This reading discusses the emergence of the religious divides in the contemporary society. The author notes that the pre-modern society had no clear distinction between religious and non-religious people as well as the divide between the different religions. Therefore, the author seeks the give an account of the emergence of the concept of religion and the separation between the religious people and the non-religious people. Moreover, he seeks to explain the emergence of the difference the various religions that have characterized the contemporary society.
I agree with the author on several factors. For instance, I agree with the author that the development of the entire concept of religion is a subject of intellectual discussion. The author discusses how intellectual publications delved into the concept of religion and differentiated the religions by beliefs and practices. Before such intellectual publications, there were no religious. However, such publications began the discussions on the religious differences, and they brought about the religious distinctions.
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However, I disagree with the position that the author takes about the pre-modern world. I do not agree with the author when he argues that the pre-modern world did not have religious distinctions. Though they may not have been profound and documented, there were significant variations in the religious faiths and religious practices among the people across the world. These variations constituted differences in regions and faith (p.144). I believe that the intellectual discussions and publications that the author refers to merely gave a name to the already existing religious differences.
The most interesting application is the reference that this reading makes to the protest against the use of the term “Heathen” on non-Christian or Hindu people. Malcon Lewis argued before the House of Commons that the non-Christian Hindus should be referred to as HIndoo rather than “heathen” (p.109). What is most interesting in his argument in the fact that he considered the term “heathen” to be offensive and abusive.
