Religion is one of the complex things to explore, but is also interesting to study. Those studying religions must distinguish the academic study of religion from the devotional practices, the different characteristics of religion and the challenge the hay to contend with. The following summary explores all these issues for the study of religion.
The academic study of religion is a field of academic study that enables individuals to explore the subject matter of religion and thus develops their own opinions regarding religion. It primarily approaches religion through exploration, interpretation and description of religious texts from a historical perspective ( Biondo & Fiala, 2013) . On the other hand, devotional practices embody the practices and doctrines adopted by the religious based on their interpretation of the religious texts. The practices primarily indoctrinate those who accept them and encourage them to consider one set of beliefs to be superior over another.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Religion has various key characteristics. The includes beliefs that comprise the belief in supernatural beings or an ultimate reality beyond normal human experience, belief in sacred vs. profane places, objects and times, and practice ritualistic activities focused on places, objects and times. Religions have moral codes of ethics that are of supernatural origins. Religions also encourage members to connect or communicate with the divine through prayers among other forms of communication considered divine. They also encourage a religious mystic feeling that incorporates intuitive and emotional feelings. Religions also have social aspects that include the organization of people's lives based on worldviews that prescribe personal sacrifices, dress codes, diet occupation and others. Religions create social groups that are held together with the above characteristics. Last religions have sacred texts such as the Quran, the Torah, and the Hebrew Bible among others from which all the practices, rituals, codes of ethics, and social organization originate.
All religions seem to address common questions, embody similar concerns, practices and experience across the world. These issues are common in all religions, including the major religions and indigenous religions ( Ellwood & Alles, 2007) . All religions seek deeper meaning and purpose of life. They address the origins of life and the destiny of humanity. As a result, most religions assert that the first man and woman were created by a supreme being and they became the originator of the entire human population. Also, when they die, human transit into the afterlife where they live again or lie at rest waiting for a resurrection to live again. Religions have various practices that a considered sacred while some are considered taboo. For instance, giving of sacrifices or offerings at temples is considered sacred in all religions including indigenous faiths. The sacrifices are accompanied by worship rituals towards the Supreme Being. They all also discourage killing each other, lying and stealing among others. Although they may use different calendars, events and practices follow a cyclic approach to time organized in days, weeks, months and years and thus the celebration of important dates, sacrifices worships among other occur cyclically either daily such as morning and evening prayers, weekly like Sabbath day, monthly such as the holy month of Ramadan or annually such as Christmas. Ever New Year in different religions’ calendars is seen as a new beginning. Other common practices include adherence to a specific code of attire, diet, fasting, marriage practices, burial rituals, and religious education.
In the study of religion, there are various critical issues the religious scholars encounter. First, it is uncertain whether religion can be objectively observed by studying all the practices embraced by the various religious groups ( Martin, 2017) . This can invalidate the research. Studying a religion requires altering its practices, such as ceremonies and cultures within which it is they are practiced then the researcher can only report when he/she can observe, instead of reporting on what the religion is. The second other challenge is that although religions tend to be classified into groups, it is possible to classify them as sects rather than major religion since it seems the decision to classify them as different religions is merely subjective rather than objective ( Martin, 2017) . Also, the way the different groups experience religion is different. Thus to study religion require the observer to explore different experiences from different religions and from different members of such religions such as men and women, children and adults. It is also necessary to find out how different ceremonies are different to adherents of a region and to adherents of other religions.
Religious ethics are a critical part of religion. They originate from the interpretation of the religious scriptures prescribing how the follower of a particular religious ought to conduct themselves. The ethics guide the practice of religion by indicating how followers of a particular religion ought to conduct themselves as a social group. Thus the ethics dictate the dos and don’ts for the group members.
In a nutshell, religion is a complex subject to explore because of the multiple nature religions across the world and the nature of trust that believers attached to their doctrines. However, scholars try to objectively study religion distinguish the different characteristic of religions, their purpose, among others.
References
Biondo, V., & Fiala, A. (2013). Civility, Religious Pluralism and Education . New York: Routledge
Ellwood, R. S., & Alles, G. D. (2007). The encyclopedia of world religions . New York: Facts on File.
Martin, C. (2017). A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion . New York: Taylor & Francis.
