Cultural Identity

The study of world religions encompasses a variety of religious beliefs that aim to rationalize human experience with faith and cultural traditions. The phenomenon of religion challenges conventional aspects of how religions came to exist as well as the fundamental beliefs practiced world-wide. Typically, “world religions” is immediately associated with Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism and the differences of beliefs, practices, and moral teachings between them. Throughout this unit, Prothero portrays this paradigm by focusing on these pre-established notions and conformities of “religion” and challenges the rhetoric and ignorant conceptions. Specifically, he explains the dogma that “Religions are all one” delegitimizes many religions that are often viewed in opposition. The claim that all religions are one in the same essentially diminishes the authenticity of religion and belittles the diversity of world-wide beliefs. 

How do individuals perceive “world religions” and what is deemed a religion versus a civilization? I believe that perceptions of illusory paradigms are often construed through the pre-historic establishment and influential rhetoric. How would the categorization of religion vary if a foreign group viewed religious activities and cultural identities? In a broad sense, almost every aspect of civilization is structured by the way they were established from the beginning of time. Cultures and behaviors exist the way they do through tradition. Simply, from the beginning of time, religions explained a cultural identity that grouped different civilizations and human development. I associate religion to a cultural identity because “world religions” do not encompass all cultures and behaviors inclusively. Alternatively, I believe “world religions” includes but not limited to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, The Ancient Greek Civilization, The Roman Civilization, and The Ancient Egyptian Civilization. I expanded on my grouping of world religions to incorporate ancient civilizations and cultural societies because that is essentially the essence of religion. Prothero states a basic definition as, “religions are characterized by beliefs, rituals, ethics, and institutions” (Prothero 1196). 

The image above depicts different cultural traditions practiced by various groups around the world. Although the symbols above represent different religions, it also represents a cultural identity that shapes who we are. The light shining through represents our interaction with the outer world and the human relationship to nature. For example, “Confucians insist on infusing the world with sacred import- on seeing Heaven in humanity, on investing human beings with incalculable value, on hallowing the everyday” (Prothero 108). Many civilizations attempt to explain the outer world while incorporating human value and morality. The image I chose depicts many cultural identities that portray their focus on the outer world.

If religions are viewed by the way they were previously established, how would a different group perceive world religions today? I think that it would be categorized in a similar manner, but traditional procedures and behaviors may be thought as peculiar. Similarly, different religions view other religions as good versus bad because it is not similar to their culture. Prothero incorporates this idea with a widely perceived stereotype of Islam through an American-centric lens to reveal the ignorant and uneducated truths about this religion. He states, “Still, when Americans are asked for one word that sums up Islam, “fanatical,” “radical,” “strict,” “violent,” and “terrorism” all spill from their collective imagination” (Prothero 26). This perception is formed through an outsider attempting to explain a different religion, but why does is it shed in a negative light? Although my image depicts different cultures, it still conforms to the basis of what is thought to be a religion. It doesn’t fully encompass how all cultures identify or their core fundamentals. Even though it is a broad scope, how does one fully rationalize every “religion” that is thought to exist? Do religions have to be an institutionalized system to validate their existence? If rhetoric did not have an influence on new perceptions, how would an outsider label the way we associate with our religious identity? I believe that any association or conformity to religion helps us find meaning and purpose on Earth. Ranging from spiritual identities to religious identities, cultivating a relationship with yourself and a community of faith and or culture helps individuals find themselves. Prothero concludes with, “It is impossible to make sense of a town or nation or world without reckoning with religion’s extraordinary influence, for good and for ill” (Prothero 23). Religion can simply serve as a label for how one views the world and after-life. Believing in different ways of life brings diversity and multi-faceted approaches about birth, death, morality, ethics, and meaning of life.