Key Concepts

Question 1

What are the 3 definitions of religion?

Answer 1

1. Substantive
2. Functional
3. Constructionist

Question 2

What is a substantive definition of religion

Answer 2

• aim to identify the core characteristics shared by major religions e.g. believing in a god
• ethnocentric as it only focuses on western religions
• not all religions share the same characteristics

Question 3

What is a functional definition

Answer 3

• looks at what the religion does for the society around it

* too inclusive as any belief system could perform these functions e.g. supporting a football team isn’t a religion

Question 4

What is a constructionist definition

Answer 4

• main interest is in how definitions of religion are constructed, challenged, and fought over
• impossible to generalise about the nature of religion as people may have widely differing views of what counts as religion

Question 5

Define fundamentalism

Answer 5

They seek to return to the basics or fundamentals of their faith