Outsider of Religion - An Essay by Elmi Zulkarnain
It has always been
a complicated and problematic issue when it comes to defining religion. This
essay attempts to explore the different approaches in defining religion. Main
reasons why substantive definition and functional definition can provide clues
for us to characterize religion and understand its concepts are also discussed.
This essay will also examine how an ‘outsider’ of religion can observe and
comprehend various aspects of religion and later produce an unbiased definition
using the seven-dimensional model by Ninian Smart.
It is absolutely
necessary to understand that the term ‘religion’
has come to be used as a broad category that include many different kinds of
beliefs and practices across cultures only in the eighteenth century (Block 4,
p.33). Till this day, many scholars have attempted to bring into existence
different and varying definition of the above mentioned term.
A definition of
religion should be specific, flexible and
free from prejudice (Block 4, p.33). Religion is often referred as a
cultural system or a human response to mystery. Any dictionary can provide us
with concise information on religion but may not be accurate or precise. Students
of religion need to be introduced to the actual manifestations of religion and
to examples of expressions of religious experience rather than just referring
to various dictionaries.
Substantive
definition and functional definition of religion are the two types of
definition scholars employ to explain what religion is. Substantive definition
tells us what kind of thing religion is by pointing to its distinguishing
characteristic – usually its beliefs and/or practices (Block 4, p.34). This
type of definition perceives religion as a philosophical form and speculates
religion rather primitively based on its content that includes belief in gods
and spirits or anything sacred.
Functional
definition concentrates on what these beliefs and practices do for the
individual and the social group for example in providing comfort and security
(Block 4, p.35). An example of this definition refers to religion as a ‘system of beliefs and practices by means of
which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life’
(Yinger, 1970, p.7). This type of definition illustrates how religion can bind
together a community and help us to survive in this world by supporting us
psychologically and emotionally. It guides us to see how a belief system plays
a role in an individual’s social life and society itself. This type of
definition is rather broad compared to the narrow substantive type of
definition.
With more and more
religious movements (NRMs) becoming visible after World War 2, it makes the
task of defining a religion much more challenging. Most NRMs are religious in
the sense that either they offer a religious or philosophical world-view, or
they claim to provide the means by which some higher goal such as transcendent
knowledge, spiritual enlightenment, self realisation or ‘true’ development may
be obtained. There is, however, no general agreement over precisely what
constitutes a religion (Resource Book 3, A4, p.30).
Religious traditions with their own forms
of complexity and rational sophistication have denied anyone of interpreting religion
accurately. There are debates on why people have to understand a religion from
the inside to feel its emotion, motivations and worldviews. Some people however
argue that an ‘outsider’ can provide the best source of information on a
religion as he or she is not blinded by their preconceptions and therefore able
to remain unbiased. This can be achieved by looking at religion from a
social science perspective, like how a religion can be a powerful factor in a
culture or its social functions.
Students who are not members of the
religion are considered ‘outsiders’, whether they are agnostics or members of a
different religious faith (Block 4, p.49). An ‘outsider’ like Ninian Smart believes
that it is more practical to come to terms first of all not with what religion
is in general but what religion is (Resource
Book 3, A5, p.35). This is possible especially for the ‘outsiders’ of a
religion using an approach which looks at the different aspects or dimensions
of religion.
The practical and
ritual dimension relates to some form of practices in which every tradition
adheres to such as regular worship, preaching and prayers. This dimension is
especially important with faiths of a strong sacramental kind such as the
Eastern Orthodox Christianity with its long elaborate service (Resource
Book 3, A5, p.36). Glancing at religious history allows us to see the
enormous vitality and significance of experience in the formation and
development of religious traditions. The experiential and emotional dimension
touches the impact of many religious experiences and visions of God (Resource Book 3, A5, p.37).
The narrative or mythic dimensional is
the story of religion. Parables, edifying tales and adventures of the gods are
handed down in many faiths are inspiring to followers (Resource Book 3, A5, p.38). The doctrinal and philosophical
dimension explores how doctrines can play significant part in many major
religions. As much of the leadership is well educated, doctrines help to
provide some kind of intellectual statement of the basis of the faith (Resource Book 3, A5, p.39).
The law which a tradition or subtradition
incorporates into its fabric is called the ethical dimension of religion.
Buddhism for instance has the five precepts or virtues, Judaism has a complex
of over six hundred rules and not merely the Ten Commandments and Islamic life
has traditionally been controlled by Shari’a
(Resource Book 3, A5, p.39). The last two dimensions are tangible and are
embodied in external form. The social and institutional dimensional relates to
the sociology of religion. To be able to see how a religion works among its
people is important to the investigator of religion (Resource Book 3, A5, p.40).
The social and
institutional dimension of a religion almost inevitably becomes incarnate in
material form such as buildings, works of art and other creations which can be
reflected in the material dimension (Resource Book 3, A5,
p.41). These seven dimensions can
help an ‘outsider’ like Ninian Smart to characterize religions, giving a much
more balanced description of the movements and present unbiased points of view.
By analyzing the
various dimensions, the ‘outsider’ can progress his understanding deeper and
not just understand a religion superficially. Recognizing the entire general mainstream of each religious
tradition and constructing an overall picture of the religious world of
humankind without being clouded by assumptions or tied down to personal attachment,
the
‘outsider’ can direct his point much more accurately.
One can never
define religion by merely looking the term up in the dictionary. It is
imperative that a student of religion uses different approaches such ones
mentioned in the essay in order to understand its concepts and nature. Both
substantive and functional definition of religion represents distinct
perspective on the nature of religion. By evaluating respective merits of the
two types of definition, a scholar is able to provide a deeper meaning to the
term ‘religion’. Being an ‘outsider’
of a religion allows an individual to negotiate a better perspective and attain
an unbiased understanding of religion as long as he can commit himself in intellectual
seriousness, engaged questioning, and remain objective.
Bibliography
The
Open University. An Introduction to the Humanities: Block 4 Religion and
Science in context.
The
Open University. An Introduction to the Humanities: Resource Book 3.
References:
The
Open University. An Introduction to the Humanities 1: VCD TV14.
AZS1032 Lecture
notes by Mr. Buxton Brendan
AZS1032 Tutorial
discussion notes by Ms Tan Soo Yean