1 Nov 2022

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Methods to Study Religion: A Comprehensive Guide

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Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

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Usually, some of the methodologies that are used to study religion include literary criticism, anthropology, and phenomenological method.

On literary criticism, this can be defined as the judgment and giving comments concerning a specific character as far as its qualities are concerned based artistic or practice works. This is a method of studying religion where people who believe in a superior being tended to judge others especially when their characters are not the same with the believers, ( MacKinlay, & McFadden, 2004) . For instance, in Christianity, the Christians will use literary criticism to judge non-believers and even to give comments on their lifestyles. Some of the aspects of judgment under this methodology can include warnings people that do not believe in God that they will die and go to hell. Example of this method is shown in the figure below;

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Another method of studying religion is anthropology. This occurs typically when human cultures, societies, and development are considered . Furthermore, it includes the study of human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution. Through this method, people who believe in a superior being like Christians thought that the natural growth of human is only possible through God. Christians also believe that for the success of any culture or society, they must embrace God as their savior. This method demonstrates that God is the reason why people live or grow especially among Christians . Example of this method is shown in the figure below where a human being observes a skull which probably grew and developed for some time;

Figure 1 : An image for the human being and a skull 

Lastly, the phenomenological method has also been used to study religion. This is an approach that concentrates on the study of mindfulness and the people’s direct experience. This is where people who believe in a superior being like Christians believing in God strongly held the opinion that God in His nature can deliver them from bad and horrible experiences. So, this method, looks unto the past and gives an emphasis that God do not investigate the history of the believers and instead makes them new. Here is the figure; 

On which method I believe to be the best or most sensible means in which to study religion, is the anthropology approach. This is the only method that recognizes that for human beings to grow, develop and leave in a given culture, then God must be their superior being like Christians. 

They are having established that human cultures, societies, and development are studied through anthropology the human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution is also made possible by God. For instance, Christians also believe that for the success of any culture or society, they must embrace God as their savior. This method demonstrates that God is the reason why people live or grow especially among Christians . 

References 

MacKinlay, E., & McFadden, S. H. (2004). Ways of studying religion, spirituality, and aging: The social scientific approach.  Journal of Religious Gerontology 16 (3-4), 75-90. 

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StudyBounty. (2023, September 16). Methods to Study Religion: A Comprehensive Guide.
https://studybounty.com/methods-to-study-religion-a-comprehensive-guide-essay

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