Factors and Components of Religious Science

One of the issues regarding the nature of religious science is illustration of its effective factors, elements and components. In terms of nature, religious science means a desirable religious science (in terms of definition and production) not the presented sciences (in terms of realization). A desirable religious science includes essential and non-essential variables each of which provides identification for science. These elements and factors include: subject, predicate, scholar, knowledge, method, instruments, resources, benefits and application, purpose, principles, assumptions, presuppositions, time, place, geography, culture, civilization, etc. based on which various opinions have been organized about the nature and whatness of religious science. Some viewpoints have mentioned only one factor as the identification provider element of religious science while some others have introduced the combination of several fundamental elements as the criterion to prove that a science is religious. Accordingly, differences of opinions in this regard are so that one direction is ended to denying the religious science on the one hand, and on the other hand, in addition to acceptance of the principle of religious science possibility, it proves its external realization during the Islamic civilization history. In our view, religious science is not merely dependent upon certain elements and factors but different factors including essential and non-essential elements are involved in religious nature and identification of science and according to the degree of the roles of these factors in religiosity of the science, the religious science will also be a gradual matter.