About “The Using Value” of Religion in the Academic Studies

Abstract

The text was elaborated after some debate about the usefulness of academic study of religions in the Religions and Ideologies Research Seminar which took place in Iasi and also by participating in la Summer Contact Session «Paradigms of Cohabitation, Tolerance and Interreligious Dialogue». The present study aims to analyse three scenarios for the academic study of religion in the modern context. Basically, we want to show that regardless of the manner of approaching the religious element (the foundation of all natural sciences according to O. Spengler, a variation in a mental computerized construction, based on the theories of IP Culianu, a complete science encompassing fundamental changes that can operate thanks to “creative hermeneutics”, according to M. Eliade) there are sufficient reasons to believe that the academic study of religion has an “use value”. Although no spectacular mutations would be obtained at cognitive and behavioural level, the simple religious familiarity and knowledge of the religious field allows a more profound approach of reality. Moreover, the academic study of religion could offer young people the chance to discover, know and respect the other person’s values.