REL 1000 Chapter : Introduction To Studying Religion
Document Summary
There are many ways to justify the study of religion. Some reasons to understand different religions are to understand art and literature from different cultures, to become more aware of the religions in one"s region, or to become more well-informed as to what specific people around them believe in. One must have an understanding of religion in relation to regions and time periods in order to understand art, because 90 percent of the cultures of the world produced religiously themed art. Likewise, an understanding of world religions is critical to comprehend many different pieces of world literature. Understanding religion can also prevent offensive behavior to those around someone by knowing what actions may be inappropriate to certain religions. Understanding religion also helps to understand different aspects of culture along with how to act around certain people. The word religion has been determined to encompass so many different ideas and practices that there is no solid definition of it.
