The Connection between Morality and Spirituality: The definition of Religion as a Virtue
When discussing religion in India in the context of globalization, one crucial question is, of course, the definition of religion. Is “religion” a Western construct imposed on the spiritual traditions of India leading to unhappy side effects, especially when contrasted with its significant other: secularity? Or is the modern concept of religion, at least heuristically, a valid instrument to be applied to various cultures across the globe? In this presentation, I will argue that one needs to look at the long genealogy of the concept of religion, all the way back to Cicero’s religio. One important difference in comparison with modern definitions is that religio was understood as a moral virtue under the cardinal virtue of justice. In my presentation, I will use as an example the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas and his presentation of religio in the Summa Theologiae as a case for rethinking the modern concept of religion that narrows the distance to concepts such as Dharma. Especially, concerning the moral core of religion as that of duty.
Publisert i MORALITY, SPRITUALITY, CULTURE AND SOCIETY: EAST AND WEST, 2023
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