论宗教学是一门独立的社会科学

Study on science of religion as an independent social science

宗教学是一门以客观理性的方法全面、系统地研究宗教各种问题的学科;宗教学是一门独立的社会科学学科,有其自身特殊的研究对象、问题论域和理论结构。宗教学不是哲学,二者在研究对象、研究方法、理论建构方式及研究目上与哲学都有所不同;宗教学不是神学,神学是关于为什么信仰和如何信仰的学问,而宗教学与它在研究对象、研究问题、研究方法及理论逻辑上都是有本质区别的。因此,建立独立的宗教学学科不仅是必要的,而且是紧迫的。

Science of religion is a subject which concerns with the comprehensive and systematical studies on various religious problems in an objective and reasonable way. It is an independent subject with its own specific research subjects, methodology and theoretical structures different from that of phil- osophy. It is not theology which focuses on why and how people build faith in that they are different in essence in terms of research subjects, research questions, methodology and theoretical logic. Therefore it is necessary and urgent to make science of religion an independent social science.