THE PROBLEM OF DEFINING RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG RESEARCHES OF XIX – FIRST HALF OF XX CENTURY. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The problem of defining religion and religious consciousness has remained actual for decades. The topic is actual, at least, due to variety of existing theoretical perspectives of the mentioned phenomenon, lack of consensus of the problem; primarily, due to the importance of religion’s role in formation of cultural layer of society – Ukrainian in particular. In addition, religious consciousness is obviously an integral component of religion, but its role isn’t always clearly defined, so that requires additional analysis. The mentioned chronology, that is considered here, is the richest in theoretical achievements, started several subject perspectives at once: sociological and psychological; also stated philosophical and anthropological perspectives. Each of them has its own specific methodology and orientation, which directly shapes the understanding of religion as a phenomenon; this, foremost, affects the formation of scientific paradigm regarding further, more subjective and practical scientific researches, especially during sociological and psychological researches. In conclusion, specific difference, advantages and disadvantages are of mentioned perspectives are the subject of the article. In the article are examined the works of M. Weber, E. Durkheim, W. James, T. Flournoy, Z. Freud, and R. Otto. The choice of mentioned researchers is due to the influence of their theoretical achievements: first of all, due to the formation of already mentioned perspectives, lastly – their ideas are still popular in textbooks and courses in the field of Ukrainian religious studies. It is important to outline that the anthropology of religion – as a more modern field of religious studies – was founded on the intersection of the achievements of researchers of the considered period. Since its foundations still closely depend on the interpretation of the achievements of the classics, their analysis contributes to a deeper development of anthropology of religion in the scientific space.