RIDDLE ME THIS,

BATMAN!
 RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!

What is the link

between a golden
temple in India and a
huge red rock in
central Australia?
RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!

What does a totem

pole in British
Columbia have in
common with a stone
circle in the south of
England?
RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!

Why do millions of
people every year
journey to a church in
Rome, a wall in
Jerusalem, a river in India,
and a black cube in
Mecca?
 THE ANSWER
TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS
INVOLVES ONE WORD,

a phenomenon common to all

people in all times.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

• Explain the social scientific approach to the study of

religion;
• Identify and explain the two ways of defining religion;
• Debate how a particular definition of religion can affect
public policy; and
• Differentiate religion from spirituality
 The following are different photos of
personalities, events, or activities that may or may not
be associated with religion. In pairs, identify these
photos by checking the appropriate box and briefly
explain whether that can be considered religious or
not.
FIRST THINGS FIRST (CONT.)
FIRST THINGS FIRST (CONT.)
FIRST THINGS FIRST (CONT.)
FIRST THINGS FIRST (CONT.)
RELIGION AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Religion  Complex reality

• Previously, Religions were taught as doctrines, creeds,
and rituals.
• For many, discussion of religion is a personal matter.
LET’S EXPLORE!

Can you think of any instance when you saw one

person turn emotional because of religion? This can be
either positive or negative. Write this on a one whole
sheet of paper.
IN THIS WORK TEXT:

• We approach religion from a Social Scientific

Standpoint.
• Not just a Social Phenomenon but a Socially
constructed institution.
IN THIS WORK TEXT:

• Confront the other dimensions of religion’s

complexity
• Values and beliefs  particular religious behavior in
the public sphere
• Religious extremism  To be discussed on later
chapters.
DEFINING “RELIGION”

There are 2 ways of defining religion:

Substantive – religion involve beliefs and
practices “which assume the existence of
supernatural beings” (Davie, 2007)
 EDWARD BURNETT TAYLOR
Born 2 October 1832
Camberwell, London, England
Died 2 January 1917 (aged 84)
Wellington, Somerset, England, United Kingdom
Nationality English
Citizenship British
Known for Cultural evolutionism
Scientific career
Fields Anthropology
Institutions University of Oxford
EDWARD BURNETT TAYLOR
He argued that:

“Religion was the attempt of primitive

human beings to understand their
inexplicable individual experiences.”
(Turner, 1991)
DEFINING “RELIGION”

There are 2 ways of defining religion:

Functional – More concerned with the
social consequences of religion.
Functional – Unified system of beliefs and
practices relative to sacred things, that is to
say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs
and practices which unite into one single
moral community (Durkheim, 2001)
DEFINING “RELIGION”

• Latin in origin:
• “Religare” – to bring together
• “relegre” – to rehearse painstakingly, as in case of collective rituals

No doubt this definition has been appealing to many scholars, but what
main conceptual problem do you think this brings upon the study of
religion?
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS:

COVERAGE