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Research Paper: Theological Interpretation Of Religion

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While religion has for centuries been confined to a theological interpretation and understanding, research indicates that the theological application of the term is not in itself entirely accurate in defining and describing religion. This paper seeks to illustrate the various interpretations of religion through the ages, in the views of various scholars and experts. In addition, it seeks to shed light on the various types of religion, and religious application of various definitions, in an objective and unbiased manner.
In the broadest sense of the word, religion is more concerned with the element of belonging to a cult of sorts. It involves the performance of certain prescribed rituals which have gained acceptance as part of the specific religion. An example of this is the Catholic rituals which have gained acceptance and thus form Catholicism, which then falls within the theological realm as we know it today.
However, religion can be seen to have a more anthropological than theological aspect to it when considered in entirety . The first edition of Encyclopedia Britannica in 1771 is perhaps the earliest known publication that defined religion in a theological manner, terming it, among other things, as the knowledge of God . The elements of …show more content…

The segmentation of natural religion as per the anthropological approach brings about sub-groups such as fetishism, shamanism, totemism and animism, just but to mention a few . Such sub-grouping was adopted in the Nineteenth Century, in a bid by scholars and other religious and anthropological experts to find categories that encompassed the so-called primitive people, who were considered to lean more towards nature than anything else. However, further exploration into the concept of natural religion has yielded more complex groupings that cover more than just the very early

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