Religion

Introduction

What is Religion?

It can openly be admitted that in defining religion, most of the Indian thinkers follow the definition given by the western thinkers. As the western thinkers believe that the religious approach is theistic in its nature, so the Indian thinkers maintain that religion is some form of theism. This view of western thinkers seems to be an echo of a Scottish theologian and philosopher Robert Flint. According to Flint, both theism and religion are one and the same thing. In his lecture he says the impossibility of anything more than theism. Similarly, there is no religion which is less than theism. This point is stated by William James in another way. He says, “Anything short of God is not rational, anything more than God is not possible.”

1 Another definition of religion is given by Galloway which is definitely applicable to theism. According to him, “Man‟s faith in a power beyond himself whereby he seeks to satisfy emotional needs and gains stability of life, and which he expresses in acts of worship and service.”

2 By this definition Galloway tries to maintain that the essential feature of religion is a faith in a power beyond men which satisfies the emotional aspect of men.

In explaining the meaning of religion Taylor says that religion is the belief in spiritual beings. But his explanation of the meaning of religion does not satisfy a rational mind as he does not give us a clear picture of the nature of spiritual beings.

Max Muller, a German born philosopher, gives us a vague definition of religion. While explaining the nature of religion he says that in religion infinite is perceived.

There are three different aspects of religious consciousness, viz., intellect, feeling and action. But while defining religion different thinkers emphasise either of the aspects. According to Herber Spencer, religion is a type of hypothesis by which people attempt to comprehend the universe. His definition thus emphasizes the intellectual aspect of religion. Other thinkers like Mc Taggard emphasizes on the emotional aspect neglecting other aspects. Similarly, Frazer‟s definition of religion emphasizes only the volition and action. But the definition of religion seems to be more or less satisfactory is put forwarded by Robert Flint, as he embraces all the three aspects of religion. According to him, “Religion is man‟s belief in a being or beings mightier than himself and inaccessible to his senses but not indifferent to his sentiments and actions, with the feelings and practices which flow from such a belief.”

The above mentioned definition and analysis of religion is not sufficient. There are so many definitions of religion given by different thinkers at different period of history but none can give us a complete picture of it.

“Religion is hard to define, not because there is so little of it, but because there is so much.”

3 It is fact that God is the central element of religion and men have implicit confidence on Him and they exercise all their attempts to make commune with Him. Thus without mentioning this aspect of religion no definition of it can give us a complete picture of religion.

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