World religions and belief systems

• Religion


  A set of beliefs and practices that is often focused on one or more deities or gods
• Spirituality


  Involves the recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are part is cosmic or divine in nature
• Worldview


  A collection of beliefs about life and the universe being held by people
• Theology


  The study of religious faith, practice, and experience, especially the study of God and of God's relation to the world
• Eastern Belief

  • Shintoism
  • Sindoism
  • Taoism
  • Confucianism
  • Hinduism
  • Buddhism
  • Sikhism
  • Jainism
• Western Belief


  Religions that originated within western culture, often referred to as Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism)
• Belief System


  A set of principles that help in interpreting our daily reality
• Beliefs are shaped and influenced by different factors such as how do we know things, how we are raised, and peer pressure
• Monism


  There is no real distinction between God and the universe
• Implications of Monism


  1. God dwells in the universe as part of it

  2. Universe does not exist at all as a reality but only as a manifestation of God
• Kinds of Belief Systems

  • Monism
  • Polytheism
  • Monotheism
  • Atheism
  • Agnosticism
• Polytheism


  The belief and worship of many gods
• Monotheism


  The doctrine or belief in one supreme god
• Atheism


  Disbelief in or denial of the existence of a personal god
• Agnosticism


  God cannot be known
• Monotheism


  The doctrine/belief in one supreme god
• Monotheistic religions


  Claim there is only one God who designed and created the universe
• Polytheistic


  Recognize many principal gods among whom no one is supreme
• Ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome worship a multitude of personal gods
• Atheism


  Disbelief in or denial of the existence of a personal god
• Agnosticism


  God cannot be known
• The Origin of religion


  The human quest for meaning
• The quest of purpose


  The motivation to live a life which promotes human wholeness
• The quest for salvation


  The search to be free from the feeling of disharmony deep within the human person
• Theology


  The study of religious faith, practice, and experience, especially the study of God and of God's relation to the world
• Creed


  • A set of truths that must be accepted and agreed to by followers of the religion
  • A summary of the principle beliefs of a religion
• Worship or cult


  • Refers to the way of worshipping and the rituals practiced by followers
• Works or code


  • Refers to the ethical values and the system of moral practice resulting from adherence to beliefs
• 8 Elements of Religion


  • Belief system or worldview
  • Community
  • Central stories/myths
  • Rituals
  • Ethics
  • Characteristic emotional experiences
  • Material expression
  • Sacredness
• Belief system or worldview


  Many beliefs that fit together in a system to make sense of the universe
• Community


  The belief system is shared and practiced by a group
• Central stories/myths


  Stories that help explain the beliefs of a group
• Rituals


  Beliefs are explained, taught, and made real through ceremonies
• Ethics


  Rules about how to behave, often thought to come from a deity
• Characteristic emotional experiences


  Emotions shared by most religions such as awe, mystery, guilt, joy, etc.
• Material expression


  Use of things to perform rituals or express beliefs
• Sacredness


  Some things are seen as sacred and some as profane
• Western Religions


  • Judaism
  • Islam
• Eastern Religions

  • Buddhism
  • Taoism
  • Shintoism
  • Hinduism
  • Confucianism
• Western beliefs


  • Monotheistic
  • Share similar view of the world
  • Humans must enter an interpersonal relationship with God
  • Morality based on learning the will of God
  • Time viewed as linear
  • Central books are the Bible, Torah, or Qur'an