Directions: For the first few weeks of this course, we have looked at the category of “religion” itself: what it means, who defined it, and what the consequences are of being both inside and outside that category. We’ve discussed the problems with the word “belief,” the influence of colonialism, and how indigenous and other non-European understandings of this category often differ from the Christian.
For this paper, answer the following question: Why does defining religion matter? In your answer, consider the above statements, what we’ve covered in class, as well as whether you’re talking historically, presently, and inside or outside of the United States.
