Knowledge and Religion

Image 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NFklGTpTALkJXULm9TOeB5LKbA_p6ws0/view?usp=sharing

Image 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13QxLjtmNU-Ucwc98KpkcYC2lpN688C3Z/view?usp=sharing

The above paintings convey Christian ideas regarding where we come from, our place on earth, why evil exists and what happens in the afterlife.

The history of mankind shows that religions have been (and continue to be) important sources of knowledge for a large amount of people. Indeed, many people resort to their religion to make sense of the world. We have previously seen that we can understand the concept of knowledge through the map metaphor. However, if knowledge is a map, what is the territory that religion represents?

Image 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S9gwhmT7wkYC8VWr0fZYSz-jk7_lQjJf/view?usp=sharing

Image 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TzSzoorl9rFZ4L8V-FNVgbWF2pC7mfXE/view?usp=sharing

Image 3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19kXlI-KSfaqYyk16dGdATj1Ua1dV-ajA/view?usp=sharing

Using the above images as examples, religions can claim to offer knowledge about what happens after death, how to live a (morally) good life.and ho

Religions offer explanations for the reason for our existence, guidance on how we should live our lives, clarifications on what drives human behaviour, as well as explanations about the natural world. In short, it seems that religions can offer us a huge amount of knowledge. And that exactly, can explain their attraction. The scope of the knowledge they offer seems to be quite encompassing at first sight.

Religious knowledge may even offer purpose to our lives. Some people believe that religions can offer answers to almost everything, that religions are the one and only "knowledge map" you should possess. However, the true extent of this scope will depend on your perspective and whether or not you accept the knowledge a religion proposes. In reality, the relationship between believers and the knowledge offered by their religions is complex and incredibly varied. Some people will resort to religions to "merely" fulfil a psychological need, others to offer guidance regarding the bigger questions in life, perhaps in times of helplessness. Some believers may find answers to scientific questions within religions, whereas other people look at religion for definitive moral guidelines through which to live their lives. Within TOK, it is important to analyse and examine how religions can offer us knowledge, as well as the extent to which this might (not) be possible.

Image 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NOEKLjPgkQ1j7hcVDAKGOBso-dt4p1lY/view?usp=sharing

Image 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wBYXIVr96Km3W546YYqUtGtFvONz7to/view?usp=sharing

Sometimes religion (merely) fulfils a psychological need, especially in times of helplessness.

​Religion is something we are often passionate about. In this respect, it is important to keep our TOK discussions focused on knowledge (and not simply about personal taste or opinion). Arguably, atheists could question to which extent religion can offer genuine true knowledge rather than just belief. Nevertheless, one should understand that throughout time, many peoples and cultures have organised their lives around religion. This is significant. We may find the existence of the multiplicity of religions somewhat puzzling. How can we reconcile such a variety of perspectives and (sometimes absolute) claims? In addition, some religions have disappeared from the earth, whereas over time, others have come into existence. If the very existence of a particular religion is not timeless and constant, how can they claim to possess true and timeless knowledge? Some religions have also evolved over time, with schisms (such as the birth of Protestantism in Christianity) representing new knowledge and interpretation. In this respect, it might be interesting to examine the (possibility of) perspectives within a particular religion. Very often these different "streams" stem from disputes regarding the knowledge these respective religions offer. This is excellent TOK material.

Religions often aim to answer some of the bigger questions in life, such as the reason for our existence, human suffering, and the universe's mysterious ways. Religions can be defined as "systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular god or gods, or in the teachings of a spiritual leader" (Oxford Dictionary).

However, there exist several fundamentally different views of what this means in practice. Theism claims that the universe is created and ruled by a powerful, omnipotent God. Amongst the major world religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity are examples of theistic religions. Some religions are monotheistic, and others are polytheistic. Christianity, for example, is monotheistic. However, it also postulates the somewhat complex concept of a "Trinity", including "The Father", "The Son" and "The Holy Spirit". A Pantheistic view of religion, on the other hand, draws on the notion that God is everything and everything is part of God. Taoism could be defined as pantheistic (although in practice, the distinction between polytheitic, monotheistic and pantheistic relgions is less solid and more nuanced).

​Agnostic knowers neither accept nor deny the existence of God or a higher reality. They are conscious of their 'ignorance', which is an interesting point of view from a TOK perspective.

Image 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lZynIyM8RSSe2KtK9mLYH_Ag0I4EZzlO/view?usp=sharing

Image 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ph4MHZD3LvxUx3umnypLC7n788-pDM_a/view?usp=sharing

Interestingly, some religions are theistic and some are not. In addition, some religions are polytheistic (they have several Gods) and others are monotheistic (they only have one God).

w to make sense of suffering.

The idiosyncratic nature of proof, validity and rationality in religion, led some people to take an atheist stance. 'An atheist denies the existence of a creator God and believes that the universe is material in nature and has no spiritual dimension.' (Lagemaat, 2011). Whether or not you accept religious knowledge may depend on the community of knowers you belong to, which is in its turn influenced by individual and shared memory, language, and emotion. Your religion could play a role when you make value judgements. For example, we resort to religion to give us moral knowledge, we may rely upon faith rather than reason to make ethical decisions. However, does religion truly provide a way to systematise concepts of right and wrong?

So how should we understand "proof", "evidence" or "a reasonable explanation" in religion? How do we even begin to prove the existence of God? What constitutes a reasonable explanation for a religious claim? Is it even possible to offer good "evidence" when it comes to religion? Arguably, this is where it gets tricky. However, that does not mean that evidence is totally irrelevant within religion. For example, you might not accept the evidence offered by those who propose religious claims, but these claims are still founded upon idiosyncratic evidence of some sort. When we discuss knowledge and religion, it is important to evaluate how religious knowledge might be obtained and the methodology that underpins this quest; otherwise the analysis risks superficiality. In this sense, it would be better to evaluate TOK concepts such as "proof", "evidence" and "explanations" within the context in which they are applied. For example, you could question what might be understood under "a reasonable explanation" within religion, and then further discuss whether this might differ from other AOKs. You may wonder whether all knowledge claims should be open to rational criticism. In addition, you could question whether the true purpose of religion is to offer explanations that are by and large reserved for other AOKs, such as the natural sciences.

Likewise, we could also wonder to what extent scientific developments have the power to influence thinking about religion. Religion and science often clash because the ways in which they aim to understand the world are arguably intrinsically opposed. This gets to the core of the importance of the 4 elements that intertwine our course: methods & tools, scope, ethics and perspectives. In that respect, we might resort to religion to offer us knowledge about some aspects of reality, whilst employing other AOKs (such as sciences) to explain others. Some scientists, such as Brian Heap, use religion to organise their lives, with a strong moral focus.

However, this does not mean that both AOKs are interchangeable. Arguably, using religion to explain scientific facts and vice versa is missing the point of what religion is all about. In that respect, it may come as no surprise that some leading scientists and theologians reject the notion of Intelligent Design whilst calling it “neither sound science nor good theology.” (ISSR). Perhaps the true appeal of religion lies in the fact that it aims to resolve problems that other areas can't resolve. Religions propose knowledge that is quite different in nature and scope. They consider difficult, often existential, questions that may not have a definite answer.