Polythetic, Graded and complex: an approach to the definition of religion between theology and religious studies
Polythetic, Graded and complex: an approach to the definition of religion between theology and religious studies

Summary/Abstract: the article deals with the problem of the definition of religion between theology and religious studies. in the twentieth century, theological reflection on religion has gained increasing attention and, in this context, theologians frequently employed ideas drawn from religious studies. however, their field of interest tended to be restricted to certain selected approaches, while other subdisciplines, such as anthropology of religion, often remained unnoticed. hence, the focus of this article is on the issue of the anthropological definition of religion and its implications for theology. the goals of this essay are: to present the conditions under which attitudes to “religion” drawn from anthropology of religion may be acceptable in theological reflection and to present the polythetic attitude as a possible solution to the issue. the main body of the article is based on terms and theories drawn from religious studies, whereas the overall argument is grounded in a theological perspective.

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