Defining Religion

I have been asked to teach a Perspectives course on Religion and Culture at Valdosta State University's Kings Bay Center this coming January. Thinking about that course has me wondering about how we define religion (and culture, but that's another topic).

Define religion as anything one believes sincerely and you will include monsters under a child's bed as well as divinity. Define religion as belief in a divine being or beings and you would eliminate most Buddhists. Define religion as something on which you pin your hopes and you could include Cubs fans (pictured here praying or crying or both). But why not, if a sociologist from another planet took a look at baseball or another professional sport, the rituals and intense feelings looks like religious fervor.

Etymology, or where a word comes from, can be instructive. But there are two theories on where the word religion comes from. "To bind fast" is the meaning of religare which Lactantius said was the root of Religio, giving it a meaning of binding people and gods together. Cicero said religio comes from the word for "re-read" (relegere) in that it is a passed along tradition re-read by a new generation.

Religion was defined by Karl Marx quite famously as "the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feeling of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless curcumstance. Religion is the opiate of the people."

Looking to religion's effect on the believer rather than a society, Walter Houston Clark said, "religion can be most characteristically described as the inner experience of the individual when he sense a Beyond, especially as evidenced by the effect of this experience on his behavior when he actively attempts to harmonize his life with the Beyond."

Ian Markham also sees that religion is defined by practice as well as belief. He wrote, "Religion is a way of life (one which embraces a total world view, certain ethical demands, and certain social practices) that refuses to accept the secular view that sees human life as nothing more than complex bundles of atoms in an ultimately meaningless universe."

I like Markham's definition and yet it would seem to still leave George Reiger, the Disney Tattoo Guy the most devoted follower of the religion of Disney. As his website says, "he considers Disney, Walt and Micky his way of life, and his religion." Reiger finds meaning in the universe through Disney which is his world view, sets his ethical and social practices and so on.

Troublingly, I find that the Supreme Court's definition of obscenity ("I know it when I see it") may be the one we mostly use to define religion. In my day to day life, this isn't troubling as I think Jesus had little interest in and no patience for religion. Jesus was more interested in relationships. But then Jesus is not teaching a class on Religion and Culture this coming semester.

Any ideas on how to or how not to define religion?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor