Sociological definitions, language games, and the "essence" of religion

Sociologists of religion have long debated the definition of religion. In this article, I survey the debate and find a partially hidden consensus. This debate, in conjunction with recent criticisms of the concept "religion" in religious studies, and by drawing on Ludwig Wittgenstein's...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Method & theory in the study of religion 2002, Vol.14 (1), p.61-83
Main Author: McKinnon, Andrew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic discipline
Anthropology of religion
Buddhism
Christianity
Conceptualization
Islam
Judaism
Language use
Ontological essence
Religion
Religious studies
Social construction
Sociology of religion
Terminology
Theology
Wordplay
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Summary:Sociologists of religion have long debated the definition of religion. In this article, I survey the debate and find a partially hidden consensus. This debate, in conjunction with recent criticisms of the concept "religion" in religious studies, and by drawing on Ludwig Wittgenstein's notion oflanguage games, provides helpful pointers for developing a non-essentialist conception of religion. I argue that "religion" (as a phenomenon and as a concept) is a historical and social construction, but that this does not require us to dispense with the concept altogether.
ISSN:0943-3058
1570-0682
0943-3058
DOI:10.1163/157006802760198776