Definition of religion:
Anthropological research has revealed that religion is a universal aspect of human behaviour, All societies have beliefs and behaviour that can be classified as religious, However, the form of religious belief and ritual varies considerably from society to society, making an universal definition of religion for the anthropologists a tedious task.
Definitions:
- E. B.Taylor defines it as “belief in supernatural”.
- Emile Durkheim defines it as an “Unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things”.
- Malinowski points out that “religion is a mode of action as well as a system of belief and a social phenomenon, as well as personal and collective experience”.
- Evans Pritchard states that “religion is the way in which a society maintains its solidarity and ensures its continuity”.
- Wallace defines religion as “a set of rituals rationalized by myth, which mobilizes transformations of state in man and nature“.
All the definitions given above and other definitions of religion highlight that:
- a) Religion involves some belief in the super natural ;
- b) Religion provides an explanation of life that people use to cope with the ultimate problems of life such as death and evil;
- c) Religion is an expression of what the members of a particular society consider to be sacred; and
- d) Religion provides a moral code.
The disagreements concerning the definition of religion, result primarily over 3 points i .e., supernatural or natural , sacred and profane , and magic and religion.