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Philosophy of Religion |
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Chapter 10. A Definition of Religion Section 4 The Definition |
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To satisfy the above requirements and conditions religion must be placed within a category of human phenomena that manifests itself in a manner with features illustrative of the characteristics listed above. After placing religion in such a category it is necessary to distinguish it from other members of that category. What is the genus and what is the species that identifies religion uniquely? VALUATION is the genus and the distinguishing characteristics of religion that separate it from other forms of valuation are intensity and comprehensiveness. Religion is the most intensive and comprehensive method of valuing that is experienced by humankind. Religion is a way of valuing that is most comprehensively and intensively experienced. (This definition is from Frederick Ferre in his Basic Modern Philosophy of Religion.) This definition is both ideal and actual. It enables us to both understand and explain religious phenomena better. It enables us to understand how it is distinguished from other types of human experiences. It enables us to understand better how it relates to other forms of life or language games. Organized religion is an institutionalized way of valuing that is comprehensive and intensive. As cultus it involves ritual and practices as aids to emotions and expressions of the valuation. As doctrinus it involves ideational elements that enable the comprehensive inclusion of the valuation. People participate in religion in different ways. People are religious to different degrees. People have a religion in different manners:
This definition and this view of religion includes all the religions that have been traditionally thought of as religions and it excludes phenomena such as magic, art, and science from being considered as candidates for the title of religion. It has the power to discriminate among phenomena. When religion is seen as a form of valuing and the most intensive and comprehensive form of valuing at that, then it is possible to understand why scientific findings and philosophical criticisms do not necessarily disturb its adherents. Religion is about valuing and not about reasoning or about truth! This explains why the following is true of religion:
Think again of the ideas of
Paul Tillich that faith is the state of being ultimately concerned and how
the word ultimately reflects what is most intensely valued.
“Faith
as Ultimate Concern” by Paul Tillich
Summary by Meghan Ramsay
According to Tillich, “faith is the state of
being ultimately concerned.” The Ultimate Concern is that which demands
complete surrender of the person who faithfully accepts the Ultimate.
Additionally, faith in and surrender to the Ultimate promises total
completion regardless of what must be sacrificed in the name of faith.
Tillich argues that faith is a task for the believer’s complete being—for
instance, it is an act of both the conscious and the unconscious. He
refers to faith as a “total and centered act of the personal self, the act
of unconditional, infinite and ultimate concern.” Tillich then goes on to
examine the sources for faith. He asserts that faith arises out of man’s
awareness that he is a part of the infinite yet he is not the owner of
this infinity. Additionally, he points out that God cannot be an object
of faith without also being the subject of man’s faith. God, asserts
Tillich, is present as the subject and object of ultimate faith while at
the same time is transcendent beyond both subject and object. Tillich
warns that there are finite things that claim infinity, such as the nation
or state. However, unlike God, believers can approach such finite things
with “ordinary knowledge.” Since God is infinite and ultimate and faith
in God is the ultimate concern, Tillich asserts that only symbolic
language is sufficient to express faith and God. Thus, he outlines the
definition of the term “symbol.” Like signs, symbols refer to that which
is beyond themselves. For instance, a stop sign points to the command to
stop the movement of a vehicle. Similarly letters refer to sounds and
meanings. However, unlike signs, symbols play a part in that which they
represent and cannot be easily replaced. For instance, a country’s flag
not only represents the nation that it stands for but also is an active
participant in portraying the country’s “power and dignity.” Thus, it
cannot simply be replaced unless the character of the nation itself is
also changed. Tillich also asserts that symbols allow us to experience
other levels of reality that are normally off limits to us. For instance
art creates a symbol for a plane that we cannot move toward by science
alone. Additionally, symbols open aspects of our souls which allow us to
experience awareness of ourselves that we were not conscious of prior to
experiencing the symbol (such as the depths that we can reach by listening
to the “melodies and rhythms in music”). Another characteristic of a
symbol is that it cannot be manufactured. Symbols arise from the
unconscious and must be accepted on that level before conscious
acceptance. Finally, since symbols cannot be intentionally produced, they
come about and cease to exist in due time. In essence, they are borne out
of a need and they perish when they no longer generate a reaction within
the group that originally used them for expressive purposes.
Tillich then goes on to assert that anything
that achieves ultimate concern for man is elevated to the status of god.
However, when things like a nation or success become elevated to the level
of ultimacy, they are merely false or idolatrous symbols of ultimate
concern. Tillich also discusses that myths are an integral part of our
ultimate concern. While a myth must be recognized as a myth (much like
how a symbol must be recognized as a symbol), Tillich argues that any
attempt to remove the mythological from our consciousness will be
unsuccessful because myths signify a collection of symbols which stand for
our ultimate concern. One might be able to replace one myth with another,
but s/he could never completely remove mythology from human
consciousness. In fact, Tillich argues that even a “broken myth,” one
which has been proven to be understood as a myth and has not been removed
from or replaced within consciousness, cannot be replaced with a
scientific substitute because myths are the symbolic language of faith.
However, Tillich also warns that one cannot simply accept myths as literal
truths because they then loose their symbolic meaning and rob God of his
standing as the ultimate.
Tillich, Paul.
Dynamics of Faith.
HarperCollins, 1957. There
are other sources that serve as the object of faith for humans.
People can have faith in science and in their family. But there are
few other sources for value. People need to have faith and meaning
and value in order to orient themselves to life in this world.
Religion is a phenomena that arises out of that need. Religious
people are willing to live according to and at times to die for what they
most value. Religion is the primary form in which that valuation is
expressed and transmitted from one generation to the next. It
provides for a foundation for a moral order and in past times it has
supplied answers to many questions of great importance. Science may
now serve many people as a better source of answers for many of those
questions but it does not serve as a source of value.
Religion
is likely to continue for some time as a popular and important feature of
human culture. As more people come to have a better understanding of
the nature of religion there will be a more intelligent and penetrating
questioning of religious phenomena. Philosophy serves to provide a
methodology for that activity. |
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