Abstract

SARRAZIN, Jean Paul. Definitions of the Concept of «Religion» in the Context of Modern Power Relations. Estud. Polit. [online]. 2021, n.60, pp.72-93.  Epub July 01, 2021. ISSN 0121-5167.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.espo.n60a04.

This article examines political implications of the uses and meanings of the concept of «religion» in academic and institutional contexts. It presents a review of some of the main definitions of the concept provided by the social sciences, which are critically analyzed considering their consequences in the modern context of power relations. The investigation identifies five types of assumptions present in these definitions: a) Religion is conceived as opposed to secularity, c) it is imagined under an institutionalized form, b) it is expressed as a set of beliefs, d) which are considered as a private matter, and e) are about supernatural beings or forces. It is concluded that what we understand today as «religion» cannot be separated from processes of legitimation and domination, and that using the term to classify certain cultural expressions may overshadow their particularities and exclude them from public debate.

Keywords : Religion; Secularity; Beliefs; Legitimation; Pluralism; Modernity.

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