subject: Religious Studies - A Certain Field Of Human Knowledge [print this page] Religious studies are a specific academic discipline which includes various spheres of study and aims at the investigation, description, comparison and clarification of religions. Religion is studied by different humanities:
1.Sociology regards religion as a social institution and examines the causes and prerequisites of religion in the human society.
2.Psychology researches the religion and belief as the system of psychological security, as the psychological norm and also the mechanism of behavior management.
3.Philosophy dwells upon the problem of existence of God and other unnatural forces and arguments regarding the nature of soul.
4.Theology looks upon the problem of religion from inside, the character of religious faith as a natural need of people, the relationship between unnatural forces and human soul.
In contrast to all these disciplines religious studies aim at the investigation of religion and religious phenomena . Religion is regarded as the complex of religious awareness, religious organization plus activities. The research of religion employs the following spheres:
1.The beginnings of religion as the phenomenon of human society, its development at the early stages of human society existence.
2.History of religions that deals with the description of religions inthe context of the world history, the historicity of religion people and events and the development of various religions throughout history.
3.Sociological, anthropological as well as psychological reasons as well as basis of religions.
4.Cultural anthropology of religions which concerns itself with the study of the range of rituals, religious art as well as religion-connected human activities.
5.Geography of religion which is the complicated study on the boundary of religious study and geography dwelling upon the circulation of various religions throughout the world and some other space-related aspects of religion.
