The Relationship between Culture and Religion: A Forum for Theological Reflection
The Relationship between Culture and Religion: A Forum for Theological Reflection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/csl.25534Keywords:
Culture; Religion; Inculturation; Sacred Experience; Christian FaithAbstract
The paper explores the complex interplay between these two domains through sociological, psychological, anthropological, and phenomenological perspectives. The author argues that religion never exists outside cultural contexts, while every culture implicitly carries religious dimensions. Drawing on thinkers such as Comte, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Freud, Jung, James, Geertz, and Eliade, the study examines how religion structures society, shapes spiritual life, builds cultural networks and symbolic language, and mediates experiences of the sacred. Special attention is given to inculturation in the Vietnamese context, where the linguistic traditions of “Trời” and “Deus” converge to form a distinctive Christian culture. The article concludes that Christian faith is intrinsically a culture in itself, offering a worldview that shapes human values, behaviors, and identity.
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