2002/01/01 by Andrew McKinnon · 4 citations
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Religion and Society Interactions #Study and Philosophy of Religion #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
paper · doi:10.1163/157006802760198776
openalex publication_date 2002/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract Sociologists of religion have long debated the definition of religion. In this article, I survey the debate and find a partially hidden consensus. This debate, in conjunction with recent criticisms of the concept "religion" in religious studies, and by drawing on Ludwig Wittgenstein's notion oflanguage games, provides helpful pointers for developing a non-essentialist conception of religion. I argue that "religion" (as a phenomenon and as a concept) is a historical and social construction, but that this does not require us to dispense with the concept altogether.