An Operational Definition of Religion

Abstract

For the science of religion, it is indispensable to have a definition of religion as the starting point of its study. The term science of religion may still be somewhat unfamiliar and sound strange. It only means an approach to the study of religion, using the empirical and scientific method. Basically, the science of religion is not different from any of the disciplines in the fields of natural science and behavioral science. It fulfils the basic requirements of scientific investigation. The basic requirements for science are two, the method of study, and the object of study. As to the former, the science of religion follows the general nature of scientific method, which is to be objective, value neutral and positivistic-positivistic in the sense that all the inquiries must be based upon observable phenomena. The object of study must be open and available for observation by anybody who wants to study it. Now, to turn to the problem of the object of study, religious phenomena, which are the object of study of the science of religion, involve man's value elements. On this point, it is different from natural phenomena. This makes the point of departure for behavioral science from natural science.