REGAINING THE RELIGIOUS SENSE OF MEMORY: A RELIGIO-PHILOSOPHICAL PROPOSAL

Abstract

Memory keeps people abreast of the events around them. Such happenings could be in the past or present. These events somewhat influence their daily choices in the hope of a better future. Generally speaking, this is what memory entails. In the specific sense employed in this work, memory covers a body of the beliefs of adherents (of different religions) sustained through the years by their forebears. Religious experiences form the building blocks of memory. Here the experiences of their ancestors so recalled serve as the basis for present and future practices of the same religion(s). It is what collective memory guarantees. As such, the traditions they left are available in either written or oral forms. Their interpretations and contextualization are evident in the onward religious experiences of their adherents. With hermeneutical method, this paper explores the religious sense of memory. It proposes a faithful retrace to the foundations of different religions to better equip those who live them in keeping the faith alive. On common grounds other works, it affirms the three things familiar within this area of study: memory has a personal dimension, a collective dimension and is relevant for present-day events which pave the way for the future. Having clarified what memory could mean, it views religion as some form of memory. The loss of this could result in the loss of the authenticity of religion itself. For without recourse to memory, a great deal of what religion proffers would be lost and questions on religious authority would rise.