an introductionscience are good examples). The substantive definition seeks to identify a
central belief, such as a belief in spiritual beings, as the basis of a defini-
tion. A functionalist position seeks to discern how religion operates in the
life of a society, whereas the family resemblance position looks for over-
lapping similarities, such as theoretical (beliefs, myths, and doctrines),
practical (rites and moral codes), social (institutions, social behavior, and
sacred personages), and experiential (emotions, visions, or trances)
aspects. The postmodern position stresses the unstable and ambiguous
nature of religion.
Another way to classify these various definitions is through the dis-
tinction between polythetic and monothetical approaches. The former
views no particular aspect of religion as necessary and considers several
features as sufficient for the inclusion of a particular aspect to become a
member of what is called religion. A good example of the polythetic
definition is the family resemblance approach. The monothetical repre-
sents a traditional approach to the subject that insists that all characteris-
tics are necessary for a particular aspect to be included as part of religion
by insisting on its substantive nature. By describing what religions do,
this type reflects a functionalist position.
Regardless of the type of definition, the inability of scholars to agree
on a definition of religion and its problematic nature motivated Wilfred
Cantwell Smith to argue that scholars should abandon the term religion
and replace it with faith. Smith’s suggestion unfortunately gives rise to
other problems when attempting to apply a term like faith to aspects of
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism where it is not germane. The substitu-
tion of the term “culture” for religion is equally problematic. The adop-
tion of indigenous categories presents a reverse set of problems from a
cross-cultural perspective. The term “religion” is a problematic concept
that embodies many cross-cultural deficiencies, but is widely recognized,
if vaguely, in the West and its habitual usage would be difficult to break
without causing further confusion.religiOus studies
Following in the footsteps of the German philosophers Hegel and
Nietzsche, some theologians in the 1960s declared that God is dead, lead-
ing to a Time Magazine cover announcing the news in bold, red letters
against a black background. More recent postmodern thinkers have fol-
lowed the chorus about the demise of a supernatural being, although dif-
ferent thinkers mean a variety of things with respect to the demise of