Understanding religion as a whole might seem like a formidable task. Different religions have existed throughout the entire history of humanity, from primal beliefs of primordial people to modern phenomena, such as Pastafarianism, which most people consider to be more of a social movement. With a history this long, it should not come as a surprise that studying religion is both fascinating and challenging, and there are several methods for doing so. This essay will cover the comparative approach in religious methodology.
First, it is necessary to understand why the concept of religion is difficult to define. Using commonalities and the theory of family resemblance helps with understanding it but does little to provide a substantial definition (A “Definition” of Religion, n.d.). For many people, the mere idea of religion is something vague and enigmatic. That, in turn, renders the attempts of giving it any specific definition just about impossible. This mindset blurs the scope of what can or cannot be considered a religion. On the other hand, there also exists an issue that is opposite in nature. People try to fit such a broad topic into the confines of their own understanding of it, essentially limiting the many possibilities of what a system of beliefs can represent and mean.
That is why I believe comparative religion to be the most thought-provoking in regard to this matter. It implies analyzing the differences and similarities between various active belief systems (Comparative Religion, n.d.). It compares religions that can be grouped up due to having common elements but also analyzes resemblances and dissimilarities of those that seemingly have nothing in common.
I chose comparative religion for this essay because I believe it has many strengths. This methodological approach allows for more coverage of the topic of religion as a whole because it helps achieve a more extensive understanding of various perspectives on religion that exist throughout the world (Comparative Religion, n.d.). From a spiritual point of view, it also lets the person using this approach gain insight into the similarities of different religions, which can help develop mutual understanding between followers of diverse practices. Comparative religion calls for looking into the continuity of religion as a whole, which, in my opinion, helps achieve a clearer understanding of what religion is. Examining various aspects of the many systems of belief that exist in the world combats the issue of one-sided analysis in defining religion. It broadens the idea of what can fit into the definition by studying and comparing various religions’ rituals, beliefs, and customs.
Nevertheless, this methodological approach still has its weaknesses. Despite being broad enough to cover a topic this vast, it might be too broad to be used appropriately in studying religion. For the comparative approach to work to its fullest, it is necessary to gather as much data as possible, which does not seem feasible. The unattainability of this goal starts with the fact that even within the same religion, there exist multitudes of practices and subcommunities with conflicting beliefs and customs. Those might sometimes appear due to something as small as the individual inconvenience of one person or a slightly different understanding of a religious text. Comparative religion proves its worth when it concerns, for example, the world’s religions grouped up into major categories, such as Abrahamic, Indian and Taoic religions (Comparative Religion, n.d.). Notwithstanding, it will still face the issue of being too vague outside of those commonly known and deeply studied systems of belief.
In conclusion to this essay, I would like to point out that different methodological approaches should not be applied separately from one another. While comparative religion has many advantages in respect to studying such a broad topic, it still has issues that can be covered by using other methodologies. Generally, defining and studying religion as a whole is not easy, but, in my opinion, that is where the most interest in it comes from.
References
(n.d.). A “Definition” of Religion [MOOC]. In Approaches to Studying Religions. Sophia Learning.
(n.d.). Comparative Religion [MOOC]. In Approaches to Studying Religions. Sophia Learning.