Religion, Phenomenology of

Abstract

Phenomenology of religion is an academic approach within religious studies. The article traces the origins and development of the discipline and gives an overview over its major topics, works, and representants. Then two methodical approaches are delineated: a descriptive phenomenology of religion which refers to the classification and systematization of religious phenomena and the creation of typologies which account for different types of religion, and an analytical phenomenology of religion which, in addition to the goals of descriptive phenomenology, is based on some explicit understanding of the philosophical background and methods of phenomenology and hermeneutics. Phenomenology of religion meets with a series of criticisms which is summarized in the third section. The final section turns to the reactions to these criticisms and recent developments within the phenomenology of religion.