Don’t worry, this won’t be a long post. I have neither the knowledge nor ability to give a comprehensive definition. All I want to do today is share a couple interesting tools that you can use to broaden and deepen your understanding.
Trying to define religion is like trying to define “culture” or “love”. The answer is fluid and driven heavily by time & place. For example, many people argue that “religion” itself is a modern Western and largely Judeo-Christian concept. It’s contentious and complex enough that Wikipedia even has a dedicated entry for the “definition of religion”.
Modern science is based on the principle, give us one free miracle and we’ll explain all the rest – Terrence McKenna
I share the above quote because it so neatly expresses a central reason why religion exists, which is to explain and empathize that which we do not know. And when science has done its best, when its formulated multiverses and string theory and the Big Bang and maybe even explained what happened before the Big Bang, there will still be more mysteries we can’t explain, more questions math and science can’t answer. Religion begins there.
Or as Jonathan Sacks says, religion helps us answer these questions:
Who am I? Why am I here? How then shall I live?
Definition #1: The 4 B’s — Belonging, Believing, Bonding, and Behaving
We distinguish among four dimensions of religion: belonging to a religious denomination, believing certain religious propositions, bonding to religious practices, and behaving in a religious manner – Vassilis Saroglou
For example, in a broadly Christian context —
Belonging: I am a member of X denomination, Y church, and Z small group
Believing: I believe Jesus died for our sins and on the third day, was reincarnated before ascending to Heaven
Bonding: I identify as a Christian because of things I do, like prayer and Church attendance
Behaving: I don’t work on Sunday; I don’t say the Lord’s name in vain; etc
Definition #2: The 7 Dimensions of Religion
A framework developed by Scottish professor Ninian Smart. I like this one because it’s comprehensive.
1. Ritual: Forms and orders of ceremonies (private and/or public) (often regarded as revealed)
2. Narrative and Mythic: stories (often regarded as revealed) that work on several levels. Sometimes narratives fit together into a fairly complete and systematic interpretation of the universe and human’s place in it.
3. Experiential and emotional: dread, guilt, awe, mystery, devotion, liberation, ecstasy, inner peace, bliss (private)
4. Social and Institutional: belief system is shared and attitudes practiced by a group. Often rules for identifying community membership and participation (public)
5. Ethical and legal: Rules about human behavior (often regarded as revealed from supernatural realm)
6. Doctrinal and philosophical: systematic formulation of religious teachings in an intellectually coherent form
7. Material: ordinary objects or places that symbolize or manifest the sacred or supernatural
And in a Buddhist context —
1. Ritual: A meditation practice every morning at 5am
2. Narrative: Buddha began his life as a young noble man named Siddhartha Gautama who…
3. Experiential: The peace and clarity that come from meditative practice; The sense of belonging and discipline that come from following the Dharma
4. Social: The Sangha, the community, the monastic order
5. Ethical: The 5 Precepts (Don’t harm others, Don’t steal, Don’t lie, Don’t have improper sexual relations, Don’t intoxicate oneself eg, alcohol, coffee)
6. Doctrinal: The Tripitaka
7. Material: The orange robes that Theravada Buddhist monks wear
Definition #3: The 9 ways that people relate to God
This is from a book by Gary Thomas called Sacred Pathways [Amazon].
I like this one because it’s personal and intimate. Even more than the first two, this one is Judeo-Christian in its worldview, but I believe it can still be helpful for understanding other faiths.
…people worshiped that one God in many ways: Abraham had a religious bent, building altars everywhere he went. Moses and Elijah revealed an activist’s streak in their various confrontations with forces of evil and in their conversations with God. David celebrated God with an enthusiastic style of worship, while his son, Solomon, expressed his love for God by offering generous sacrifices. Ezekiel and John described loud and colorful images of God, stunning in sensuous brilliance. Mordecai demonstrated his love for God by caring for others, beginning with the orphaned Esther. Mary of Bethany is the classic contemplative, sitting at Jesus’ feet.
1. Naturalists are most inspired to love God out-of-doors, in natural settings
2. Sensates love God with their senses and appreciate beautiful worship services that involve their sight, taste, smell, and touch, not just their ears
3. Traditionalists draw closer to God through rituals, liturgies, symbols, and unchanging structures
4. Ascetics prefer to love God in solitude and simplicity
5. Activists love God through confronting evil, battling injustice, and working to make the world a better place
6. Caregivers love God by loving others and meeting their needs
7. Enthusiasts love God through celebration
8. Contemplatives love God through adoration
9. Intellectuals love God by studying with their minds
Which one are you? I would consider myself a combination of Ascetic, Activist, and Intellectual.
A few final quotes
“Every religion recognizes man as equally insignificant in relation to Infinity;—and therefore every religion always contains the idea of the equality of all men before that which it regards as God, whether that be lightning, the wind, a tree, an animal, a hero, a deceased or even a live king, as it was in Rome.” – Tolstoy
“A person’s ultimate concern” – Paul Tillich
“The feeling of absolute dependence. A sense and taste for the infinite.” – F. Schleiermacher
Thanks for reading! In previous posts, I explored whether Silicon Valley will disrupt religion, and used the Lindy Effect to explain why religious knowledge will always be valuable.