... points that suggest how religion should be studied. He asserts that religion is the study of something unobservable yet very real. This makes sense mainly because Smith defines religion as existing within the hearts of man. Therefore if one studies religion one is studying the faith and beliefs that exist within the inner soul of each person. If one studies religion, according to Smith, one should be studying religion internally, not the documents, religious practices or history. Moreover this understanding of how Smith defines the study of religion allows some of his other more vague claims to make sense. For example Smith says that "no statement about religion can be valid unless it is acknowledged by that religion's believers" (Smith, 42). By his definition of how religion should be studied this makes perfect sense. How can one be accurate about certain people's inner ideals if the people themselves don't acknowledge ...

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