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'''Religion''' is the most rigid and unyielding of all [[human]] institutions, but it does tardily adjust to changing society. Eventually, evolutionary religion does reflect the changing mores, which, in turn, may have been affected by revealed religion. Slowly, surely, but grudgingly, does religion ([[worship]]) follow in the wake of [[wisdom]]--[[knowledge]] directed by experiential [[reason]] and illuminated by [[divine]] [[revelation]].[http://www.urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper92.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper92.html&line=47#mfs]
'''Religion''' is the most rigid and unyielding of all [[human]] institutions, but it does tardily adjust to changing society. Eventually, evolutionary religion does reflect the changing mores, which, in turn, may have been affected by revealed religion. Slowly, surely, but grudgingly, does religion ([[worship]]) follow in the wake of [[wisdom]]--[[knowledge]] directed by experiential [[reason]] and illuminated by [[divine]] [[revelation]].[http://www.urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper92.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper92.html&line=47#mfs]
'Religious '''studies''' is the [[academia|academic]] field of multi-disciplinary, [[secular]] study of [[religion|religious]] beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically-based, and cross-cultural perspectives. (For material in [[Nordan Corpora]], follow this link: [http://www.nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Religion])
'''Religious studies''' is the [[academia|academic]] field of multi-disciplinary, [[secular]] study of [[religion|religious]] beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically-based, and cross-cultural perspectives. (For material in [[Nordan Corpora]], follow this link: [http://www.nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Religion])
While theologians attempt to understand the subject matter of religion from within a particular religious tradition, scholars of religion study human religious behavior and belief from outside any particular religious viewpoint. Religious studies draws upon multiple disciplines and their methodologies including [[anthropology of religion|anthropology]], [[sociology of religion|sociology]], [[psychology of religion|psychology]], [[philosophy of religion|philosophy]], and [[history of religions|history of religion]].
While theologians attempt to understand the subject matter of religion from within a particular religious tradition, scholars of religion study human religious behavior and belief from outside any particular religious viewpoint. Religious studies draws upon multiple disciplines and their methodologies including [[anthropology of religion|anthropology]], [[sociology of religion|sociology]], [[psychology of religion|psychology]], [[philosophy of religion|philosophy]], and [[history of religions|history of religion]].
==Intellectual foundation and background==
==Intellectual foundation and background==
Before religious studies became a field in its own right (e.g., flourishing in the US as of the late-1960s), several key intellectual figures explored religion from a variety of perspectives. One of these figures was the famous [[Pragmatism|pragmatist]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James William James]. His [[1902]] [[Gifford Lectures|Gifford lectures]] and book ''[[The Varieties of Religious Experience]]'' examined religion from a psychological-philosophical perspective and is still influential today. His essay ''[[The Will to Believe]]'' defends the rationality of faith.
Before religious studies became a field in its own right (e.g., flourishing in the US as of the late-1960s), several key intellectual figures explored religion from a variety of perspectives. One of these figures was the famous [[Pragmatism|pragmatist]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James William James]. His [[1902]] [[Gifford Lectures|Gifford lectures]] and book ''[[The Varieties of Religious Experience]]'' examined religion from a psychological-philosophical perspective and is still influential today. His essay ''[[The Will to Believe]]'' defends the rationality of faith.