Piotr Balcerowicz

Is the idea of an 'atheistic religion' a contradiction in terms? Would it be justified to call Jainism or Buddhism atheistic or non-theistic? Many Jains themselves are quite uneasy about such questions and would downright reject the phrase 'atheistic Jainism'. A related problem is whether ancient and mediaeval India knew the idea of Religion and had a corresponding term for it, for the term dharma in the sense of 'religion' is clearly a modern invention. It would, however, be a paradox that the South-Asian Subcontinent, where a number of important religions originated, would not know the idea of religion. Was that really the case? Further, is it true that all religions point to the same unfathomable reality and share the same ideal which is universal to every culture? In order to deal with these questions one should first examine the defining features of the phenomenon called 'religion'. Jainism and the Definition of Religion does precisely that. The Author briefly sketches most important previous definitions of religion and offers his own. He takes Jainism, with its unique features, as an excellent point of departure in order to take a closer look at what constitutes religious phenomena and goes beyond traditional preconceptions

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