“In my opinion, religion can generally be classified as a system of beliefs and morals that are followed by a group of people … For example, any “religion” where individuals believe in a greater deity or system that dictates the world around us would fall under the definition of a “religion,” regardless of if it is viewed as a religion by others …While the specific aspects of each religion differ, there is typically some set of cohesive characteristics that generally define the “religion” and are part of a greater cultural system. Ultimately, religion can be defined as any human construct where followers subscribe to specific beliefs, practices, or moral values that attempt to explain the controlling forces in our reality”
Callie Mastin
Assessing My Original Definition of Religion
When considering the ways in which religion influences aspects of daily life, it is first important to understand what religion really is. While there are countless definitions of religion that have been created by various cultures and groups throughout history, it is useful to come up with a central definition of religion when studying a specific topic. Even though one singular definition of religion does not exist, certain cultures tend to associate specific meanings with the term “religion” based on the unique contexts surrounding their culture. For example, Craig Martin discusses this topic in his book “A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion.” Craig states that how religion “is defined, as well as what’s included or excluded in the definition, depends on the interests of those making up the definition” (Martin 3). Drawing from this idea, it can be argued that an individual’s personal history and context play a role in their interpretation of “religion”. When attempting to define religion in this class, I was unaware that my inherent personal biases and experiences with Western culture would influence my definition of religion as much as they did.
Before analyzing my personal definition of religion, it is important to acknowledge the history of the western idea of “religion.” Until the 19th century, the primary religions widely accepted were all monotheistic, believing in a singular higher power; Christianity, Islam, and Judaism (Ramey 30). Due to the fact that European Christianity has been a dominant influence on the definition of “religion” around the world, it should be recognized that there are other concepts of “religion” outside of the European Christian one such as Confucianism or certain sects of Hinduism. In “Do all Religious Adherents Believe in the Concept of a Higher Power,” Ramey states that “the singular nature of the phrase ‘a higher power’ … reflects the European origins of ‘religion’ (Ramey 30). Looking at my definition of religion, it is clear that I unknowingly subscribed to the western idea of a “higher power.” For example, in my definition, I stated that “any “religion” where individuals believe in a greater deity or system that dictates the world around us would fall under the definition of a religion”. From this definition, it is clear that I used the singular form of a great deity when saying “a greater deity or system”. To this extent, it can be concluded that my idea of “religion” was influenced by western, Christian beliefs that I grew up surrounded by. Even though I am not religious myself, my idea of religion was influenced by the cultures and contexts that surround me and reflect the West’s influence on the definition of religion.
Furthermore, the original definition of “religion” that I posted seemed to use Christianity as the foundation for the definition. For example, because I indirectly referenced monotheistic religions by saying “a greater deity” instead of deities, I was still establishing my definition of “religion” by using the Christian idea of one God to inform the process. For example, the author of “Religion and the Problem of Definition” states that we set Christianity up as the universal standard by defining religion as “having central beliefs and doctrines that practitioners must believe in … have communities of worshipers organized around the sacred texts, doctrines, and rituals, like the Christian Church” (Martin 10). Taking Martin’s idea and applying it to my original definition of religion, it can be concluded that I was unknowingly using Christianity as the universal standard of religion. By stating that “religion can generally be classified as a system of beliefs and morals that are followed by a group of people,” I automatically set up Christianity as the “ideal type” of religion by referencing fundamentally Christian ideals such as “having central beliefs and doctrines” and “having communities of worshipers organized around doctrines and rituals, like the Christian Church” (Martin 10). Ultimately, my original definition of religion was influenced by my personal experience with the Christian church and western ideals, even though I am not Christian myself.
In conclusion, my definition of “religion” was influenced by my knowledge of the religion I was most familiar with: Christianity. After reading several sources for class and creating a better understanding of why people define religion the way that they do, I recognize the flaws within my original definition. For example, I did not consider the fact that the word “religion” does not exist in certain cultures, and therefore the idea of “religion” may not have the same characteristics or meaning as the English word for religion has. For example, Russell McCutcheon states in “What is the Academic Study of Religion?” that “for language families unaffected by Latin, there is no equivalent term to ‘religion” (McCutcheon). To this extent, my definition of “religion” was extremely limited because other languages or cultures were not considered. If I were to adjust my definition of religion after the readings for this unit, I would make it clear that the Western, English definition of “religion” can be extremely different from what “religion” in other cultures or languages is. Ultimately, ensuring that the Western idea of “religion” is not equated to the “ideal” type of religion is an important aspect to consider when attempting to create a working definition.
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