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Augustus Sessley

What is Religion? On what is it based? What are the societal functions of Religion? Why

and How?

When first contemplating what religion ³is´, I find myself drawing a blank. That

momentary lapse in thought is soon followed by a wave of cognitive processes

examining religion in a personal sphere and how religion, or more appropriately faith,

affects almost all aspects of life. The parade of thought then is then quelled by the

daunting task of how to approach such a topic as faith. Religion does not fit into pre-

constructed categories such as a noun or an emotion. It comes close to´ a way of living´

or ³societal norms´ which both loosely describe culture or society. I emphasize faith

because religion seems to be abstract ideologies under social and culturally realistic

constructs concerned with the explanation of the human experience of mystery in self

and universe, fear of pain/suffering, death and life. Ultimately, religion and rational

morality are universal in their definition of humans and their unique features and

activities.

The divine intellectual spiritual and moral activities of humans arise out of natural

divine essence shared with God and include spirit, creativity, freedom, mind, moral

agency, agape, forgiveness, justice, knowledge, language and self transcendence. God

or the ³transcendent mystery´ sustains the all encompassing reality that holds the

cosmos and those apart of it to a principle of order. This ultimate reality describes


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concrete existence, the redemption from the threat of evil (chaos and disorder),

nonexistence and meaninglessness.

Faith deals with the explicit awareness of both God¶s omnipresence and

redemptive indwelling presence. The limitations of the finite are illuminated by

revelation in god and can be expanded through divine enlightenment providing spiritual

vision or ³special insight´. To be precise, the quest for God beings within the ³self´ and

concludes with awareness of God¶s presence within said self, further revealing the

divinity of man. Upon such ³enlightenment´ one is able conceptualize the perceptual

difference between seeing an ordinary physical event and witnessing the sense of

God¶s special activities in a spiritual world.

In its fundamental nature, God¶s divine essence and attributes are revealed to

the finite minds of humans through their own perception of nature and history as seen in

natural laws propagated by man¶s own divine attributes directly resembling those of God

The evolutionary nature of man is expressed through divinity in mind, spirit, etc. which

effectively transforms human beings from their original nature into extraordinary beings.

(imago dei). The most prominent example is that of Jesus Christ whose moral life was

most perfect in society and evolutionary religious moral history. He is one of the many

examples of how the manifestation of such qualities in morality and spirituality create a

desire for union with god, purification/ perfection and fulfillment and happiness in life.

Furthermore, the act of persuading the mind that an idea is true without proof is the key

to truly understanding religion because the most prominent factor regarding religion is

not interpretation but individual perspective.


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As an institution, religion was organized to establish and protect the interest of

the socioeconomic elite. This is exemplified in the distinction between early Neolithic

religion and the more organized religions of the Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians.

Originally, religion was based on existential harmony with nature and the flow of the

universe and because of its animistic nature one was able to experience universal

consciousness through all aspects of life. Consequently, society was more spiritual as a

whole and better connected locally through their understanding of ³God´. The

emergence of developed religion in more advanced civilizations introduced divisions

among society and inadvertently corrupted the concept of divinity. It was this distinction

that led me to conclude that religion is based on ones quest to fulfill a desire to access

realities that transcend perception in an attempt to medicate not only the reality but

presence of pain. Religion is concerned with the causes and how¶s of the universe while

spirituality or faith pertains to a concept much more complex. Another example is the

revelation of God through Moses understood by most Jews to be a possession entitled

only to those of the covenant. The election references Hebrews and their descendants

as ³insiders in God¶s holy kingdom´ and those not included are considered gentile.

The primary function of religion is to establish ethical/moral laws as a way to

govern a model lifestyle that¶s reflects the ideals of human nature. Most religions use

the language of myth or parables as metaphors to explain the values and meaning of

life. Sam Keen describes myths as interlocking stories, rituals, rites, customs and beliefs

that enable a sense of meaning and direction to the individual, family, community and

culture.1 These myths along shape both individual and collective thinking and though

they are the lens in which we our self, society, and God they are largely unconscious.
 



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With these non-scientific world views one is provided not only meaning in existence but

a role and identity.

Myths involve anything from celebrating certain values on a conscious level to

habitually viewing life as a compilation of unquestioned assumptions.2 The security in

identity that myth gives us is a double edged sword in a sense that we undergo selected

blindness by imitating hero figures and repeating rituals as done before. Another

function myth holds is the creation of a realm of heaven and hell in order to designate

the dramatic conflict between good and evil. For Keen, alienation from ones spiritual

self/an apparently "absent" God would result in a rediscovery of elemental emotions and

make renewed spirituality possible.3

Myths are pivotal in almost all religions to personify God and other deities.

Ironically, they also are primary factors in lack of understanding in finite aspects of life.

By definition God is the ³transcendent being´ that created and sustains the cosmos.

Being transcendent, God exceeds the capacity of the human mind and is

incomprehensible by nature. The Christian belief has particular emphasis on this fact

while still maintaining the concept of ³imago dei´ (mirror of God). The nature of Jesus

Christ is of specific interest because of the distinct divinity placed in a finite being. This

duality in nature is expressed in multiple aspects of religion in relation to the celestial

and mortal. God¶s election of a man to be his divine representative adds to the cosmic

mystery that is the creator. The concept of god working through a man to carry his word

embodies a sense of self-actualization and defends the theory that what we do on earth

(as humans-endowed with supernatural powers) is what distinguishes us from the rest

 






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of creation. With a figure like Jesus, it is hard to debate that human nature is divine and

animal, spiritual and material and immortal and mortal. Through communicating values,

providing (meaningful) instructions to satisfying life and enlightenment to the meaning of

life myths are able to defend religion without actually proof of God¶s existence.

At the end of the day most religious traditions have value in promoting peace,

love and respect the neighbor and creation. God¶s law of order, balance and harmony is

universally positive in its acceptance as cosmic revelation of knowledge, truth and

wonders of celestial mystery. More so, God¶s gifts of life, mind, justice and unconditional

love have to be considered as the most important divine gifts to humanity. These

contributions develop into freedom, mind/creativity, and moral responsibility which in

turn provide means to fulfilling the divine nature of man in a finite existence. Inside this

context each human being is a historically evolved thinking/knowing animal in

accordance with the creative laws of nature individually created to be a free and

responsible moral agent. Consequently, as humans we are what we think, act and

choose to be. Animal by evolution divine by nature, human beings are unique

possessing moral divinity as well as religious linguistics within God¶s cosmic creation.


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Works Cited

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Douglas, Kate. "Religion is based on ritual."     204.2739 (2009): 62-
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Dinges, William D. "American Catholics and the Joseph Campbell
phenomenon."   168.6 (1993): 12-19.   
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Bradford, M. Gerald, Hans A. Baer, and Gordon Shepherd. "JOSEPH CAMPBELL: AN
INTRODUCTION (Book)."  
     
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