HUMSS 302: Approaches to The Study of Religions

• The study of religions differ from person to person (insider and outsider)
• INTERNAL


  religion’s own account of origins and functions
• EXTERNAL


  academic disciplines account of origin and functions
• Greek word “theo” which means God and “logos” which means “study” or “discourse” “Study of God”
• Other religions call it as philosophy instead of theology
• Theology implies a belief in one God, but others do not believe in a God/gods
• Theology


  Studies the main doctrines of religion

  Also applies to the systematic study of other monotheistic religions

  Buddhist Philosophy, Hindu Philosophy, Confucian, Taoist, Shinto Philosophies

  Cultivation of virtues, morals, and good governance.
• RELIGIOUS STUDIES


  -Examines different religions in the world

  -Studying a religion from the outside

  -Student of religious study is not a follower of that religion

  -Considers external theories of religion

  -Cultivation of virtues, morals, and good governance.
• “The Golden Bough” by James G. Frazer is a collection of rituals, myths, and religion’s organized pattern and theme
• Mircea Eliade – scholar whose studies included the concepts of sacred space and mythic time, and sacredness of nature
• PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION


  -Deals with philosophical issues found in religion such as the existence of God, evil, attributes of God, miracles, meaning

  -Justifies claims by the strength and coherence argument

  -Theologians engage in philosophy to show that what is believed by Faith and can be demonstrated by Reason
• Christian Theologians engaged in Philosophy of Religion
• ST. AUGUSTINE 


  Evil is the absence of good
• ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 


  Proofs of God’s existence
• ST. ANSELM 


  God is the Greatest Possible Being
• 2 views of Psychology of Religion

  1.A program that reduces religious phenomena believed to be real to mere psychological

  2.A way of purifying religion from the idolatry or worship of man-made objects
• 3 Famous Religious Psychologists

  William James

  Sigmund Freud

  Carl Jung
• William James


  psychological process happens in a religious conversion
• Sigmund Freud 


  our behaviors are controlled by our unconscious mind which contains our repressed sexual/violent desires
• Carl Jung 


  psychological therapeutic system which divides the unconscious mind into the personal and the collective
• PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION


  Application of the different psychological theories and methods to explain religious phenomena
• SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION


  Studies religious beliefs, practices, and organizations using theories and methods of sociology
• influential sociologists of religion


  Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber
• Karl Marx


  Religion is the opium of the masses. Religion as created by the capitalists.
• Emile Durkheim


  Unifying effects of religion to members of society
• Max Weber


  Capitalism is due to religion.
• ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION


  -Explores the ways religious practices are embedded in forms of sociality, regimes of power, historical struggles, and modes of production

  -Studies religion in relation to other social institutions and compares religious beliefs and practices across cultures.
• Edward Burnett Tylor


  the essence of religion or the minimum defining property of religion is “the belief is Spiritual Beings” called animism
• Animism


  the belief in immortal souls, gods, and other spiritual beings
• Religions of civilized races evolved from the animism of the lower r aces
• THREE REASONS FOR STUDYING RELIGIONS

  -First, they are vital ingredient in the varied story of humankind’s various experiments in living.

  -Second, in order to grasp the meanings and values of the plural cultures of the world, we need to know the worldviews which underlie them

  -Third, we may as individuals be trying to form our own coherent and emotionally

  satisfying picture of reality, and it is always relevant to see the great ideas and practices of various important cultures and

  civilizations
• Ninian Smart in his book The World’s Religions, identified three reasons why it is important to understand the world’s religions
• Religions in the world provides models of spirituality from which we can learn or follow in improving our spiritual lives
• Theoretically, religion provides a better picture of human civilization as religions are integral in the development of civilization.
• Practically, religion has two levels:

  1.Interpersonal Level of Practicality

  2.Personal Level of Practicality
• Interpersonal


  -Religions enable us to better interact with people of different cultures

  -Understanding the basis of other’s worldviews and the attitude that goes with them

  -Religions help us cultivate the attitude of tolerance and the appreciation of human differences among people
• Personal


  -Religions enable us to personally understand better the kind of spirituality that we would want

  -Studying religions help us in our own spiritual quest

  -Valuable insights can be gathered from other people’s spiritual journey
• Artistic Value


  -Michael Molloy san that studying religion helps us cultivate a better appreciation of the arts

  -Different religions offer some of the most beautiful works of art

  -Studying religions help discover and appreciate works of art