Scholar Wilfred Cantwell Smith argued that 'religion' is a Western category that distorts understanding of non-Western traditions. What we label 'Hinduism' encompasses vastly diverse practices with no unified doctrine or organization—the singular term imposes a coherence that practitioners don't recognize. Yet abandoning the category entirely would make comparative study impossible. Scholars now debate how to use such categories while acknowledging their limitations.
Based on the passage, it can be inferred that
Western categories perfectly capture non-Western religious traditions
Hinduism is a unified doctrine with a central organization
analytical categories may be both necessary for study and potentially distorting
comparative study of religions is straightforward and unproblematic
Correct Answer: C
Choice C is the best answer. The passage presents categories as both problematic and necessary.
- Context clues: Categories "distort understanding" but abandoning them "would make comparative study impossible."
- Meaning: Being needed despite limitations shows both necessity and distortion coexist.
- Verify: Scholars debate "how to use such categories while acknowledging their limitations."
đź’ˇ Strategy: When a passage shows something has both benefits and drawbacks, the inference acknowledges this duality.
Choice A is incorrect because categories impose "coherence that practitioners don't recognize." Choice B is incorrect because Hinduism has "no unified doctrine or organization." Choice D is incorrect because scholars actively "debate" these methodological issues.