In giving all importance to religious symbols, Geertz does not take into account any social, historical, political or economic factors that may influence life, worldview and belief system of a person. Geertz essentially argues that religious symbols create belief, but Asad denies this, instead arguing that religious symbols only serve as a catalyst for belief. Therefore, since social conditions differ from culture to culture, Asad believes that it is futile to try to find common ground among all religions. He insists instead that looking at historical facts, which can give us insight into the kinds of institutions and ideologies present at the time to allow a certain way of belief to become prominent, is the preferable way of studying
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