Religiosity as an Anthropological Category: Theological Discourse

Abstract

The article analyzes the problem of defining such concepts as «religion» and «religiosity» within the framework of the Orthodox worldview, considering data from related academic disciplines (religious studies, philosophy, sociology, psychology). Various approaches to understanding the nature of both notions are reviewed. It is argued that the solution of this issue is of a fundamental nature, since, depending on the results, the problem research field will be outlined in different ways. Religiosity is interpreted as a projection of the ideas of a particular religious tradition onto the inner life of a person or society. The existence of many religious traditions suggests that there are many different variants of religiosity, alongside a possibility of their mutual influence. «Archetype» is recognized as the basic unit of religiosity in the way it is understood in the patristic tradition (in particular by St. Irenaeus of Lyon, in the Corpus Areopagiticum). This term is close to the terms «prototype» (πρωτότυπο), «predestination» (παράδειγμα), as well as the term «logos» (λόγος), in relation to the creation of the world (St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. John of Damascus, Ven. Maximus the Confessor). A spiritual culture, understood as a multilevel semiotic system constantly formed under the influence of religious tradition, is the space of the embodiment of archetypes. The plurality of archetypes in various modi and in the power of their actualization shapes a unique pattern of specific religiosity (personal, group, ethnic ones).