The Problem of the Label "Eastern Religions"

Just as religious studies scholars are now questioning the appropriateness of the designation "Western religions" (see the discussion on this site of "Monotheism and 'Western Religions'"), many are also challenging even the accuracy of grouping together Asian faith traditions under the label "Eastern religions." Some of the same issues apply (such as the global dissemination of these religious practices), but there are others that are particular to this case.

The "religions" of east Asia tend to be much more diverse in their understandings of the Divine, ranging from multitheism among many of the "folk" expressions (a special term referring to the common practice by peoples), to nontheistic views of pantheism or panentheism, and finally to systems that are more concerned with philosophy and ethics than with metaphysical questions regarding the nature of the Divine (see the pages on this site under the heading "Traditional Religions"). Consequently, some would balk at even the label "religion" and almost all would reject the idea that there is any singular set of beliefs and practices that could be called "Eastern religion."

Nevertheless, there are also many common threads and even ideas shared among the religions of Asia. This is to no small degree a function of the interaction between practitioners of these traditions as they moved across the region. Yet even where common words are used, such as with nirvāna, the different religions can have very different understandings of the ideas they designate.

Despite these problems, the designation "Eastern religions" is still widely used in American English. Because of this continuing linguistic practice this website gathers under that heading discussions of four of the major religious philosophies that historically originated in Asia.

The Diversity of Religious Practice in Asia

The majority of the world's population lives in continental Asia and the Asian islands of the Pacific, and it is probably safe to say that a majority of the world's religions are practiced there as well. For example, although most people associate India with Hinduism (and the majority of the population is Hindi), its Muslim population is so great that it has the second largest number of Muslims of any nation in the world (behind only Indonesia, another south Asian country).

Because of the limits of this project, attention will be given to four major, transnational religious movements originating from Asia. This decision leaves out some significant movements associated primarily with single ethnic or national groups (such as Jainism in India and Shinto practices in Japan). Just as it isn't possible to treat all the "Traditional Religions" found around the world, it is not possible to give separate treatment to every religious tradition in Asia. Some brief attention will be given, however, to regional differences within the four traditions taken up here as a means of gaining some understanding of the diversity within them.

Copyright © 2005 Scouting and Religious Diversity
Last modified: 10/10/05