Defining and Research Religion and Spirituality

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Defining and ResearchReligion and Spirituality
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Questions

• What is religion?
• How would you define the term?
• What are the elements of religion?

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There are two main types of definitions of
religion

• Functional Definitions
• Describe what religion does
• How it helps people cope with life
• How it gives them meaning and purpose
• How it provides a framework for their identity
• Substantive Definitions
• Describe the nature and character of the
  religious experience
• What religion is (vs. what it does)

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Examples of functional definitions of religion

• Robert Bellah
• Religion is that set of symbolic forms and acts
  which relates man to the ultimate conditions of
  his existence
• J. Milton Yinger
• Religion is a system of beliefs and practices by
  means of which a group of people struggles with
  the ultimate problems of life

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Examples of substantive definitions of religion

• William James
• Religion is the feelings, acts, and experiences
  of individual men in their solitude, so far as
  they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to
  whatever they may consider the divine.
• Rudolf Otto
• Religion is an encounter with the numinous (the
  mysterium tremendum, the holy)

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What are some of the sources of religion?
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Possible sources of religion

• Personal crises
• Associated with death, identity, suffering, etc.
• Encounters of a deep mystical sort
• In nature, visions, dreams, voices
• Acculturation
• Being born into a religious worldview

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Elements of religion

• Joachim Wachs 3 expressions of religion
• Theoretical
• Beliefs, teachings, creeds, sacred scriptures,
  etc.
• Practical
• Worship, ritual, pilgrimage, ceremonies
• Sociological
• Organizational structure, people (their various
  characteristics), cultural context, etc.

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Researching Religion and Spirituality

• Some principles of observation and interpretation

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Two approaches to religion

• Normative/Personal faith perspective
• Judging religion by whether or not it is true,
  right, produces good results
• Phenomenological
• Describing religion in terms of someones
  experience of it what it means to them how they
  believe it is affecting their life

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Several guidelines for your research

• You are there to learn, understand
• not to persuade, convince, or set people right
• Bracket your own opinions, perspectives, bias
• Attempt to get instead of their worldview,
  experience
• In your research, make a clear separation between
  your description and interpretation