Important:
“One of the important insights that have emerged from the study of the religion as a historical and cultural reality is the realization that religions change; they are not timeless eternal essences.” (Ernst 50)
Interesting:
“In practice, religion is defined by the state, throughout the world.” (Ernst 57)
Problematic:
“The premodern societies ruled by Muslims generally cannot, in fact, be called Islamic in any fundamental sense.” (Ernst 47)
The first quote is of great significance as religions are quite often viewed as bastions of ancient tradition that have remained unchanged despite centuries of civilization. However, Ernst’s quote draws attention to the fact that religions do in fact change over time as they are forced to adapt just as any other system of belief. While religions are often derived from unaltered holy texts, the interpretations of these texts change throughout history, resulting in differences in practice. Thus, one should not necessarily follow such interpretations of holy texts unquestioningly, as within these interpretations the initial message of the text may be lost (a problem even further exacerbated by the rigors of translation). With these multiple interpretations come different means of worship, and few means to tell which form of worship is most true to the original text. Scholars are well equipped to debate the various interpretations of holy words, but even then it would appear as though such conclusions are difficult to draw.
