A Christian Understanding of “Religion” and “the Religions”

Abstract

The existing literature about religion and the religions is usually either too complex or too heavily biased by nexamined presuppositions to introduce the field to the beginner. This article proposes a model in which, from an explicitly Christian perspective, religions, i.e., organized human efforts to relate to Ultimate Reality, are seen as responses to divine revelation. But they differ, not only in the kind and amount of revelation available to them (Jesus Christ being the final and perfect revelation), but crucially in the quality of the response; this may be yes, no , or yes but . Tentative conclusions are drawn.

This is a preliminary report on an ongoing research project aiming to produce an introduction to the study of religion and the religions which will take an unapologetically Christian stance, but which will avoid as much as possible the sweeping a priori generalizations which often bedevil the field.

We have developed the paper in three parts: first, the rationale for this particular line of enquiry; second, the approach and method; and third, a preliminary statement of findings.