Religion

=== Culture ===
Culture and religion have usually been seen as closely related.<ref name="14.1A: The Nature of Religion" /> [[Paul Tillich]] looked at religion as the soul of culture and culture as the form or framework of religion.<ref>Edward L. Queen, ''Encyclopedia of American Religious History, Volume 1'' Facts on File, 1996. p. vi.</ref> In his own words:
<blockquote>Religion as ultimate concern is the meaning-giving substance of culture, and culture is the totality of forms in which the basic concern of religion expresses itself. In abbreviation: religion is the substance of culture, culture is the form of religion. Such a consideration definitely prevents the establishment of a dualism of religion and culture. Every religious act, not only in organized religion, but also in the most intimate movement of the soul, is culturally formed.<ref>Paul Tillich, ''Theology of Culture'', Robert C. Kimball (ed), (Oxford University Press, 1959). p.42</ref></blockquote>
[[Ernst Troeltsch]], similarly, looked at culture as the soil of religion and thought that, therefore, transplanting a religion from its original culture to a foreign culture would actually kill it in the same manner that transplanting a plant from its natural soil to an alien soil would kill it.<ref>Eric J. Sharpe, "Religion and Cultures", An inaugural lecture delivered on 6 July 1977 by Eric J. Sharpe, Professor of Religious Studies in the University of Sydney. Accessed at [https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/ART/article/download/5496/6167 Openjournals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414095017/https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/ART/article/download/5496/6167 |date=14 April 2020 }} on 22 June 2018</ref> However, there have been many attempts in the modern pluralistic situation to distinguish culture from religion.<ref>See Taslima Nasreen, [https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/i-say-three-cheers-for-ayaan/232289 "I Say, Three Cheers For Ayaan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622192721/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/i-say-three-cheers-for-ayaan/232289 |date=22 June 2018 }}, ''Outlook, The Magazine'' 28 August 2006. Also, Nemani Delaibatiki, [https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/07/08/religion-and-the-vanua/ "Religion and the Vanua"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506215535/https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/07/08/religion-and-the-vanua/ |date=6 May 2021 }} ''Fiji Sun'' 8 July 2017 in which the distinctive elements of culture against religion are taken from Domenic Marbaniang, [https://philpapers.org/bbs/thread.pl?tId=959 "Difference Between Culture and Religion: A Proposal Requesting Response"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622165520/https://philpapers.org/bbs/thread.pl?tId=959 |date=22 June 2018 }}, 12 October 2014.</ref> Domenic Marbaniang has argued that elements grounded on beliefs of a metaphysical nature (religious) are distinct from elements grounded on nature and the natural (cultural). For instance, language (with its grammar) is a cultural element while sacralization of language in which a particular religious scripture is written is more often a religious practice. The same applies to music and the arts.<ref>Domenic Marbaniang, "The Gospel and Culture: Areas of Conflict, Consent, and Conversion", ''Journal of Contemporary Christian'' Vol. 6, No. 1 (Bangalore: CFCC, Aug 2014), {{ISSN|2231-5233}} pp. 7–17</ref>