Humour in relgion with special reference to Christianity and Sanatan Dharma

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTSII

METHODOLOGY1

Introduction1

Research Methods1

Field Work Approach2

Comparative Approach3

Method of Reading Biblical Texts5

REFERENCES7

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The research intends to explore in depth the role humor can play in keeping religion healthy for humanity. To have a better understanding of the topic at hand a decent amount of literature was reviewed that contributed to building the foundation of the research. This chapter covers the introduction of research methods, research approaches, as well as the methods of reading the biblical texts.

Research Methods

For this research primary and secondary, both research methods are used. For primary, qualitative research has been adopted. Qualitative research is a way of studying analyzing things in their normal settings. This method seriously takes the experiences of human, and tries to understand the meaning that individuals ascribes to experiences and phenomena. Qualitative research method is the one in which the means of making sense our experiences and world in it involves an ongoing process of meaning seeking and interpretation. The main task of the qualitative research is to develop and identify understanding for those meanings (Tracy , 1975, p.70).

The reason for selecting the qualitative research is that there is a strong relationship between theology and qualitative research. The two fields have different foundations of epistemology, still these two can come together. As this is a practical theological research that has tried to interpret tradition, scripture and situations of Christian and Sanatan Dharma.

The main reason for selecting the qualitative research for this theological research is that practical theological research can easily make use of qualitative research without finding the middle ground for its own basis of epistemology. The process of bringing qualitative research for practical theological research needs a combined important model of correlation, in which the logical priority is taken by theology over the qualitative research (Tillich , 1951, p.36). Practical theological research and qualitative research method is important in this research as the empirical research is the part of this theological research project.

In addition to primary research, secondary research method is also used for this research to explore, in depth, the role humor can play in keeping religion healthy for humanity. There are several secondary research methods: library research, internet research, periodicals, journals, magazines, newspapers etc. the main reason for selecting the secondary research method is that the secondary literature based research has helped the researcher in clarifying the questions of research as well as the research focus (Holloway, 1997, p.10). The main purpose of the secondary research method is to compare the Christianity and Sanatan Dharma as they are the two main religions of man, Christianity of East and Sanatan Dharma of West, and to get the basis before conducting the firld work, regarding the Bible Society in Bangalore, Art of Living Centre in Bangalore, Ishvani Kendra and Osho commune in Pune, Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkatta, Auroville in Pondicherry and Dorzong Monastic Institute in Dharmsala. The process of secondary research is get complted rapidly; within two to ...