The Special Issue on Religion

This article explores the idea of religion as a social taxon, category concept, and institutional structure. It will also outline the differences between religion and other human activities. It will discuss some of the debates surrounding religion. It is important to note that there are varying opinions regarding the nature of religion and how to define it.

Religion is a social taxon

The topic of religion is an important one, because religion shapes and determines our behaviors and perceptions of right and wrong. Religion can also affect organizational relations. In this special issue, seven articles examine the role of religion as a macro-social force and analyze religious practices and beliefs. They highlight a variety of viewpoints and include minority and dominant religions. The articles also explore the concept of religion as a social taxon and how it shapes organizational relations.

It is a family resemblance concept

In his work, Wittgenstein developed a concept called ‘family resemblance’, which describes the relation of concepts, such as nature and religion, in a way that is both coherent and flexible. This idea is also applicable to language: words and concepts have the same underlying structure, but do not necessarily have the same essence. A good example of this is the concept ‘game,’ which includes both winning and losing, as well as other legitimate uses of the word.

It is a category-concept

A key question in the study of religion is, what constitutes a religion? Depending on the person’s predispositions, religion can be defined in different ways.

It has institutional structures

Religions have institutional structures that help them function as social systems. For example, many religions have hierarchical authority structures, while others encourage participatory governance. Some religions require their followers to perform social roles, such as overseas missions, or to run local schools or services for the poor. Others provide training for leadership and civic discourse.

It has totemistic aspects

Totems are animals or plants considered sacred by a group of people. In Australia, totems are traditionally animals, but they can also be plants and inanimate objects. While there are no native languages that directly translate totems, Australian aboriginals often have local terms for these manifestations.

It has a transcendent discourse

Religions often use concepts of transcendence to describe the nature of God or the divine. Though transcendence is difficult to describe, it often has a philosophical foundation. For example, the term transcendent means beyond, or beyond the limitations of, a finite system. In philosophy, transcendental discourse often means the negation of the finite. For example, eternity is not temporal, while immanence is the presence of God among his people.