Rabindranath Tagore’s Concept of Religion: From Mystical Devotion to Spiritual Humanism

Abstract

This paper discusses Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of religion as a dynamic development from mystical devotion to inclusive spiritual humanism. Theological or institutional bounds do not define Tagore’s religious concept; it is an experienced and creative realization of the divine inside the human. Starting with his early emphasis on interior devotion, love, and unity with the infinite, Tagore criticizes ritualism and dogma, showing how institutional religion fails to capture spiritual life. This critical engagement allows religion to be recast as the realization of the “universal man,” based on the unity of all existence and the ethical interconnection of humanity. According to Sadhana and The Religion of Man, Tagore combines Upanishadic spirituality, Bhakti devotion, and modern humanism into a unified philosophical viewpoint. His "Religion of Man" combines mysticism, aesthetics, and ethics to convey spirituality via creativity, compassion, and worldly engagement. I argue that Tagore’s universal and human-centered vision of religion addresses modern issues including religious strife, materialism, and cultural fragmentation. This study establishes Tagore as a crucial thinker whose spiritual humanism can revolutionize modern religion.