A Philosophical Appraisal of the Grounds for, and Principles of Religious Beliefs

This work sets out to discuss the “principles” which qualify or characterize religious beliefs per se, as well as the “grounds” (i.e., reasons used as a justification), upon which religious beliefs and practices are based. In other words, what constitutes people’s fundamental aspiration or foundational motivation, in their religious beliefs or why people feel obligated to entertain certain religious beliefs and engage in certain kinds of religious practices or expressions. The rationale for the choice of this topic consists in the fact that many religious adherents/devotees are grossly ignorant of the theoretical foundations, and the explanatory matrix or conceptual grid upon which their religious expressions are based. In fact, in most cases, it is a sheer imitation of what is in vogue. The referential significance of this study is embedded in the awareness it creates, the clarification it offers, and the assessment it makes of the foundations upon which religious practices are anchored. In terms of the overall structure of the work, it is expository, analytic and critical in character. The key terms in the topic under discussion will be carefully explained, using some provisional definitional statements. Next, the principles of, and grounds for religious beliefs will be identified and discussed in detail, followed by a critical appraisal of the entire discussion.