Essentially contested concept in the context of "Religion"

⭐ In the context of Religion, an 'essentially contested concept' signifies that…

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⭐ Core Definition: Essentially contested concept

An essentially contested concept is an abstract term or phrase that provides value judgements which can be contested. The term essentially contested concept was proposed to facilitate an understanding of the different interpretations of abstractions that have qualitative and evaluative notions—such as "art", "philanthropy", "power",and "social justice". The notion of an essentially contested concept was proposed in 1956 by Walter Bryce Gallie.

Essentially contested concepts involve agreed on abstract concepts or phrases, but whose usage and interpretation is disputable by others (e.g. "social justice", "This picture is a work of art"). They are abstract concepts, “proper use of which inevitably involves endless disputes about their proper uses on the part of their users", and these disputes "cannot be settled by appeal to empirical evidence, linguistic usage, or the canons of logic alone". Usually, essentially contested concepts are found in the social sciences where confusion arises due to experts using terminology inconsistently and often failing to specify the relationship between an abstract term and the meaning of that term.

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👉 Essentially contested concept in the context of Religion

Religion is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, ethics, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements—although there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion. It is an essentially contested concept. Different religions may or may not contain various elements ranging from the divine, sacredness, faith, and a supernatural being or beings.

The origin of religious belief is an open question, with possible explanations including awareness of individual death, a sense of community, and dreams. Religions have sacred histories, narratives, and mythologies, preserved in oral traditions, sacred texts, symbols, and holy places, that may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, and other phenomena. Religious practice may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of deities or saints), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, matrimonial and funerary services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, or public service.

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Essentially contested concept in the context of Populist

Populism is a contested concept for a variety of political stances that emphasise the idea of the "common people", often in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed in the late 19th century and has been applied to various politicians, parties, and movements since that time, often assuming a pejorative tone. Within political science and other social sciences, different definitions of populism have been employed.

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Essentially contested concept in the context of W. B. Gallie

Walter Bryce Gallie (5 October 1912 – 31 August 1998) was a Scottish social theorist, political theorist, and philosopher. He put forth the notion of essentially contested concepts. In 1940 he married Welsh-speaking novelist Menna Patricia Humphreys, with whom he had a son and a daughter.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Religion ← Populist ← Religious ceremony ← Religious ← Populism ← Religions ← Religious tradition ← W. B. Gallie ← Religious traditions ← Religious practice
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Value judgement → Qualitative properties → Evaluation → Art → Philanthropy → Social justice → W. B. Gallie → Concept → Empirical evidence →