...Studying Religion Studying Religion Studying religions is going to be very informing since I don't follow any religion in my life. Understanding how and what each religion believes and why is going to be fascinating. I do know there is a God. I know there is a book of stories to help follow your God and way of life, and to also pass on stories of the past. It appears that each religion is a way for those following it to answers the unanswerable questions in life. Why are we here, what do we do here, why do people suffer, why do we die, these are a few issues I believe people pursue religion. Some religions tell you to live a certain way and have guidelines for you to follow. Some have you sacrifice a living thing for God. So how do you decide which religion to believe? You can support your tribe, family, or country and believe in the same as everyone else. You can study religions as this course will have us to, and find a better understanding of a God and which you have a closer connection with. Some choose to praise from home or with family and friends. Well, others have a set day and time to gather together in church. Christianity and Islam both recognize Jesus as a great prophet. Where Judaism has no similarities to Christianity. The difference is a part of religions that has puzzled me, how can some have similarities and other seem to be in a world of their own. How can the "Book of God" change over time? Why did stories change or fail to make the first cut? How is...
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...Of the different humanities that we have covered so far, I find religion the most interesting. Learning more about religion helped me understand the guidelines for human behavior. Religion can bind people together or it can tear people apart. Everyone is entitled to live how they want and react how they want. Those with religion accept a higher power as having authority over the way life is lived. There's a reason why people do the things they're abdicated to do. Religion is interesting only because the factual assertions are true and gives people something to believe in. I think that studying religions have gained a better understanding of people in other areas of the world and where they originated. In religion, we all have our own definitive beliefs and sets of rules and guideline regarding the human...
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...Elements of Religious Tradition Torri Greer REL/134 February 26, 2014 William Sunday Elements of Religion There are many common elements of religion, even if the characteristics of the religion vary widely. Some of these elements include a belief system, community, ritual, ethics, emotional experiences, material expression, and sacredness. This paper discusses how some of the elements encourage relationships with the divine, with sacred time, sacred space or the natural world, and the relationships with each other. The paper will also outline critical issues when studying religion (Molloy, 2010). A religion may have a clear interpretation of the universe and what humans’ place is in it. These belief systems may see human beings’ roles are to take care of nature, and hold it sacred, whereas other religions view humans’ role is to conquer nature. Human purpose is also a part of the worldview in religion. Even though the purpose of a human beings life varies among religion, it is a common characteristic of religion to help identify that purpose (Molloy, 2010). Rituals are beliefs enacted and made real through ceremony. Many religious traditions are rich in ritual reenactments. These reenactments may use sacred materials. Other rituals are used to give homage to their divine. A ritual may be a small act of lighting a candle and praying, to dancing and chanting, reenacting past sacred events. Going to church on Sunday could be considered a ritual, and is done...
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...views of religion come from different cultural backgrounds. “Ideas are borrowed from other cultures, presently as well as in the past. Thus, the Christian religion was built upon ideas of Judaism. St. Thomas Aquinas harmonized the philosophy of Aristotle of ancient Athens with Christianity provide for the official theology of the Catholic church. The Koran, holy book of the Muslims, shows both the influences of Judaism and Christianity. To devout Muslims,...
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...Elements of Religious Traditions There are many different religions that are practiced all over the world. Most all of these religions share eight elements. These include a belief system, community, central myths, rituals, ethics, characteristic emotional experiences, material expression and sacredness. These various religions all have special traditions that honor the sacred to which its followers believe. Although, there are key critical issues in the study of religion, there are also many benefits. Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam are three examples of religion types that are practiced throughout the world. However, there are also different varieties of these religions practiced. In Christianity, the Orthodox churches of Greece, Russia, Romania and elsewhere are closely related to each other, but are rather different from western Catholicism. There are also numerous forms of Protestant Christianity such as Methodism, Baptist, and Pentecostalism. Different types of Buddhism include Theravada Buddhism which is practiced in Sri Lanka and in South East Asia. Mahayana, Tibetan, and Shingon are other examples of Buddhism. The most prominent division in the Islam religion is between the Sunnites and Shi’ites. The first of the eight elements that these religions share is their belief system. They have a common belief or worldview of the universe and what place the human being’s have in it. Community means that this belief is shared and practiced by all its members or group...
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...Professor Earley Introduction to Religion 1 May 2013 William James 1.) How does the theorist define religion? James often defines religion through supernatural experiences. He believes that religion has an active and significant role in these experiences. With that being said, James refuses to place a single definition of the term ‘religion.’ Due to the fact that there are so many different personal experiences, expectations, and beliefs associated with religion, James believes that it would be wrong to define religion in a typical “dictionary” way. Instead of defining religion, James breaks it into two parts, institutional and personal. The institutional branch refers to the Church and like institutions, the written code of the religion, and the idea of a ‘divine’. The personal focuses on the beliefs and experiences of a person. In this writing James ignores the institutional aspect because he does not want to discuss God. Before there was God and written religion, there had to be personal beliefs; therefore, James argues that the personal branch of religion is more important to study when focusing on the fundamentals and basics of religion. James states that religion can be anything, morally, physically, or ritually engaging, as long as it has emotional ties to a person, in the sector of institutional religion everything has a strict definition. James questions who can truly define the idea of ‘divine’ in a general manner. He finds studying religiously active individuals...
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...behaviors pertaining to different world religions. According to the author, unlike other major academic disciplines, the study of religion is not based on any unique methodology but is derived from several other fields of academia. This field of study is so broad that any attempt to develop a unique methodology would limit the scope of understanding and further research into the subject. Hence, religious studies derive inputs from several other fields of study and provide its scholars with a plethora of these derived methodologies. The absence of any unique methodology is dealt by incorporating several other academic fields and developing different approaches for interpretation and research. Scholars, who look at religion from the perspective of society, use one such approach. They look at both sides of the coin and study how society shapes religion and how religion has been shaped by the various societal factors. They also try to analyze the changing symbiosis of religion and society by adopting either a quantitative approach of statistical surveys or a qualitative approach. Another such methodology involves anthropological study of religion. The rituals, practices and behaviors of tribal groups provide a deep insight into the oldest form of religious habits, which have been carried for ages. This approach studies the traditions that have been carried by all these traditions from ages by both mainstream and other word religions. Religions in its varied forms have existed from...
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...“Religion” this word that I had heard since when I was a child, at that time I thought it was the only story about God and our faith. When I grew up I learned over 5 religions. But when I had learned with you, Fr. Luc Mees, it's different and difficult than I knew before. Moreover when I have to write this paper according to your guide line questions such as; what is religion, why study religion? why is it important to study religion? etc. or other way to say; what did you learn or understand about religion? by say about it without using theology. It’s more difficult. However it is very interesting and challenging to write it. What is religion? I would like to begin my answer to this question with a story that I had heard when I was a teenager and I really like it; There was a young man who resisted, denies and did not believe in any religion. He said religion...
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...compare Karl Marx and Emile David Durkheim ideas on religion from a sociological and functionalist perspective. Functionalists’ belief that religion is beneficial for both the community and its members e.g. it unifies the society which in turn gives each individual member a source of support when they need it. It will begin with their brief historical backgrounds, definition of religion as well as their similarities and differences in studying it. Karl Marx Marx was born in Prussia on May 5, 1818. He began exploring sociopolitical theories at university among the Young Hegelians. He became a journalist, and his socialist writings would get him expelled from Germany and France. In 1848, he published The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels and was exiled to London, where he wrote the first volume of Das Kapital and lived the remainder of his life (Engels, 1869). Marx is considered as one of the founders of economic history and sociology. Emile Durkheim According to Jones (1986) “David Emile Durkheim was born in France, on April 15, 1857 and raised in a Jewish family with his father as a rabbi. Emile was, thus destined for the rabbinate, and a part of his early education was spent in a rabbinical school” (p.12). Durkheim is considered the father of modern sociology and well known for his work on Division of Labour in 1912. Definition of Religion Both Marx and Durkheim have rather contrasting definitions of what religion is with the former describing it basically as the...
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...years individuals have been studying the different religions of the world only to find there are many obstacles in this area. Webster dictionary defined religion as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Traditions or rituals play a critical role in individual and institutional religion and can strength the bond between the individual and the sacred. Why study religion? The study of religions of the world can bring enlightenment and understanding of other religions (Molloy, 2010). It is important to understand the complications associated with studying regions of the world. Religious traditions are passed on from generations through spoken stories and experience. A good example of an oral story is some of the ritual dances and ritual clothing Native American partake in during ceremonies. As scholars study these oral traditions many details could be over looked due to a language barrier. Many written religious documents are written in spiritual language called Hagiography (Molloy, 2010). This is a spiritual language with the purpose of creating devotion to a high entity. This language can be challenging to translate and put in a document with the purpose of educating. Religious traditions are used to created devotion, bring communities together, and give hope during trying times. Many traditions include myths, stories, doctrines, and texts (Molloy, 2010). Myths tell the story of a religion. In Christianity the death and...
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...Common Practices in Religion Kayla Warmkessel REL/133 April 25, 2016 R. Dean Davenport Common Practices in Religion Throughout the world there are many forms of religion and each religion has their own beliefs and practices that are deeply rooted in teachings and traditions that are pulled from sacred texts and readings. Each religion is different, some even being indigenous religions that are specific to cultures, areas, and even tribes, which makes it difficult to truly define what religion is. Many people are very guarded when it comes to their religion because they see it as a personal issue, however it is important to study religions so that the world can have a better understanding of the different connections and foundations that have been built up in each religion over its history. The first step in studying religion is finding a definition that works for most if not all religions. Religion Defined “When people begin their study of religions, they bring ideas from the religion in which they were raised or from the predominant religion of society,” (Molloy, 2013). In his writings, Molloy (2013) brings forward a unique way of defining religion, the “linguistic roots” of the word. This breakdown helps to find a simplified definition for religion, “the joining of our natural, human world to the sacred world,” (Molloy, 2016). This definition, however, does not define religion definitively. Most religions have their core beliefs, whether they have one god...
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...world works. Religion is said to have different meanings, but my understanding of the word religion is that it is a belief system or cultural system that can help re-connect the human reality with the sacred world by being a moral guide for the way human beings live although they are on earth. In this paper I will discuss how religious tradition describes or encourage relationships in many different aspect of life. Relationship with the divine can mean anything from being an obedient child of God that knows he or she is not perfect and is willing and able to ask for forgiveness of his or her sins. The relationship could be one not of belief, because of the many different events that have taken place in a person’s life that has lead them to think there is no god. What is the divine, the divine is said to be of, from, or belonging to god. A person’s relationship with the divine depends on many events and teachings that he or she experience throughout their life’s journey. Having a relationship with the divine helps he or she walks in the light and live according to god’s law or of the light of the religion in which a person or culture follows. While some may think a relationship with the divine can feel very theoretical, it can be a very real, lively connection. No matter how a person may define the divine he or she has the ability in shaping a relationship that is more powerful than any other relationship a person could have with anyone on earth. “All religions are concerned...
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...Phoenix REL/133 Professor Rossum June 22, 2011 Elements of Religious Traditions Some issues need to be addressed when a person sets out to study the topic of religion. It must first be acknowledged that every aspect of religion when viewed by two biased individuals will have varying conclusions, people gather biased ness as they age, gain worldly experiences, and can comprehend ideas on a more complex level. The ability to comprehend a different cultures rituals, prayers, pilgrimages or doctrines, inevitably becomes tainted by the observer’s current knowledge or prejudices. The textbook definition of a tradition is, “the handing down of a practice, custom, or story that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, with or without a writing system” (Stein, Hauck, & Su, 1988, p. 1392). The traditions held sacred by different faiths can sometimes be easily comprehended and studied and other times confusing and only surmised. The amount and type of documentation or the lack thereof with each religious tradition is a critical factor when studying religions. The insight gained when studying religion and its traditions can play an important role in the relationships between two of the same faith, two of opposing faiths, a person and his or her divine, the history of his or her religion, and his or her belief in what is sacred. When referring to the sacred, it does not always mean the Deity or Gods a person worships. It can mean a sacred place like...
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...Traditions Religious traditions play significant role in the lives of human beings around the world. There are different meanings for religion and the simplest definition of religion is that it is a belief system or cultural system that helps reconnect the human reality with the sacred world by being a moral guide for the way human beings live (CCSU, n. d.). There are eight elements in religious traditions, belief system, a community, central myth stories, rituals, ethics, characteristic emotional experiences, material expression, and sacredness(Molly & Hilgers, 2010). In this paper the following topics will be discussed, religious traditions and its relationships, key critical issues in the study of religion, and examples from various religious traditions. Relationship With the Divine From the beginning of the human life, spiritual relationships with the Divine have been common as part of the human survival in the natural world. Different religions state to the sacred by different names based on their beliefs. They call it as Great Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, and the Absolute. A person’s relationship with the divine depends on many events and teachings that he or she experiences throughout her or his life. Having a relationship with the divine, people are able to reach their ultimate goal of the religion in which a person or culture follows. The divine can be employed in several ways such as by praying, reading the Bible, the Quran, or the Veda...
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...Studying Religion Paper Andrea Mateo University of Phoenix World Religious Traditions II REL/134 Rafael Frim October 19, 2015 Today, there is a vast variety of religions and beliefs all around the world. These Religions may have similar and different views and beliefs, but at the end, despite the differences in religious, cultures and practices, certain fundamentals in religion remain the same. The following paragraphs will discuss the essentials in the practices and beliefs for a tradition to be called religion, the commonalities of the three Western religions, how do different fields of study approach religion and some critical issues in the academic study of religion. All religions share the same essential element, the sacred or the holy, is not palpable and cannot be seen or explained by language, it is beyond humans’ imagination. Although they share the same sacred, they may differ in their traditions, organization, and beliefs. Traditions are the grounds and organization in each religion. Some of the key elements found in these traditions are the beliefs, practices, and structure. The Believe system, also known as a worldview, is a group of beliefs that explains the human being place in the universe. The Ethic Rules specifies how the community should live by, and establish how followers should behave based on their beliefs. Myths are the stories that support the religion held as truths are fundamental to their beliefs. A supporting element of religious traditions...
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