The Formation of Religious Studies and the Criticism against Religions(<Special Issue>Criticism of Religion)

Abstract

From its beginning religious studies has been motivated by the wish to explore alternatives to modern civilization. Religions have been seen as containing some hope for those suffering from the limits of human reason and the modern suppressive society. Religious studies, however, has also been formed through the criticism against religions. It is an important part of the formation and development of religious studies to penetrate into the oppressive aspects of religions. Thus religious studies has created new intellectual horizons by incorporating keen critical understanding both of religions and modernity. In this paper the author examines three thinkers (Tominaga Nakamoto, David Hume, and F. Nietzsche) as the predecessors of those who contributed to the opening of perspectives combining criticism against religions and criticism against modernity. Each of their criticism against religions is based on their strong awareness that religions have been playing extremely important roles in human history. Religions are regarded by them to have deep roots in humanity and thus as almost insurmountable. They did not suppose that religions would soon decline as a result of the progress of human knowledge. Their acute awareness of the limits of the human reason was closely related to their thought that religions are deeply grounded in human nature. This is precisely the reason why penetrating understanding of religions is so challenging and important.