Part 2 - The Concept of Religion

The term religion has very wide scope. It is very difficult to give a specific meaning of the term and hard to determine its nature and definition. To find out the origin of the term religion, different observations have been made. The Oxford English Dictionary points out the Latin word religare, i.e. to bind together, as the origin of the term. In the book Divine Institutes also the term religare is used as the origin of the religion.^[1] Lactantious has derived religio from religare, to bind or hold back. According to him, men are tied to god and bound to him by the bond of piety, and from that, religion has itself shaped out.^[2] As it has the divine power of binding the men and god, it is named as religion. But as the term directs the power, the use of religare for religion is quite doubtful. Another Latin word, religere, i.e. to excute or to rehearse, is also regarded as the origin of the term.^[3] Cicero has used the term relegere, i.e. to gather up again, to take up, to consider, to ponder, as the origin of the term and this etymology is supported by the great scholar Max Müllar too.^[4] It is unanimously admitted by both the ancient and modern scholars that the term religion is derived from religio, that is descendant either form religare as well as religere. Both the original forms used for religion convey the similar senses; the sense of unity and harmony. Cicero, in his work Da Natura deorum (2.28.72) has hold the term religio for religion and remarked, “Those who carefully took in hand all things pertaining to the worship of the gods, were called religiosi,” i.e. religious.^[5]

The term religion stands as the bond between the mankind and the society. The process of religion has two sides, i.e. an inner side and an outer side. From the inner point of view, it is a state of belief and feeling, an inward spiritual disposition. But from the outer, it is an expression of the subjective disposition in appropriate acts. Both these two aspects are essential to form a religion. The faith, reverence, etc., of the people towards a supernatural power beyond himself is the inner aspect of religion and act of worshipping and service, etc., in respect of that particular power is the outer aspect of religion.^[6]