Religion and Culture in Algeria: The Impact of Religious Interpretations on Social Practices

Abstract

impossible to separate culture and religion in Algeria because of the huge overlap between the two. Despite the globalised world we live in now, most of the Algerian societies are still conservative. In this paper, I shed light on the relationship between religion and culture in Algeria and unveil the nature of this reciprocal relationship by digging into the religious jurisprudence and social practices of Algerians. This paper discusses the religious practices in Algeria and their effect on the Algerian social practices including cultural practices. It explores the various religious jurisprudence and clarifies their ideologies. This paper also stresses that the tenets and beliefs of religion are one but the interpretation of individuals varies accordingly. The article also shows that a large proportion of Algerian culture is derived from Islamic beliefs and therefore the practices echo people’s religious belongings. This paper aims to show that religion is the main source that can explain most of the people's social and cultural practices.