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What is the difference between ideology, religion and theology?

A question I thought was quite easy to answer but the more I think about it im finding it quite hard to define the differences.
Reply 1
Avatar for Wezz
Wezz
I can understand your initial confusion, but I think it would help to break this down more:


An ideology is a broad term for the set of beliefs that any one person, or group, holds.

Religion is a group, of like-minded individuals believing in a God, or an ideology centred around one.

Theology, as far as I interpret it, is the very basis of religious ideology.


So, as you can see, they are fairly similar, but with subtle differences.
Though I know it is fairly generic and, for an essay, would need expansion, I would work on the basic premise that theology is the ideology of religion.

In terms of differences, the most obvious would be that theology is systematic, or pre-determined by the actual faith group or religion, whereas ideology is a far more broader, ambiguous concept.
Reply 2
Avatar for alien66
alien66
I would argue that theology and ideology are further apart than that. Theology is not a system of speculation, but the product of singular or collective experience of transcendence. When such an experience exceeds intellectual and cognitive constructs, (at least all of the four) dimensions, conjectures, shapes, forms, shades and schemes, and being left with nothing more than with symbolic expressions in language, then this experience is also understood as transcendence. Theology is not ideology, but symbolic words that express this singular or collective experience of transcendence. Ideology is a rational structure. Anything, even theology, can be transformed into an ideology, as it has occasionally or frequently. As a product of rationalization, this transcending experience can easily be corrupted to become a closed -totalitarian- system. All ideologies when pushed or deduced to their fullest rational end, eventually become a totalitarian system of thought.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 3
Avatar for Jingo7
Jingo7
9
Ideology represents the "production of ideas, of conceptions, of consciousness," all that "men say, imagine, conceive," and include such things as "politics, laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc." (Karl Marx)

In this sense, both religion and theology are subsumed under the category of ideology, since they represent particular expressions of ideology.
If we lump theology and religion together as, in a broad way, the same basic thing, then a particular religion represents a particular way of conceiving the world. With the case of religion, the conception is a superstitious one that projects the productive power of human society onto a god or gods. But of course, making broad general statement about religion are shaky, since each religion is specific with respect to the particular co-ordinates of social production which brought it into being and which sustain it.
(edited 6 years ago)
Ideology is a description of the world, based upon some presuppostion, or even a belief.

Religion is a specific form of ideology. It is based upon a belief, so it's something that cannot be verified. So far it's very similar to ideology, but religion also refers to transcendental or supernatural beings. Usually it also promises afterlife to their followers.

Theology is a philosophy based upon assumption or belief, usually a very particular God exists, and it attempts to explain the assumption. If facts are againt the assumption, they are rejected-
it's like researching inside religion, but never beyond. I would consider it as a sort of ideology.

Every theology and every religion are specific forms of ideology, but not every ideology makes a religion or theology, though they work pretty much same way.

Of course some will disagree with this description, but it seems perfectly logical.
Colloquially speaking, I think that theology and ideology are just almost meanless names for ideologies with specific sort of promises or conduct upon.

Original post by alien66
Theology is not ideology, but symbolic words that express this singular or collective experience of transcendence.


Exactly. In other words, an inexact attempt to describe something proofless and impossible to prove, which could have been just a delusion.
Original post by AgentSushi
A question I thought was quite easy to answer but the more I think about it im finding it quite hard to define the differences.


It is possible to regard them all as peas in a pod.

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