Thank you for ways in which you provide for us all. For Your protection and love we thank you. Help us to focus our hearts and minds now on what we are about to learn. Inspire us by Your Holy Spirit as we listen and write. Guide us by your eternal light as we discover more about the world around us.
We ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen
Glory be to the Father………. Amen. INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGION THE CONCEPT OF GOD
MAN’S SEARCH FOR GOD ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING
Religion – from the Latin religio, which
meant “respect for what is sacred, awe,” rooted in the verb religare, “to bind”. In the medieval Europe, the word evolved to mean “a system of sacred beliefs and practices that binds a people together.” DEFINITION OF RELIGION Approach = a social scientific standpoint. Providing a comprehensive picture of different religions as professed and practiced by followers. From the point of view of social sciences:
“is a social phenomenon, which means that
religious traditions are not simply sacred entities with divine revelations that are best left untouched. Religious beliefs and practices are also collectively constructed throughout human history by different individuals who may be leaders, followers, activists, and even heretics. DEFINITION OF RELIGION
From the point of view of social sciences:
“A system of beliefs and practices
by which a group of people interprets and responds to what they feel is sacred, and usually supernatural as well” 1. Explain Religion as a Social Reality. 2. Discuss the elements of Religion 3. Explain the worldviews of the world’s major religion. 4. What characterizes a Religion? RELIGION AS A SOCIAL REALITY
. 1. Religion is a collective phenomenon – An individual who professes a religion is typically associated with a particular religious organization. The individual also feels some emotional identification with the group. Individuals who profess a religion also invoke the wider community that they are part of. RELIGION AS A SOCIAL REALITY
2. Religion is concerned with ordering behavior
in relation to the sacred/and or to the supernatural. The sacred is often associated with entities, events, figures, objects, and sites that are treated with reverence. Most of the time, the sacred is imbued with the supernatural as in the presence of heavenly forces or divine beings that render a particular text or place holy in the eyes of religious followers. DEFINITION RELIGION AS A OF RELIGION SOCIAL REALITY This is very clear in Christianity and Islam because of the centrality of divine revelation in the foundation of these religions.
3. Religion involves a body of beliefs and moral
prescriptions, which are to be expected in religions mainly because they are guided by texts rendered sacred by special events of figures.
The origins and destiny of life, concerns about salvation,
key events of sacred entities, and moral principles constitute the body of beliefs that define religious institutions as distinct from others. RELIGION AS A SOCIAL REALITY
4. Religion expects its followers to follow a set of
practices that relate to the notion of the sacred.
{individual and collective rituals involving prayer,
worship, baptism, purification and sacrifice} UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
WORLDVIEW – can be defined as how you see life and
the world at large. Metaphorically, it can be compared to eye glasses. How you make sense of the world depends upon your ‘vision’. - It refers to the cluster of beliefs an individual holds about the most significant concepts of life such as God, the universe and humanity.
a. Reality: the material world is all that exists. Reality is “one dimentional”. There is no such thing as a soul. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
b. Man: man is the chance product of a biological
process of evolution. Man is entirely material. The human species will one day pass out of existence. c. Truth: it is usually understood as a scientific proof. Only that which can be observed with the five senses is accepted as real or true. d. Values: no objective values or morals exist. Morals are individual preferences. Even social morals are subject to evolution and change. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
2. Pantheism (e.g Hinduism, Taoism, buddhism)
a. Reality: Only the spiritual dimension exists. All else is
illusion. Spiritual reality, Brahman, is eternal, unknowable. it is possible to say that everything is a part of God, or that God is in everything and everyone. b. Man: man is with ultimate reality. Thus man is spiritual, eternal and impersonal. Man’s belief that he is an individual is illusion. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
c. Truth: truth is an experience of reality with the
“oneness” of the universe. It is beyond all rational description.
d. Values: because ultimate reality is impersonal, many
pantheistic thinkers believe that there is no real distinction between good and evil. Instead, “unenlightened behavior” is that which fails to understand essential unity. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
3. Theism (e.g Christianity, Islam, Judaism)
a. Reality: An infinite impersonal God. He created a
finite, material world. Reality is both material and spiritual. The world as we know had a beginning and will have an end. b. Man: Humankind is the supreme creation of God. People were created “in the image and likeness of God”, which means that we are personal, spiritual, and biological UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
c. Truth: truth about God is known through revelation.
Truth about the material world is gained through revelation and the five senses in conjunction with rational thought. d. Values: Moral values are the objective expression of an absolute moral being. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
4. Spiritism and Polytheism
a. Reality: the world is populated by spirit beings who
governs what goes on. Gods and demons are the real reason behind “natural” events. Material things are real but they have spirits associated with them and therefore, can be interpreted spiritually. b. Man: Man is the creation of the gods like the rest of the creatures on earth. Often, tribes or races have a special relationship with some gods who protect them and can punish them. UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEWS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR RELIGION
c. Truth: truth about the natural world is discovered
through the shaman figure who has visions telling him what the gods and demons are doing and how they feel. What are the Different Elements of Religion? ELEMENTS OF RELIGION 1. BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL POWERS
Every religion believes in the existence
of some supernatural powers. They believe that this unseen power influence every aspect of human life. Varies from one religion to another. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION 2. BELIEF IN THE HOLY OR SACRED
There are certain things which are regarded as
sacred. The concept is a mental construct. They are symbols. They are not visible. It is based on faith rather than on evidence. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
3. SYSTEM OF RITUALS Rituals are the practical side of religion. They are the behavior performed by the individual or group of individuals with reference to supernatural power. Includes varieties of behavior { wearing special types of clothes, reciting prayers, hymns, singing, dancing etc.} A Christian may offer a flower to Christ or sits in prayer. All rituals are either performed individually or collectively to strengthen the faith in supernatural power. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
4. SINFUL ACTS
The follower of a religion encourages sacred acts
and insists to avoid indulging in sinful activities.
Acting in accordance with the religious principles is
believed to reap good results while sinful acts results in suffering and disaster. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION 5. THE METHOD OF SALVATION
Almost all religions consider salvation as the
ultimate goal of life.
They have their own explanation regarding the
method of salvation. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
6. MODE OF WORSHIP
Each religion has a specific procedure of
worshipping. Either worshipping the supernatural power in the form of statue of a formless manner.
{e.g Hindus worship idols, Muslims do not}
ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
7. LITURGY AND IDEOLOGY
Different religion practices public relations rites and
rituals in fixed form and they have specific ideology. Ideology may be handed down with an oral tradition or written tradition. ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
8. PLACE OF WORSHIP
Each religion has a definite place of worship
{Muslims in a mosque, Christians in church}
What characterizes a Religion? Why is it important to study Religion? SYNTHESIS
