Theoretical Approaches Formations analogous to Religion
The category of "formations analogues to religions" describes the functional parallels between religions and various other social fields. Since the term "religion" triggers defensive, conflicting, and even aggressive emotions, it is advantageous to use the word "religion-analogous" less for analytical than for diplomatic reasons.
Edward Bailey suggests the term "implicit religion" as a descriptive category for social structures that exhibit functional similarities to religions. A similar concept is represented by the category of "formations analogues to religions," which also describes functional parallels while emphasizing their reference to supernatural instances. The starting point for this determination is a preliminary definition of religion. Religions can be understood as embodied practices and discourses that cultivate relationships between humans and instances external to humans, such as gods, superhuman beings, or transcendent orders. People strive for salvation, manage their lives, and establish communities through these practices and discourses. In the process, religions also pose risks and side effects, such as setting boundaries that exclude people and narrowing the possibilities for perceiving and interpreting the social reality of the world.
Narratives, ideas, and practices in popular culture, marketing and branding, romantic love, artificial intelligence, consumerism, and identity politics are good examples of religion-analogous formations. With the help of theories of religious studies, these formations can be analyzed to reveal their religion-equivalent characteristics and dynamics.
