Religion is the way in which human beings in this universe relate to a
transcendent supernatural being believed to exist beyond human imaginations and
dreams, or power to discern His infallible existence.
Culture is considered to be the way of life of a particular community or group
of people in an organized manner enhancing peaceful coexistence, freedom of
thoughts and expression of wills, tranquility and above all orderliness among
its members.
Therefore, it’s of greater importance that Religion be seeing in Cultural
context as inseparable entity because every cultural setting imbibed in it some
tenets on which it operates and makes it appealing to all human a sense
obligations, duties and responsibility towards his immediate surroundings and
environments. We then tend to discover the essence of our living together in a
society and avoid all forms of prejudices, chaos, crimes, disorderliness, evils
and wickedness.
Many have tried in several areas of their concentration to give a definite
meaning to this word "Religion" base on their level of knowledge and
understanding, but still, none has been able to give a resounding suitable
meaning to this word. According to E. Durkheim, "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices a relative to sacred things."("The Elementary Form of Religious Life" 1915 pg.47).
G. Galloway also suggested tentatively, that "religion is man’s faith in a power
beyond himself whereby he seeks to satisfy emotional needs and gain stability of
life, and which he expresses in the act of worship and service."("Philosophy of
Religion," 1914 pg.184).
For a Christian philosopher, Emmanuel Kant, "religion is the belief (in God)
which sets what is essential in all adoration of God in human morality… is the
law in us, in so far as it obtains emphasis from a Lawgiver and a Judge over us.
It is morality directed to the recognition of God."(Group Theories Of Religion
1916). While C.C.J. Wepp, sees religion as indefinable ("Group Theories Of
Religion" 1916 pg.59)
Religion therefore, is the characteristics set of data (beliefs, practices,
teachings, moods, attitudes, literature, revelation etc). It is the belief that
is based on recognition of, or an awakened sense of a higher unseen controlling
power(s) that allows the connection of emotion and morality especially in rites
and in worships which different people at different times have tried giving
definite meaning to, but to man’s utmost surprise, the mysteries behind this
definition will last till death amidst man’s mental and psychical growth and
developments. (Cf.2 Peter 1:3).
Tracing succinctly the origin of religion and culture, it is of great
importance to note that "Religion" is derived from three Latin words
thus-’ligare’ (to bind), ‘relegere’ (unite or link) and ‘religio’
(relationship). Hence, it’s seeing as a link or relationship that exist between
a mortal man and an immortal transcendent Being who is invisible and stands as
man’s subject of worship. It is the uniting of man’s finite being to an infinite
being in order that solely homage be paid, and this powerful Being is called
"Superhuman or God."
Philosophically and sociologically, theories have been coming up seeking to
give a concise origin or etymology of this word; as in evolutionary theory which
states that religion came out of a concept known as "Animism." This is a belief
in spirits that are independently of material things, and as such, posed its
natural theology on natural phenomena as rain, time or a single deity. It is a
belief in impersonal forces that cannot be understood at working in nature, and
this man (impersonal being) without scientific technology seeks to control these
and lend them to his purposes by use of magic, thus magic has a relationship
with the impersonal being and is the forerunner of science. It is believed that
religion came out of magic when magic failed. Also, the primitive societies
theory of "Experience of Holy Environment" poses that since the world is
awe-inspiring, sacred, holy environment, in which the forces of the unseen
shines through the visible environment, and that the world itself produces religion. Therefore, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome and Persia in due considerations, derived their religion around this tenets-rituals and ethics; while Christian religion derived its origin from Judaism that traces
its origin to the beginning of the world and even to Heaven (Job 38:7).
More over, culture of the past is never conceived as purely manmade orders, but
founded on a religious law of life which coordinates the societal way of living
with that of nature, and the recognition of the divine powers which rule the
universe and the existence of man in particular. Drawing from the impact of
cultural values that permeates the life of man, we can then deduce the term
"Social Culture" which is not identical with the concept of civilization that
involves a high degree of consciousness in a rationalization of ideologies or
with the society itself as culture of a component in social units that is independent.
It is an agreeable fact that tracing the origin of culture is based on knowing
the origin of the race because there can be no culture without a race, as race
gives birth to an Inter- relational Social Society, Economic function and
Geographical Environment or Location which makes it true to say that ‘Race is
the product of culture, and that the differentiation of racial types represent
culmination of an age-long process of cultural segregation and specialization at
a very primitive level, just as in modern times, nationality and this
differentiation of national types leads to the growth of special cultural
traditions’.
However, the manner in which these two concepts are related cannot be
overemphasized. This is so because in every culture there is bound to be a
representation of common beliefs and common way of thoughts as this cultural
function of religion is both conservative and dynamic, it consecrates the
tradition of a culture and also provides the common aim which unifies the
different social elements in a culture. Both are inseparable because every
culture produces a particular religion in its environment and it doctrine is a
reflection of the cultural worldview, and its reality and perception of things
are to the cultural understanding. Therefore, in order to understand fully the
term "Religion", one must be acquainted with the culture in which it originate
as an Indian hunter once said that no man can succeed in life alone without an
external power and can never get the help he needs from man alone, then he
termed this experience as "Religion".
Authentically, it is the Divine that gives pre-eminence in the course of
natural world and if the divine or religion is neglected, it now became a
‘modern secularity of social life anomalous phenomenon,’ because throughout
history, religion stands the greatest unifying force in any culture and it is
the Guardian of tradition, the Preserver of the moral law, it is the Educator of
good knowledge, the Teacher of wisdom and stands as a Creative, Cognitive,
Energizer, Dynamic function and Life-giver that binds and holds a society in a
its fixed cultural pattern. Religion inspires the rich cultural hope and the
need for futuristic deliverance, and also helps in maintaining the marriage
institutions, kinship, kingship, and more so, Law Court, where cultural values
are the leading factor. To be realistic, every culture is dynamic as it
necessitates the maintenance of life and properties in order to help ward off
evils and death and then pursue afterlife of good fortune and prosperity as
eminent in social discipline. Hence, the law of life is seen as the law of
sacrifice and discipline and any social way of life is founded on a religious
law of life, which transcends our human imaginations and thoughts. Consequently,
social way of life influences people approach to religion, as well as religious
attitude tends to influence people’s way of living, thus every aspect of
people’s life is seen in the light of religious importance. Culture is therefore
a deliberate effort to bring man’s life into relationship with the Divine and
then be subordinate to the Divine Majesty. This is a religious form of a culture
that is seen in the predominant spirituality, as every advanced culture
possesses a specialized religious class or elites that dominate the religious
tradition of a society. It is through this spiritual organization and
orderliness that a culture is fully developed and recognized, thus we say that
religion is giving birth to culture.
Notably, most religious forms of worship and adorations are wielded together
into a culture and help enrich further the existing ones while others are cut
down. Thus it is like a knowledge or rudiment of knowledge about God that may be
obtainable in the light of nature and contemplation of His creation in which the
difference does not lie in the novelty of doctrine but in the new value that is
attached to it, and the new importance it assumed in a society that no longer
possessed religious unity. But in higher cultures of the world there exist a
religion termed "Theology"-as a rational system of religious knowledge. Religion
helps to inculcate self-discipline and dedication to service and provides
meaning and purpose for living, and gives a sense of direction. It teaches and
encourages morality in all ramifications as an ethics in its context. It teaches
also a sense of humility and selfless service to God and humanity (Mark
10:41-45).
It should be noted that some of these major figures play some important roles
in bringing values into culture. These are:
Priest - he is seen as a representative par excellence of any specialized
religious affiliation of a society and he presents the people to God through
rites and ceremonies.
King/Lawyer - stands as a personal embodiments of divine power to exercise upon
the people of a particular culture of a society (Cf. Romans 13:1, 2).
Prophet or Seer - stands as a Mouthpiece or Revealer of Divine Will and
purposes and help unfold some mysteries to the people. Hence, from every
historic religion and culture, the Divine-human recognition and communication
has been in existence as the lowest religion may have shrines, charms, shamans
and dance, while the higher forms religion has priest or sacramental liturgy.
More over, since a culture is an organized way of life, it is evident that some
values are also noticed in religions practiced in a particular society(s) like
the influenced of culture that reigned supreme in Ibibio land of Akwa Ibom State
in which culturally considered, once a man and a woman are legally married, it
is forbidden for any of them to get involved in any extra-marital illicit segxwal
intercourse as it is seen to be a taboo in their cultural context; and also
these points also highlight some of the values culture has brought into
religious practices:
a. Religion and Art: The industries as some culture are known for good
husbandry and good art designs as artefacts in Africa and other European world
testified to this fact.
b. Hunting as an economic religious life and artworks of the people of a
culture is older than the now civilized agriculture and activity:
Primitive culture is not only a simple economic way of life, it also involves a
deliberate effort to bring human life into the relation with divine reality and into
subordination to Divine power.
Therefore, incantations, magic, asceticism and withdrawal, humility and faith,
mystical powers are all embedded in some cultural settings. The order of nature
makes it sacred for a culture of a particular society to look at it as norms and
laws that should govern their actions.
With due considerations, much striking similarities exists between these two
concepts, because the effect of a particular culture can be felt in a given
religion as in Christianity where its cultural influence is very visible in the
society where it is practiced, and religious values also influence the cultural
values of a given sect in a society, thus similarity between both are two-sided
as it moulds and transforms the attitude of the people positively. Religion and
culture brings unity alike as religions unite us with the divine while societal
culture sets the pace for unity with religion to approach the Divine.
Moreover, there exists some differences between these two concepts as
culturally, man may not know the way to divine abode when he is only culturally
inclined though united, but religion gives both unity and meaning to life with
access to eternal reality. Religion gives hope beyond the temporal life while
culture may only give the temporal organization. Religion of man is not
changeable but dynamic while cultures may undergo processes of radical changes
if met with a superior culture termed "Super-culture". Religion transforms life
while culture only succeeds in restrictions and moulding of life after its
pattern.
Summarily, the inseparability of these two concepts are clear enough to show
that every cultural society has a natural tendency to turn to religion to seek
foundation to build up their presupposed way of life and that when this is not
possible, the culture becomes unstable and liable to vanish to an unknown
destination. The spiritual integration of a culture gives life and values to the
way of life of the people and transforms the system of operations both
politically, economically, socially, psychologically and physically.
Therefore, religion may meet an existing culture and refines and remould it or
culture can be produced in the due process of introducing religion to the
people's way of life as in Christianity we have a Super-culture that supersedes
every other cultural setting wherever it is introduced. (2Thes. 2:15).
All these differences point us back to the divine no matter the culture man
develops for himself and the following points have been noted for man not being
able to sustain a given cultural setting as long as he could imagine:
1. Man's Dependency: Man is not independent of himself, but needs another power
(God's Power) to sustain his existence in the universe. (John 15: 4, 5).
2. Man's Frailty: Man is feeble and frail, and knowing well his weaknesses,
then turns over to where strength and fresh supplies of energy is supplied. (Job
6:11-12; II Cor. 12:9)
3. Man's Hopelessness: Since man's knowledge shows its limitation in humanistic
culture, then God's religious attributes of man shows that there is hope beyond
the present life and beyond the grave (Rom. 15:13; II Thess. 4:16-18).
4. Man the Creature: man is just an image of God as the Master Designer, the
Creator of all things the King of the Universe and He alone is the subject of worship. (Gen 1:1; John 1:1; 4:23-24)
Conclusively, cultural values are refined into religious values and religious
rich values overpowered those of the cultures. Culture, though not originally
man-made, is weak without religion as spirituality integrates the norms and laws
of a society. Therefore, both are not to be separated but be married together.
Culture and Religion sets the pace for man’s-after-life existence when the hope
religion offers is climaxed. Hence "the recovery of moral control and the return
to spiritual order have now become the indispensable conditions of human
survival. But they can be achieved only by a profound change in the spirit of
modern civilization. This does not mean a new religion or a new culture but a
movement of spiritual reintegration, which would restore that vital relationship
between religion and culture, that has being in existence all through the ages
and on every level of human development. In order to avoid conflict of cultures,
conflicting religious principles should be avoided as well as some culturally
conflicting unwholesome and immoral principles are to be put aside in order to
embrace the rich religio-cultural principles.
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