Vallástudomány

Vallástudomány, or religious studies, is an academic discipline that studies religions as human phenomena. It aims to describe, analyze, and compare religious beliefs, practices, institutions, texts, and experiences without advocating a particular faith. The field treats religion as a social and cultural system that influences and is influenced by politics, law, art, and daily life.

Scholars in vallástudomány draw on multiple disciplines, including history of religions, sociology of religion, anthropology of religion, philosophy of religion, psychology of religion, and archaeology. Methods commonly used include historical and textual analysis, fieldwork and ethnography, surveys, and critical interpretation of sources, artifacts, and sacred spaces.

Objects of study include religious groups, rituals, moral codes, sacred texts, symbols, places of worship, and religious identities. The field also examines phenomena such as secularization, religious diversity, globalization, interreligious dialogue, and the relationship between religion and state.

Relation to theology: vallástudomány is typically secular and critical, focused on description and explanation rather than doctrinal advocacy. It contrasts with theology, which studies religious belief from within a faith tradition. In many countries, vallástudomány is taught under the umbrella of religious studies in universities and research institutes.

History and present: The discipline has roots in 19th- and 20th-century scholarship that sought to study religion scientifically. In Hungary, vallástudomány has developed alongside other humanities and social sciences, with academic programs and journals dedicated to the analysis of religious phenomena.