TWO CONCEPTS AND ONE MEMORY. AN ATTEMPT TO RECONSIDER RELIGION AND CULTURE IN THE LIGHT OF MEMORY

Apply

TWO CONCEPTS AND ONE MEMORY. AN ATTEMPT TO RECONSIDER RELIGION AND CULTURE IN THE LIGHT OF MEMORY

Journal Title: The Polish Journal of Aesthetics - Year 2015, Vol 3, Issue 38

Abstract

Already in 1964 Wilfred Cantwell Smith wrote that: “the term ‘religion’ is confusing, unnecessary, and distorting”. Since then many new definitions for ‘religion’ were elaborated. In 2012 Jared Diamond not only reminded sixteen of them, but also proposed two new definitions. The multiplicity of definitions for ‘culture’ is well known. In the recent anthropological reflection the basic concepts of Western civilization underwent a dramatically transformations. This is true also for religion and culture and found a specific culmination in the theory elaborated by Clifford Geertz, who saw religion as a cultural system. The aim of this paper is to reconsider these two concepts in the light of the notion of memory. The contribution by Maurice Halbwachs who indicated a close link between religion and memory has to be included and also more recent analysis by Jan and Aleida Assmann, particularly their emphasis on cultural memory.

Authors and Affiliations

Stanisław Obirek

Keywords

religion culture memory Christianity sociotheology religious fundamentalis

EP ID EP210978
DOI -
Views 64
Downloads 0