Religion

Religion

In relation to the interactions between cultures and globalization, religion often plays an important role. Religious belief and practice have not disappeared (as was assumed by early secularization theory), but instead they have come center stage in public debate. The topic is, likewise, closely connected to the key topics dealt with in this volume and can be interpreted and analyzed from the perspective of diverse disciplines. Defining religion has always been a precarious endeavor. While some scholars strive to create a definition that is mostly connected to the Zeitgeist, others try to conceive religion as an open concept and consider that “scientific theories only obtain their relevance within the context of cultural discourses” (Kippenberg & Stuckrad, 2003: 20). Furthermore, different world ...