Christianity and Christ

When we reflect on the unseen side of life, we quickly realize that we are far from alone. Across history, and in every culture, countless people have wrestled with the same thoughts. These reflections have taken shape in the world’s many religions. They show themselves visibly in temples, shrines, and sacrifices — acts of devotion offered to beings no one has physically seen and whose voices no one has heard. The sheer cost and effort behind these acts reveal a deep conviction: that beyond the visible world lies a greater, unseen reality.

People have often been willing to give up wealth, comfort, and even life itself in hopes of gaining the blessings of that unseen world. And in many cases, this belief has had a powerful moral effect. It has lifted people upward. It has encouraged righteousness. Religion, in all its varied forms, is therefore a phenomenon that deserves serious and careful study.

Religion and Theology

Few words carry more weight in modern life than the word religion. We generally feel we know exactly what it means. We recognize religious people and religious questions, and we speak easily of the world’s many religions. Yet it is striking that the word itself appears only rarely in the English Bible — and when it does appear, it does not always mean what we now mean by it.

In a few passages, such as Acts 25:5 and James 1:26–27, the word refers mainly to outward forms of worship. In Galatians 1:13-14, “the Jews’ religion” corresponds to what we would call Judaism. Elsewhere, as in Acts 13:43, the word religious is better translated simply as devout. This contrast is telling. While Scripture uses the term sparingly and inconsistently, modern speech uses it often and with confidence. That modern usage, therefore, should guide our definition. There is little to gain by forcing the word back into meanings it held only occasionally in biblical translation.

Even so, clearly defining religion is harder than it looks. Although the term feels familiar, popular abstract words tend to be slippery. Different people use them in slightly different ways, which makes precision difficult. In practice, most definitions of religion tell us more about the author’s perspective than about any settled meaning of the word itself. Almost every new book or article on religion offers a new definition. This one will be no exception.

Still, I must explain what I mean by religion before going further. I believe the definition I propose captures what is always meant when the word is used seriously, and that it includes what is common to all its legitimate uses. It is neither broader nor narrower than ordinary usage allows.