SOC 2805 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Paul Tillich, Atheism, United States Court Of Appeals For The Seventh Circuit
Document Summary
Religion is a system of thought and value oriented around something ultimate (greater or more important than all else). There are a number of different scholarly definitions for religion in use, but they are all very close to one another in meaning. "a person"s ultimate concern" - is very helpful in keeping the focus where it belongs, and being comprehensive. This means that religion isn"t simply about beliefs, but about beliefs which orient one"s whole life (they provide what is called a "worldview"). Religion has to do with something which is ultimate- which is more important than anything else. This also means that religion is usually a holistic belief system. It isn"t just a belief about a few things, but is a whole worldview and outlook on reality, including moral/ethical norms and a hierarchy of value, which understands something in particular as ultimate and requiring allegiance.
