What is Religion?

Summary

This script delves into the complexity of defining 'religion,' highlighting the lack of a unified academic consensus. It critiques early definitions for their biases and explores perspectives from anthropologists like Tylor, Durkheim, and Weber, who emphasize religion's psychological and social roles. The script challenges the Western-centric view, urging a broader understanding that recognizes religion's diversity and evolution over time and across cultures.

Takeaways

• 😯 There is no universally agreed-upon definition of religion in academia, making it one of the most challenging questions to answer definitively.
• 📚 Early anthropological definitions, such as Edward B. Tylor's, have been criticized for being biased and problematic, often reflecting a Christian or Protestant perspective.
• 🤔 Influential thinkers like Emile Durkheim and Max Weber offered different perspectives on religion, with Weber viewing it as a psychological phenomenon and Durkheim as a social one.
• 🙏 Durkheim's view emphasizes that religious symbols and rituals serve to strengthen group identity and social belonging, similar to national flags.
• 💡 The importance of practice and performance in religion is highlighted, suggesting that actions often precede beliefs and rationalization.
• 📖 Clifford Geertz provided a celebrated definition of religion as a system of symbols that establishes moods and motivations in people, influenced by Weber's perspective.
• 🏠 Abby Day introduced the term 'believing in belonging,' suggesting that social identity and belonging are central to religious belief and practice.
• 🌏 The concept of religion is Western and influenced heavily by Christianity, which can lead to misunderstandings when applied to other religions.
• 🔄 Religions are internally diverse and change over time and place, with no single interpretation or practice being universal within a religion.
• 🌐 The distinction between religion and culture is not always clear, with the two being intertwined and influencing each other significantly.
• 🌟 The script encourages a nuanced and complex understanding of religion, recognizing its diversity and evolution, and the importance of context in its study.

Q & A

Why is defining 'religion' considered a difficult task in academia?

Defining 'religion' is difficult because there is no official, agreed-upon definition in scholarship or academia. It involves various perspectives and interpretations that can vary greatly, making it a complex and multifaceted concept.

What problem arises from Edward B. Tylor's definition of religion as 'belief in supernatural beings'?

Tylor's definition is problematic because it is biased towards a Christian or Protestant perspective and assumes that all religious beliefs are attempts to explain natural phenomena, which is an outdated and limited view.

How did Emile Durkheim and Max Weber approach the study of religion differently?

Emile Durkheim viewed religion as a social phenomenon that strengthens group identity and organization, while Max Weber saw religion as a psychological phenomenon, a coping strategy for humans to create meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.

What does Clifford Geertz's definition of religion emphasize?

Geertz's definition emphasizes that religion is a system of symbols which establish moods and motivations in people by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence, making these conceptions seem realistic.

What does Abby Day's concept of 'believing in belonging' suggest about religion?

Abby Day's concept suggests that religion is primarily about social belonging and identity formation, with belief being a matter of performative identity and social relationships.

Why is the term 'religion' considered a Western concept?

The term 'religion' is considered a Western concept because it is largely influenced by the Christian environment and is often used to interpret and understand other religions from a Christian-centric framework.

What issues arise when trying to apply a Christian framework to non-Christian religions?

Applying a Christian framework to non-Christian religions can oversimplify and misrepresent these religions, as it assumes they follow the same model of having a founder, sacred scripture, and established theology, which is not always the case.

How does Talal Asad challenge the separation of religion and culture?

Talal Asad argues that the idea of religion and culture being separate is a modern invention, and that in reality, they are infinitely intertwined and can be one and the same thing.

What does the script suggest about the diversity and evolution of religions?

The script suggests that all religions are internally diverse and change over time and place. They are not fixed entities but are continually shaped by the people who practice them and the contexts in which they exist.

Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying religion?

Considering multiple perspectives is important because it acknowledges the complexity and diversity of religious beliefs and practices, and helps to avoid oversimplification and misinterpretation from a single cultural or academic viewpoint.

What role do practices and performances play in the understanding of religion according to the script?

According to the script, practices and performances are crucial in understanding religion as they continually shape and create the religion itself. It suggests that actions come first, and beliefs are rationalized afterward.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Elusive Definition of Religion

The paragraph discusses the complexity of defining religion, noting that despite its common usage, there is no universally accepted definition in academia. It highlights the limitations of early definitions, such as Edward B. Tylor's, which focused on belief in supernatural beings but was criticized for its Christian-centric bias. The paragraph also introduces the perspectives of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, who respectively viewed religion as a social phenomenon and a psychological coping mechanism. It emphasizes the importance of practice and performance in religion, suggesting that actions often precede beliefs.

05:01

📚 Evolution of Religious Definitions

This paragraph continues the exploration of religion's definition by mentioning Clifford Geertz's influential definition, which sees religion as a system of symbols that create moods and motivations. It contrasts this with Abby Day's concept of 'believing in belonging,' which suggests that religious belief is primarily about social identity and belonging. The paragraph also addresses the Western-centric bias in understanding religion, pointing out that applying a Christian framework to other religions can lead to misunderstandings and oversimplification.

10:02

🌏 Cultural and Contextual Influences on Religion

The third paragraph delves into how cultural and contextual factors shape religious beliefs and practices. It challenges the Western notion of religion as a distinct category, separate from culture, by arguing that religion and culture are deeply intertwined. The paragraph uses Islam as an example to show how religious practices can vary significantly across different cultures. It also discusses the internal diversity within religions and how they evolve over time, emphasizing that religions are not static but are constantly shaped by the people and contexts in which they exist.

15:03

🔍 Understanding Religion's Complexity

The final paragraph summarizes the complexity of defining and understanding religion. It acknowledges the ongoing debate and the need for a nuanced approach to studying religion. The speaker encourages viewers to consider the various perspectives and to maintain an open mind regarding the definition and nature of religion. The paragraph concludes with a call for a scholarly and neutral approach to understanding religion's role in society, both historically and in the present.

Keywords

💡Religion

Religion is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses a system of beliefs, practices, rituals, and moral codes. In the video, the term is explored as not having a universally agreed-upon definition, indicating its complexity and the challenges in defining it. The script discusses various perspectives on religion, from belief in supernatural beings to social phenomena and psychological coping mechanisms.

💡Supernatural beings

Supernatural beings refer to entities that are considered to exist outside the natural laws of the world. The video mentions how early anthropologist Edward B. Tylor defined religion as a belief in such beings, which, while a common perspective, is critiqued for its bias towards a Christian or Protestant viewpoint and for oversimplifying the concept of religion.

💡Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who viewed religion as a social phenomenon. The script references his perspective that religion serves to create a sense of social belonging and strengthens group identity. Durkheim's view is contrasted with other scholars' perspectives to highlight the diversity of interpretations on religion's role in society.

💡Max Weber

Max Weber was a German sociologist who approached religion as a psychological phenomenon. He saw religion as a human attempt to create meaning in a seemingly meaningless world, serving as a coping strategy for existential questions. The video script uses Weber's perspective to discuss how religion can be a means of dealing with life's complexities and uncertainties.

💡Clifford Geertz

Clifford Geertz was an American anthropologist known for his influential definition of religion. The video script quotes Geertz's definition, which describes religion as a system of symbols that establish moods and motivations by formulating conceptions of existence. This definition is highlighted for its comprehensiveness and its influence on religious studies.

💡Practice and performance

Practice and performance refer to the actions and rituals that are part of religious observance. The video emphasizes that religion is not just about belief but is also about what people do, with practices shaping and creating the religion. This perspective is supported by the argument that the performance of rituals is primary, with theoretical or symbolic meanings being secondary.

💡Believing in belonging

The term 'believing in belonging' is introduced by Abby Day to suggest that people's religious beliefs are primarily about their social belonging and identity. This concept is explored in the video as an alternative to viewing religion solely as a set of beliefs, emphasizing the social and performative aspects of religious life.

💡Western concept

The video discusses how the term 'religion' and its understanding are rooted in Western, particularly Christian, contexts. This perspective influences how scholars define and study religion, often leading to a Christian-centric framework that may not be applicable to non-Christian religions. The script argues for a more nuanced approach that acknowledges the diversity and cultural contexts of religious practices.

💡Internal diversity

Internal diversity within religions is a concept highlighted in the video, emphasizing that no religion is monolithic and that there are multiple interpretations and practices within any given religious tradition. This diversity is seen as a natural part of religious evolution and adaptation to different cultural contexts.

💡Evolution and change

The video script addresses how religions evolve and change over time and place. It argues against the view of religions as static entities, instead presenting them as dynamic and adaptable, shaped by the people who practice them and the contexts in which they exist. This perspective challenges the idea of religions as having fixed beliefs and practices.

💡Cultural context

Cultural context is crucial in understanding how religions manifest and are interpreted. The video script discusses how the same religion can look very different in different cultural settings, such as Islam in Morocco versus Indonesia. It suggests that religion and culture are not separate but intertwined, influencing each other in complex ways.

Highlights

The complexity of defining 'religion' and the lack of an official, agreed-upon definition in academia.

Early anthropological attempts to define religion, such as Edward B. Tylor's definition focusing on belief in supernatural beings.

The problems with Tylor's definition, including its Christian-centric bias and the assumption that religion is a failed attempt to explain natural phenomena.

Max Weber's view of religion as a psychological phenomenon and a coping strategy for existential questions.

Émile Durkheim's perspective on religion as a social phenomenon that strengthens group identity and organization.

The importance of practice and performance in religion, as opposed to just belief.

Clifford Geertz's influential definition of religion as a system of symbols that create moods and motivations in people.

Critiques of Geertz's definition for potentially overlooking the social aspect of religion.

Abby Day's concept of 'believing in belonging' and the role of social relationships in religious belief.

The western concept of 'religion' and how it is influenced by a Christian framework.

The challenges of applying a Christian-centric framework to non-Christian religions, such as Hinduism.

The cultural diversity within religions and the problems with trying to fit all religions into a single mold.

The modern western confinement of religion to a specific place in society, separate from other aspects like politics and culture.

Tala Asad's argument against the separation of religion and culture, suggesting they are intertwined and not distinct categories.

The internal diversity and evolution of religions over time and place, challenging the idea of fixed religious doctrines.

The importance of understanding the fluidity and context-dependency of religious practices and beliefs.

The call for an academic and neutral approach to studying religion, avoiding cultural biases and oversimplifications.

Transcripts

you know on this channel we talk about

all kinds of topics relating to religion

we talk about specific religions and

their history and their teachings we

talk about incredibly niche topics and

figures within different religions but

one rather important thing that most of

us don't really do much is ask a

deceptively simple question

what is religion

some of you listening might immediately

have some answer to this question

religion is belief in god or gods

religions are organized structures of

worship religion is opium for the masses

and whatever but don't be fooled this is

actually one of the hardest questions

that we can ask as serious students of

religion and a question that no one

seems capable of fully answering

the blunt fact is there is no official

agreed-upon definition of religion in

scholarship or academia i'll repeat that

there is no official agreed upon

definition of the word religion

you can look up the word in a dictionary

all you want but all you'll find is

usually a half-baked problematic

definition that most scholars probably

won't agree with religion is a

fascinating thing because it is a

concept that everyone kind of knows what

it is when we talk about religion we all

essentially know what it is that we're

talking about but as soon as we get down

to actually defining it properly things

start to fall apart now that isn't to

say that people haven't tried to define

it

certainly they have and they still do

there have been plenty of attempts to

define religion or of figuring out what

religion is all about

an early example is the anthropologist

edward b tyler who defined religion as

quote belief in supernatural beings

a definition that most of you might not

find any issue with but which actually

comes with a lot of problems not only

does it look at religion from a very

christian or specifically protestant

perspective a point that we'll return to

later but also betrays a very strong

bias

this is also confirmed when reading

tyler more closely and realizing that

his argument is essentially that all

religious beliefs appeared as failed

attempts to explain natural phenomena

another rather outdated perspective that

isn't very helpful in exploring the

history of religion and religious belief

more influential were other thinkers

from the same period like emile durkheim

and max weber who provided two different

yet pervasive ways of looking at

religion

weber saw religion as more of a

psychological phenomenon as essentially

the human attempt of creating meaning in

a seemingly meaningless world it becomes

like a coping strategy to deal with

difficult questions like death and the

meaning of life

durkheim on the other hand saw religion

essentially as a social phenomenon

religion its symbols its structures and

all its rituals serve to create a sense

of social belonging of strengthening

group identity and organization

two durkheim and those following his

line of thought religious symbols like

gods or totems function in similar ways

to say a national flag they are symbols

under which a group of people can unite

and which can increase and authenticate

their sense of belonging and identity

this is a very powerful and helpful

perspective and this kind of behavior

can be confirmed in experiments etc but

it still comes with a lot of problems of

its own too

if religion is nothing but symbols of

group belonging then what makes a

religion different from nationality

is americanism a religion is football or

soccer a religion they all have symbols

and practices under which a group of

people unite to create and strengthen

group belonging so that should make them

religions right most people wouldn't

define them as religions

these are the kind of problems that

scholars to this day are struggling with

when we try to define the word religion

but thinkers like durkheim and weber did

one thing much better than a person like

tyler and that was to include the

importance of practice and performance

indeed in my opinion as well as in the

opinion of many scholars in the field

religion is much more about what we do

rather than the things we believe

religions are performed and embodied

through practices that continually shape

and create that religion

research shows that even in a specific

thing like rituals the performing of the

ritual itself comes first and the theory

or symbolic meaning of the ritual is

secondary in other words we as creatures

do things first and we rationalize our

actions after the fact rather than the

other way around

this seems to go against how we perceive

how these things go but there is a lot

to suggest that it is indeed so

now building on the work of people like

weber and durkheim there have been many

scholars over the last century who have

continually improved and studied this

topic deeper to allow for new

perspectives

some famous examples include the

american anthropologist clifford geertz

who followed more in the line of max

weber but gave us one of the most

celebrated and quoted definitions of

religion in scholarship this one is

pretty good actually as far as these

things go

gertz defines religion in the following

way quote

a religion is a system of symbols which

act to establish powerful pervasive and

long-lasting moods in men by formulating

conceptions of a general order of

existence and clothing those conceptions

with such an aura of factuality that the

moods and motivations seem uniquely

realistic

as you can tell there is a lot of

weber's meaning creating perspective

here but it is formulated in a more

developed way this definition of gears

of how what religion is is still used

sometimes today there are those who

criticize it especially

for perhaps not including that

social aspect that for the followers of

people like durkheim emphasize so much

but generally this is a rather liked

definition of religion that

is one of the most popular around

another more recent example is in the

work of abby day who in an attempt to

talk about how religion functions coined

the term believing in belonging

that people primarily believe in their

social belonging and identity

that much like durkheim argued religion

and belief is primarily interested in

creating and maintaining social

belonging and identity formation

this idea is further supported by her

research in which she can show and argue

that belief is mainly a question of

performative identity formation and

social relationships so as you can tell

there are many different perspectives on

how one can properly answer the question

what is religion

another very important perspective that

needs to be kept in mind is the fact

that the term religion as we understand

it is a western concept and very much

colored by that context this means that

when we understand what religion is and

interpret other religions we do so from

a western framework

the whole concept of how we understand

religion is born out of a christian

environment and thus our whole view of

quote-unquote religion is heavily

colored by christianity

so when we and indeed many scholars in

the past and present try to study define

and understand religions other than

christianity we do so based on a

christian-centric framework we assume

that other quote-unquote religions if

they can even be called that follow the

same model of christianity and if they

don't then we try to fit them into that

framework sometimes forcibly

this christian framework includes many

things but often two or three very

specific features the religion has a

founder the religion has a sacred

scripture and the religion has a creed

or established theology

have you ever read a textbook about

religions that tried to explain

non-christian religions through this

framework

i'm sure you have and this can be a huge

problem

cultures are different and religions are

very different

if we look at a religion like hinduism

which first of all could be argued not

to be a single religion at all and we

try to apply this christian framework to

it it doesn't really work at all it

simplifies things to a huge degree

we often see people try to say that the

veda scriptures are the bible of the

hindus but this isn't accurate at all it

functions in a very different way

and this is a mistake that we often make

when we talk about religions they don't

all fit into a single mold they're all

infinitely complex and different from

each other and to call them all

quote-unquote religions

brings a lot of these problems with it

even though we shouldn't necessarily

give up doing that completely

even in a religion that is relatively

close to christianity in both origins

and structure like islam we can easily

make the same mistakes

seemingly it fits rather well into that

previous framework it has a founder it

seems muhammad and it has a sacred

scripture the quran but to compare

muhammad to jesus in christianity or the

quran where the bible creates a

fundamental misunderstanding about the

similarities and differences between

these religions

in fact if any comparison should be made

at all it would be more accurate to

compare the role of jesus in

christianity to the role of the quran in

islam

muhammad by comparison could perhaps be

thought of as having the same role or a

similar world to the virgin mary in

christianity

this stuff is a minefield even such

seemingly accurate comparisons can lead

to fundamental misunderstanding

so we should always keep this in mind

and understand that religions are very

different and we can't apply a single

framework or model onto religions other

than christianity without thinking any

further about it

this phenomenon also becomes very

apparent when you ask people to define

what religion is

many people here in the so-called west

will often reply that religion is

essentially about believing in god or

some kind of superhuman force or at

least that this is a central part of

what religion is

even a seasoned scholar like edward b

tyler made this mistake as we saw but

again this is a very specifically

christian and even more so protestant

perspective on religion

protestantism teaches that it is the

individual person's

personal inner belief that matters and

not so much outer actions or rituals and

this heavily influences our

understanding of what religion is

supposed to mean

but if you go outside a protestant

context to the i don't know the middle

east or india or any other place you

will find that perhaps very different

things are emphasized

perhaps religion is more about practical

things following certain laws acting a

certain way as a human being maybe it's

about family maybe it's about

charity the list goes on religion can be

many different things to different

people and we can't be chained to a

particular cultural perspective in our

understanding of such a broad concept

here in the west we today have confined

religion to its own place in society we

have clearly defined borders and pockets

for different aspects of our lives over

here is politics over here is culture

over there is entertainment and over

here is religion

religion has a specific place that is as

just pointed out often confined to

personal belief and these different

categories of society shouldn't meet at

least ideally should be kept in their

own pockets and not only is this a very

modern and new way of looking at

religion or society

a way that does not correspond to the

way it worked historically or in many

parts of the world even today but it can

also skew our understanding of how

religions function today at all in

different parts of the world

i'm sure many of you have heard the

argument well that isn't part of the

religion that's part of the culture

well is there necessarily a difference

the scholar tala assad didn't think so

he argued that the idea that religion

and culture are two separate things is a

modern invention

the seemingly arbitrary categories of

religion and culture are infinitely

intertwined and at times can be one and

the same thing

just look at a religion like islam islam

in morocco looks very different from

islam as practiced in indonesia

why is this well some might chalk it up

to culture you could say that's

definitely true to some degree but to

see religion as one thing and then

culture as another that

one influences the other is that really

an accurate picture

one could look at it that way but i

think that it's a very surface level and

shallow view of the reality of the

situation

in reality the borders or lines between

these two categories are very fuzzy

because a religion does not exist

independently of the people who perform

it and the context or culture in which

it exists the two become unified into a

single thing

and this leads us to what is perhaps the

most important point that needs to be

kept in mind when we study religions an

inescapable fact that cannot be escaped

that religions are internally diverse

and that they change over time and place

no religion is immune from this

all religions are diverse and

multifaceted there always exists a

multitude of interpretations and

understandings some say there are as

many versions of a religion as there are

adherence to that religion

and the second point is also important

that religions always evolve and change

the people who continually create and

perform the religion are shaping it in

new ways and adapting to new situations

and context whether they know it or not

the main point is we like to look at the

world of religions as a set of fixed

well religions that

believe certain things practice certain

ways but this is a hugely oversimplified

view of the situation all religions are

almost infinitely diverse and exist in

many forms the borders that separate all

these kinds of concepts are very fuzzy

and these perspectives that we have

talked about needs to be kept in mind as

we go forward and try to get a better

idea of how religions work and function

in society both historically and today

so now i hope you understand why asking

a question like what is religion can

become pretty complicated and that

answers to that question can vary a lot

depending on who you ask and in what

context it adds more nuance and

complexity to this topic which was

complex enough to begin with but it's an

important perspective to have in mind as

we study religion from an academic and

neutral scholarly perspective which is

what we aim for on this channel you

don't have to agree with everything i've

said here that's the whole point this is

an ongoing discussion about how we

define terms how we understand the

things

in a broad sense to understand the very

concepts that we're trying to study but

this is an introduction into some of the

debates and discussions that are had

within religious studies about this

specific question i would like to thank

all of my patrons as usual for the

invaluable support that you give me and

also a thank you to everyone who watches

and likes and subscribes to this channel

in general i'll see you next time

[Music]

you