religionTouchstone 1.docx - 1 Approaches to Studying...

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Approaches to Studying Religions
Reflecting on Major Approaches to Studying Religions: Phenomenology
Religion is a spectrum; for some it involves more spirituality and for others it involves a
more straightforward practical approach. One reason it is difficult to define is that it is practiced
in such a wide variety of ways. With so many forms of expression, it’s quite a feat to interpret
and then define a generalized motivation. Another reason religion is hard to define is that even
one vital element, the supernatural, for instance, has different meanings in different religions, if
the supernatural is even an element involved in the religion at all. When you add in the crucial
component of human belief, which changes so much even over a lifetime, the range of
possibilities involved in every aspect of religion make it quite challenging to comprise a succinct
definition.
Phenomenology is the study of phenomena or the science of consciousness experience.