Introduction to the Study of Religion

Ways of classifying religion

 

Western: Religions that developed west of the Urals (e.g. in the Middle East and Europe)

Eastern: Religions that developed east of the Urals (e.g., in India, China and Japan)

Ethnic: the religion of a particular people or culture (e.g., Judaism, Shinto, Hinduism) (tend to be localized and do not actively seek converts)

Universal: a religion which sees its message as true for all people (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Buddhism) (have spread throughout the world and tend to be very large in population, have actively sought converts from many cultures)

Theistic: focus on a personal God or gods (supernatural "person", spirit being) (most common in western religions)

Non-theistic: Ultimate Reality or ultimate goal of the religion does not involve a personal god (impersonal Ultimate Reality) (force or energy) (found mostly in the eastern religions)

Transcendent: Above and beyond this world and this life (most common to devotional forms of religion, esp. Western religions)

Immanent: here and now, immediately present, indwelling - in this world and in us (common to mystical and nature religions)

Primal: prehistoric (more than 10,000 years ago) and "living" oral/tribal traditions

Archaic: religions of ancient civilizations no longer in existence (6000 - 2000 years ago)

Classic: the great "living" religions originating between 2500 and 500 years ago

Modern: contemporary variations of classic religions (developed since the 16^th century) as well as truly new, independent religions

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