Theories of Religion

• Substantive definition of religion


  • must be a belief in a god or the supernatural
  • substantive definitions are exclusive because they draw a clear line between religious and non-religious beliefs
• Criticisms of substantive definition

  • ethnocentric - they have a western bias as they exclude religions that do not follow a god e.g. Buddhism
• Weber's definition of religion

  • substantive
  • defines religion as belief in a superior or supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically