What is religion?
Religion is a concept that is difficult to define. For our purposes here, we'll use this definition: Religion is any system of belief about a higher power than one's self, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life.
Why is religion important to study?
To understand human culture, history and each other one must first understand religion. Religion has been, and continues to be, fundamental to people's thoughts and actions. Because of this, it is necessary to be knowledgeable of religion to fully navigate and participate in the world.
It's vital to learn about the historical and cultural role that religion has played in various regions throughout the world. This will give one a better context for learning about events, people, and places throughout the rest of the world. Understanding world religions will help you analyze the changes in thought and culture of nearly all continents.
An academic and historical study of religion offers an approach to understanding religion that priests, imams, rabbis, gurus and other spiritual leaders often do not offer. By using this approach, we are able to see that as a species, religion has always been with us, though in many different forms. Throughout history, it has expressed many of the deepest questions human beings could ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of numerous civilizations and cultures. As we think all the way back to the dawn of human consciousness, we find religion everywhere we turn.
This may be true of the past, but what about the present - and the future? In recent times, some have suggested that religion is on the decline. Technology and science have changed our view of the world radically, leading some to say that we've entered a new stage of human existence, without religion. Soon, they argue, it will truly be a thing of the past.
In our day and age, rumors of religion's demise eventual seem very premature. Religion persists and is often on the rise, even as scientific and non-religious perspectives have become prominent. We still find religion everywhere, on television, in film, in popular music, in our towns and neighborhoods. We discover religion at the center of global issues and cultural conflict. We can see religion in the lives of the people we know and love, and in ourselves. Why does religion play such an important role in so many cultures? There are many reasons, but one thing is certain: religious traditions are adaptable in important ways. For some, contemporary religion even has room for skepticism, science, and the secular, which allows it to coexist with nearly any worldview.
Regardless of one's orientation, one thing is for certain: religion has a dramatic effect on cultures throughout the world. For anyone who wants to be informed about the world around them - religion is an intensely curious phenomenon that calls out for better understanding.
It's vital to learn about the historical and cultural role that religion has played in various regions throughout the world. This will give one a better context for learning about events, people, and places throughout the rest of the world. Understanding world religions will help you analyze the changes in thought and culture of nearly all continents.
An academic and historical study of religion offers an approach to understanding religion that priests, imams, rabbis, gurus and other spiritual leaders often do not offer. By using this approach, we are able to see that as a species, religion has always been with us, though in many different forms. Throughout history, it has expressed many of the deepest questions human beings could ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of numerous civilizations and cultures. As we think all the way back to the dawn of human consciousness, we find religion everywhere we turn.
This may be true of the past, but what about the present - and the future? In recent times, some have suggested that religion is on the decline. Technology and science have changed our view of the world radically, leading some to say that we've entered a new stage of human existence, without religion. Soon, they argue, it will truly be a thing of the past.
In our day and age, rumors of religion's demise eventual seem very premature. Religion persists and is often on the rise, even as scientific and non-religious perspectives have become prominent. We still find religion everywhere, on television, in film, in popular music, in our towns and neighborhoods. We discover religion at the center of global issues and cultural conflict. We can see religion in the lives of the people we know and love, and in ourselves. Why does religion play such an important role in so many cultures? There are many reasons, but one thing is certain: religious traditions are adaptable in important ways. For some, contemporary religion even has room for skepticism, science, and the secular, which allows it to coexist with nearly any worldview.
Regardless of one's orientation, one thing is for certain: religion has a dramatic effect on cultures throughout the world. For anyone who wants to be informed about the world around them - religion is an intensely curious phenomenon that calls out for better understanding.