The compulsion of an empirical based analysis on religiosity: A theological and religious discourse from human experience

In understanding religiosity in the domain of human experience, one should have an assiduous examination of the context of such experience and the factors that might affect its condition. Hence, religious studies must be multidimensional and interdisciplinary both in nature and in character. This approach to religiosity does not only affirm the richness of religious experience but also may engender novel theological and religious discourse; new way of understanding and ascertaining established theological and religious norms. However, an empirical analysis is not complete if not with the principles presented by human sciences and the methodology provided by statistics. This paper argues the necessity of an empirical based analysis of religious experiences utilizing Baring and Canete’s published empirical material, in arriving at a grounded theological and religious discourse. The paper is not a comparative analysis on the work of the aforementioned authors but a literary review in affirming the indubitable use of an empirical based analysis in arriving at a well-grounded theological and religious discourse.

Keywords – Discourse, Empirical Analysis, Human experience, Religiosity, Theology