Compose a 2250 words essay on Michael Pyes Religion: Shape And Shadow. Needs to be plagiarism free!Download file to see previous pages... The question in shape in religions is very important. New reli

Compose a 2250 words essay on Michael Pyes Religion: Shape And Shadow. Needs to be plagiarism free!

The question in shape in religions is very important. New religions are coming at a faster rate than new languages, and new languages are dying faster. Study of the shape of religion involves not only merely listing all available data from history, but knowing the far-reaching theoretical problems to be solved. Pye says that we are short of good theory of the study of religion. And without theory there is no shape.

Religion and the study of religion are affected by ideological fashions. Religion has been studied, or the study of religion is used for other reasons, such as promoting mysticism, or spreading missionary religion, assisting race relations, or solving philosophical problems, without studying philosophy, developing the intellectual defences of a new religion, defending established religions, or finding out how to use religion to promote economic development, etc. Pye advises that everyone must take an active part in the study of religion, or play an active role. For his part, he is involved as General Secretary in the International Association in the History of Religions, which he said is not a religious organization.

The second part offers a new view of the "shape" of contemporary Japanese religion, in order briefly to illustrate what is meant by discernment of the shape of religion. There is a wide variety of distinguishable religions in Japan. These include Shint in its various historical stages and significant vestiges of the Chinese traditions of Confucianism and Daoism. Buddhism is present in what may seem to be a bewildering range of forms. Other Buddhist denominations of great popular appeal include Pure Land Buddhism, True Pure Land Buddhism and Nichiren Buddhism, based on the mantra-like utterances Namu Amida Butsu. The question as to whether there is a common field of Japanese religion, Pye's assessment is that there is such a common field which has resilience independent of the specific religions mentioned.

Pye speaks metaphorically on "the common language of Japanese religion" which is a pattern of symbols and actions widely understood and may be found in various forms within the various denominations. A votive tablet (ema), for example, is used for giving expression to prayers and aspirations both at Shint shrines and at Buddhist temples. Every year millions of them are bought, inscribed with a felt-tip pen and left behind in the shrine or temple grounds for the various divinities and other visitors to peruse. There are various overlapping systems of religion in Japan.

Pye says that organized Shinto is no longer the primal religion of Japan, although it contributes to it and draws upon it, but it has not been for a long time. Shinto can not be regarded as an "adjusted primal religion". But Pye mentioned the recently launched religion "Science of Happiness" proclaiming utopia on Earth, demonstrating how religions start in Japan.

There is an important general problem about the relationship between new religious trends or movements and the existing religious context. At present, there are those who worry that the ordination of women to the priesthood could lead to the end of Christianity. Pye says that he is in favor of gender-oriented reforms in the Roman Catholic Church. The question, he asks, is would such reform lead to the end of the Roman Catholicism

The third part of the lecture is on religious studies. Pye asserts that Religious Studies is not religion (with a singular verb). The study of religion has come out from under the shadow of religion. Religious studies should be distinguished from Theology and from Biblical Studies.