UNIT 3 aos1

• The Search for Meaning in General

  • In response to this search for meaning, various spiritual, religious, philosophical, scientific and ideological worldviews have been developed. 
  • Religion has developed answers in the form of a truth narrative: various beliefs and other aspects that have offered ways of establishing meaning, not only for human existence but also for all that exists. 
  • The aspects of religion also attempt to express and explain the nature of relationships
• PURPOSE OF RELIGION IN SOCIETIES

  • a metanarrative, or truth narrative, that provides a way of making sense of ‘the world’, including its origins and end
  • a symbolic understanding of mystery or that which remains inexplicable, and designate significant moments in the life of the individual or the community
  • a belief in a transcendent authority or ultimate reality that provides the society with common values
• PURPOSE OF RELIGION IN SOCIETIES

  • ethical principles and moral values that guide human behaviour alongside objects that are sacred and inspire the community through their beauty, either as ideas or as art
  • a way of expressing individual or communal emotions
• NATURE of RELIGION

  • The aspects of religion contribute to religion being a living response to the search for meaning across time and cultures.
• PURPOSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

  • Religious beliefs are ideas about God/ultimate reality, related to answers about existential questions.
  • These beliefs/ideas form the basis of the worldview of religious traditions and contribute to the worldviews of its members.
  • A worldview is the overall way one sees the origins, meaning, purpose and relationship of all that exists.