world religions

• Every individual sees and interprets the world quite different from one another
• Worldview


  A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by people
• Social environment and upbringing are critical in the development of a religious life
• Belief in god or gods is found in almost all religions
• Religion has existed for several thousand years of human existence
• Human life may have produced hundreds of religions and belief systems
• There could be more unknown than known religions in the world since recorded history covers only a fraction of human existence
• Beliefs related to religion

  • Belief in a deity
  • Belief in a deity's relationship with the world
  • Places and people believed to be holy and sacred
  • Ways to worship a deity
  • Rules followed as a result of beliefs
• Kinds of belief systems or worldviews

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


  No real distinction between god and the universe
• 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


  Belief that god cannot be known
• Theism


  A belief in the existence of one god viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world
• Monotheistic religions claim that there is only God who could have designed and created the universe
• Modern-day examples of monotheistic religions include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• Polytheistic religions recognize many principal gods among whom no one is supreme
• Examples of ancient polytheistic religions

  • Ancient religions of Egypt
  • Greece
  • Rome
• Religion


  An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods
• Religio


  Refers to something done with overanxious or scrupulous attention to detail
• Religare


  Latin verb meaning "to tie together, to bind fast"
• Religion was used to designate formal belief systems and tenets
• Social scientists' views on religion

  • Edward Burnett Taylor
  • James George Farzer
  • Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski
  • David Emile Durkheim
• Edward Burnett Taylor's view on religion

  The belief in spiritual beings
• James George Farzer's view on religion


  A propitiation or conciliation of powers superior to man
• Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski's view on religion


  A body of self-contained acts being the fulfillment of their purpose
• David Emile Durkheim's view on religion

  A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things
• Theology


  A formal study of a particular religious tradition
• The term Theology originated from the Christian tradition
• Theology


  The formal systematic attempt to give a rational explanation of the beliefs and practices of a religious institution
• Theology is done by insiders, as practitioners of a religion
• Religious studies


  An academic study of religion that differs from theology
• Religious studies include fields such as history of religions, philosophy of religion, psychology of religion, sociology of religion, and anthropology of religion
• Philosophy of religion


  The philosophical study of the nature and meaning of religion
• Psychology of religion


  Attempts to explain religious behavior using current theories in psychology
• Sociology of religion


  Describes religious phenomena in terms of their function in human societies
• Religious anthropology


  Studies the cultural significance of religious experiences, ideas, and institutions