Abstract:
The main functions of religions are often undermined in today’s mainstream
discourse. It falls under the shadow of epistemological questions of whether God is
real, or met with violent intolerance just as it is used to further extremist ideologies.
Either it is dismissed completely or is adhered to in the strictest of ways. What we fail
to talk about is how religion serves as a platform for one to realise one’s faith, while
nurturing a system of universally moral values and providing a kind of guidance. This
dissertations aims to explore and re-examine Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of
religion as it developed consciously through The Religion of Man and Gitanjali. I aim
to show how Tagore’s “poet’s religion” is universal, and can be made relevant in
today’s world as a way of understanding faith. Tagore’s exploration of faith runs
through the notions of reason, love and deed. Tagore’s philosophy allows for inner
questioning and doubt as opposed to blind adherence, encourages forming meaningful
relationships with an underlying love for oneself and others, and motivates one to
immerse in meaningful work to understand both life and death. His humanism and
mysticism complement each other in creating a religious awareness that can be felt by
anyone who is willing to listen.
