individual choice.
