Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. English American Translations. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Sign up now or Log in. Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English.
Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Sometimes a student will argue that there are so many different religions that there is no way to propose a single definition or description of religion that will apply to them all.
This suggests that each religion is a category unto itself. We want to avoid a definition that is too narrow. But we also want to avoid a definition of religion that is too broad. We also want a definition that is comprehensive of the multi-faceted nature of that which we are defining be it fruit or religion. To focus merely on one essential characteristic is insufficient. When defining something we also want to avoid value judgments.
This description also focuses on belief and excludes other important dimensions of religion e. Avoid being a negative critique of religion. These definitions also discredit religion, casting it in a negative light. Avoid offering a theory of religion e. Form is what something looks like or how it is shaped. Function is what it does , why it exists.
A chair is something with a seat that stands about 18 inches off the ground, generally on four legs, and having a back that is the substance, form or shape of a chair. However, functionalist definitions tend to have the opposite problem—being overly broad, providing a function of religion that is also shared with things that are not religions. The function of a chair is also served by a stool and a couch but stools and couches are not chairs.
The solution to this problem is, perhaps, to assure that we address both substance and function in our definitions. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.
Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Austin Cline. Atheism Expert. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism.
Cite this Article Format. Cline, Austin. What Is Religion? Religious vs. Secular Humanism: What's the Difference? Religious References on the Definition of Religion.
Defining the Characteristics of Religion. What's the Difference Between Religion and Spirituality? Why Don't Atheists Believe in Gods?
The Relationship Between Technology and Religion. What is Aesthetics? Philosophy of Art, Beauty, Perception. Religion Is a Belief in Supernatural Beings.
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