As much as religious conflict dominates our public conversations, religion has long been a force for unity. Religion is constantly changing. I would like to explore the idea of religion as a community, separating religion as a concept from religion as a practice. Etymologically, “religio” means that which binds together, so to say that religion builds strong communities is somewhat circular. If religion did not have this effect, it would not be religion. But one must still ask if the practices that build up particular communities – churches, mosques, synagogues – also contribute to the building up of more inclusive communities.
There is a strong connection between religious and cultural practices. Is there a universal definition of religion that crosses cultures? Religion is a loosely used term by social scientists and historians as though it were cross-cultural. Those who treat is as such do so when studying socio-cultural occurrences. This method is understandable in our western society where the distinction is clear between “church” and “state.” However, I do not believe that this is in fact true on a larger scale.
Looking into a historical perspective, one could see that the earliest attempts at a universal definition of religion began in the 17th Century. Beginning to make a generic definition of religion could put everyone on common ground. Geertz discusses religion as a system of symbols. Symbols communicate something about our worldview and our ethos. Religious symbols persuade us that there is a direct connection between how the world is and how we live, or how we ought to live. In religious symbols, both fit perfectly together so that each reinforces the other. Religion formulates conceptions of a general order of exis...
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...hem, church is not simply a place of worship, but it is a community center where they know they can go and be among like-minded people. This offers a sense of relief to an individual. Geertz states that religious symbols help with the pain of hardship, so does the knowledge of having people by your side no matter the circumstance. This may be true in any religio-cultural institution, but I can only speak for my own. I know that no matter what Greek Orthodox Church I walk into, in any part of the world, I will understand, I will know the service, the expectations and above all, I will be welcomed with open arms simply because I am Greek. . This feeling of inclusion, of belonging to something beyond just you, to something that transcends time and socio-economic realities incorporating tiny you into a universal web of love, understanding and support is beyond words.
Just as there is a variety of identities involving race, gender, and class, so too are there a range of religious identities. Byzantine Catholics, Hindus, born-again Evangelicals, atheists, agnostics, and Buddhists are only a few religious identities I have encountered in America. This environment, at best, allows religious variety to be understood and embraced—and at worst, divides us. In Acts of Faith, author Eboo Patel discusses his belief that the “faith line” will define conflict and concord in the 21st century.
Religion is “the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship.” (Cambridge Dictionary) Many people believe in something else out of the evidential or scientific view, thinking that good things happen because God says so, or that the universe was not made by the Big Bang. Even though is something that was more present in history years ago, a lot of people still believe and practise a religion. According to Stephen Juan there are about 4,300 religions in the world. About a 75 per cent of the population of the world practises a religion and the two religions most widely spread are the Christianity and the Islam. (2006) They can be divided in believers, adherents or not adherents, agnostics and atheists. People who are believers are the ones who have faith in something great beyond and
Religion, “part of the human experience that has to do with a god or gods, a higher power, or the ultimate values of life” (Cason & Tillman 6-7), is one of the most controversial and interesting subjects for humanity. It has been around for as long as anyone can recall and they have difference and similarities in their founders, beliefs, and history. Religion has served to give some sort of a meaning to life and everything around it. In modern society, some religions have grown and expanded significantly. These larger religions have been classified as world religions. In addition, these world religions have been split into two categories known as Eastern and Western religion.
Religion is considered as a pervasive force in this world. It shapes people as to how they behave and interact with almost everything present in the society. Influencing behavior, character formations, ideals, policies, standards are just among the dimensions and societal perspectives affected and impacted by religion. Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply
Since the origin of life on earth the question of religion has always existed. What is religion? The word itself comes to us from the Latin language and means to unite. Religion unites the human mind into one union. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, religion is anything that has a significant importance to a specific person or society. In the case of this definition, anything can be considered as religion and it could also be said that everyone has a religion. This statement could be true since everyone finds something in life to claim as important, for some it is family. All over the world, people have different views of what they believe in, which is why there is a continuous disunity among humanity. With all these beliefs influencing
As far as mankind’s history can date, religion has had quite an intimate relationship with people. Although maybe it hasn’t always been identified in the same way as we identify religion today, spread across the world we have the remains of pyramids, temples, and even written in ancient texts from centuries ago dedicated to god, to the afterlife, to what lies on the other side. And up to today’s times, religion has grown along with man.
Religion is an ever-growing idea that has no set date of origin. Throughout history religion has served as an answer to the questions that man could not resolve. The word religion is derived from the Latin word “religio” meaning restraint in collaboration with the Greek word “relegere” which means to repeat or to read again. Religion is currently defined as an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. Throughout time, there has yet to be a culture that lacks a religion of some form, whether it is a branch of paganism, a mythological based religion or mono/polytheistic religion. Many religions have been forgotten due to the fact that they were ethnic religions and globalizing religions were fighting to be recognized, annihilating these ancient and ethnic religions. Some of these faiths include: Finnish Paganism, Atenism, Minoan Religion, Mithraism, Manichaeism, Vedism, Zoroastrianism, Asatru, and the Olmec Religion. Religion is an imperative part of our contemporary world but mod...
It seems that a large thread in the study of ecclesiology is the community aspect of religion. “Church is not about a few like-minded persons getting to gether for mutual support; it is about millions and millions of different kinds of persons transcending their differences” (Rolheiser, 115). After reading this chapter I understand how religion is important for the human race because it ties millions and millions of people together. If there was no church, there would be more a large increase in conflicts among ourselves, something the human race cannot
Because of the colossal impact of religion in the countries surveyed the only accurate way to peek at how these people understanding themselves and their place in the world is to first have an understanding of the major religion or religions that are at work within a given society. But that statement demands the question, how is it that through religion we define ourselves? My research relies heavily on the inte...
Geertz defines religion as ‘(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.’ In this essay, I will focus on the Geertz’s idea, and Asad’s subsequent critique, of symbols. (Geertz, Clifford, and Michael Banton. "Religion as a cultural system." (1966).)
Religion can be defined as a system of beliefs and worships which includes a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. Well over 90% of the world 's population adheres to some form of religion. The problem is that there are so many different religions. What is the right religion? What is true religion? The two most common ingredients in religions are rules and rituals. Some religions are essentially nothing more than a list of rules, dos and don 'ts, which a person must observe in order to be considered a faithful adherent of that religion, and thereby, right with the God of that religion. Two examples of rules-based religions are Islam and Judaism. Islam has its five pillars that must be observed.
Religion itself can mean many different things and is interpreted differently by each group of people. The literal meaning of the word “religion” is “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.” Religion is divided into different secs such as Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. Although religion is aimed to unite people and bring them together, I believe there are certain aspects that divide people or make them “different” from everyone else. The factors that have caused religion to divide are war and violence, the caste system, and rituals.
Together I believe these two definitions give a very clear example of what religion truly is. Religion cannot be defined as something with a one fixed meaning. It is unique to almost every individual. At times it can be vastly different from its surrounding culture. So it is easy to see why it has caused so many controversial world issues. Religion has existed as long as humans could think and wonder. A vast majority of people have always believed that there is a higher power or a divine being that controls the events that occur in our lives. Unfortunately, though, religion and its many components has commonly raised more questions for people. Why is it that wars and international tensions are, almost always, strongly influenced by a person's religion? A person's religious belief has the potential to get him killed. Why is it that religion creates so much turmoil? It is this question as well as others that create a hunger within people to seek out and ultimately discover the truths of the world, whatever that may be. Inevitably this search leads to a multitude of ideas and theories, or better known as philosophies.
Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a universal language and culture among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being receiving the worship and praise may not be the same, but the practices are usually similar and serve the same purpose--to give direction, insight, courage, and a divine connection.
The definition of religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods(Merriam-Webster). After this semester I have come to realize that religion is a much more advanced, complicated, and personal definition. Religion can’t be defined in one word or one term because there is a lot that religion entails. There really is no concrete answer of what religion is and the definition varies among different groups of people and individuals.