Philosophy of Religion: What is Religion? Why Does Religion Exist?

Religion is a pervasive and significant cultural phenomenon, so people who study culture and human nature have sought to explain the nature of religion, the nature of religious beliefs, and the reasons why religions exist in the first place. There have been as many theories as theorists, it seems, and while none fully captures what religion is,...

The Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, arguments and history. Theology and the philosophy of religion share much in common, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature while Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself,...

The nature and origins of religion are common topics on this site's discussion forum, and they are certainly common topics whenever the issue of religion comes up. But just how familiar are people with the historical scholarship about religion? Or with the sociology and psychology of the same?

The Matrix, a wildly popular film that has been followed by an equally popular sequel, is often regarded (well, except for some critics) as a very "deep" film, tackling difficult subjects not commonly the focus of Hollywood's efforts. Is it, however, also a religious film - a film embodying religious subjects and transcendental values?

Karl Marx wrote that religion is the opium of the people, but few understand what he really meant. Marx was criticizing society more than religion. Marx didn't regard religion as a primary enemy, though he did argue that the hopes offered by religion are illusory.

Common thinking among secularists and nonbelievers of various sorts tends to be that religion and science are fundamentally incompatible. This incompatibility is also imagined to extend to the relationship between religion and technology, since technology is so often a product of science and science cannot proceed without technology, especially today.

Sigmund Freud is a seminal figure in the history of human thought. Humanity has suffered from three principle types of narcissism: the belief that we are the center of the universe, the belief that we are the center/goal of nature and the belief that we are always "master of our own house."

The Matrix and Buddhism: Is the Matrix a Buddhism Film? There are many important Buddhist themes throughout the Matrix films - for example, the idea that our reality is really maya, or illusion. But is that enough to call the Matrix movies Buddhist movies?