The Intellectual Dimensions of the Religious Phenomenon: a Critical Study of Theories of the Origins of Religion from the Perspective of Contemporary Islamic Thought
Keywords:
religion, religious phenomenon, knowledge, innate drive, self-referencing, obedience, primitive religions, rational vision, cognitive perceptions, belief.Abstract
The history of religion extends along with human existence, appearing in various forms ranging from primitive religions to fully developed ones, each differing in the traditions of its societies. Here lies the difficulty in defining religion, as it is impossible to determine a common denominator for all religions. Therefore, anyone intending to study and research the religious phenomenon in any of its dimensions, especially in the field of understanding the origin of religion and the theories that paved the way for it, must first consider the objective principles. These studies must take into account their direct impact on the desired results, and one of the pure principles of human knowledge of truth is the innate drive, usually expressed as the "desire for inquiry," which can compel humans to contemplate issues and questions posed under the name of religion, attempting to search for the true religion.
