Dr. Anne Carr, BVM Engages with the Question: How Do You Define Religion?

How do you define religion?

Dr. Anne Carr discusses her use of Friedrich von Hugel’s definition of religion, which characterizes religion as a synthesis of three elements: institutional, intellectual, and mystical. She also references Smart’s definition of religion, which says that religion is “indoctrination of the moral and ethical elements of life”. Dr. Carr remarks that whatever the definition may be, it is important that it is rooted in experience and a search for meaning. This search for meaning raises a question similar to proving the existence of God.