What Even IS a Religion?: Crash Course Religions #1

Summary

In this Crash Course Religions episode, John Green explores the complex and multifaceted nature of religion. He challenges the conventional understanding by questioning the definition of religion and whether practices like yoga or even fandoms could be considered religious. Green discusses the historical evolution of the concept, from its roots in 16th-century Western Europe to its global implications today. He highlights the significance of how societies define religion, as it affects legal protections, tax exemptions, and the recognition of certain practices, emphasizing the importance of being aware of these definitions and their impact on people's lives.

Takeaways

• 😯 The concept of 'religion' is complex and varies depending on cultural and societal contexts.
• 🤔 John Green admits uncertainty around defining 'religion,' highlighting its multifaceted nature.
• 🧘‍♂️ Yoga exemplifies the ambiguity of religious classification, being seen both as a spiritual practice and as a form of exercise.
• 🏛 The debate over whether yoga is religious or not shows that definitions of religion are influenced by who benefits from the classification.
• 🌟 Religions can be seen as frameworks that help individuals organize and make sense of their lives, but this definition is not all-encompassing.
• 🏞️ Sociologist Émile Durkheim defined religion as a system of beliefs and practices surrounding the 'sacred,' which varies widely across cultures.
• 📜 Religions can be creedal, focusing on shared beliefs and often linked to sacred texts, or votive, emphasizing actions and practices.
• 🏛️ The historical concept of 'religion' as a separate sphere of life is a relatively recent development, originating from the Protestant Reformation.
• 🌍 The colonial era brought European definitions of religion into conflict with indigenous practices, often leading to misunderstandings and misclassifications.
• 🏢 The way a country defines religion can have significant legal and societal impacts, influencing issues like tax exemptions and legal protections.
• 🚫 The denial of religious recognition to certain practices can lead to persecution, as seen with Rastafarians and their use of marijuana in various countries.

Q & A

What is the main challenge the speaker, John Green, acknowledges at the beginning of the script regarding the concept of religion?

John Green acknowledges that he doesn't know what religion is, highlighting the complexity and the difficulty in defining it, which is a challenge that many people face when trying to understand or describe religion.

How does the script illustrate the ambiguity of classifying yoga as a religious practice?

The script illustrates the ambiguity by mentioning two contrasting cases: one where the U.S. state of Missouri wanted to reclassify yoga classes as taxable recreational businesses, and another where parents in California sued a school district arguing that teaching yoga was promoting Hinduism.

What are the two categories of religions mentioned in the script, and how do they differ?

The two categories of religions mentioned are 'creedal religions', which are linked to a shared belief system and often associated with a sacred text, and 'votive religions', which focus on actions rather than beliefs, such as the Soto Zen school of Buddhism.

What does the script suggest about the definition of religion being influenced by societal context?

The script suggests that the definition of religion is not universal but is specific to the societies we live in, shaped by historical, cultural, and political contexts, and can serve particular interests within those societies.

How does the script relate the historical development of the concept of 'religion' to the Protestant Reformation?

The script relates the historical development of the concept of 'religion' to the Protestant Reformation by explaining that the idea of religion as a private, personal belief system traces back to the 16th-century Western Europe during this period, where there was a dispute over the Church's authority.

What are the implications of how a government defines 'religion' according to the script?

The script implies that how a government defines 'religion' can have significant legal and social implications, such as determining which practices receive legal protection, tax exemptions, and which may be marginalized or criminalized.

What example does the script provide to show how the concept of 'religion' can be used to exclude certain groups?

The script provides the example of the Chinese government detaining over one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in re-education camps, despite the Chinese Constitution granting legal protection to 'normal religious activities', to show how the concept of 'religion' can be used to exclude certain groups.

How does the script describe the relationship between religion and the concept of the 'sacred' as per Émile Durkheim?

The script describes the relationship between religion and the 'sacred' by quoting sociologist Émile Durkheim, who defined 'religion' as a system of beliefs and practices surrounding the 'sacred', which is anything a community has given special meaning to.

What does the script suggest about the diversity within religious practices?

The script suggests that there is no single way of doing religion and no defining quality that unites all religious practices, emphasizing the importance of being conscious of the definitions used and aware of who is policing its boundaries.

What is the 'Ultimate Concern' as defined by Paul Tillich in the script, and how does it relate to religion?

In the script, Paul Tillich's definition of religion is described as 'the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern', suggesting that religion involves a belief or series of beliefs that structure and animate a person's life, even if there is no single idea about what that ultimate concern is.