Premium Essay

Elements of Religion

In: Religion Topics

Submitted By stacyc1984
Words 1076
Pages 5
Elements of Religious Tradition
Stacy Christenson
REL 134
August 30, 2012
Rudy Morrow Elements of Religious Tradition
Many religions believe in a divine being, this means that they believe in one God or many gods. However, not all religions believe in divine beings such as Buddhism. A divine plan is set out for those who believe in this plan. Although humans are exceptional, the meaning of a cosmic plan comes solely from an individual. The belief of a cosmic plan appears to be a struggle between good and evil forces, in which humans are right in the middle (Molloy 2010). Because human actions are so important, they should be directed by a foundation of morals, which is meant to be internalized by the individual. The religious groups that believe in these good and evil forces are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Molloy, 2010). This is one way a certain religion encourages the divine relationship. Molloy, (2010) states “In India, the divine is worshiped in its female aspects as the Great Mother (also known as Kali and Durga) or as other female deities” (p. 17). There are many other religions that believe females are the divine one, such as Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. These religions believe that the mother of Jesus, Mary, is a strong role model for woman’s behavior. Every religion has their own sense of divine relationship this is with the intention that they hold their religion sacred (Molloy 2010).
Many religions have their own ways of dealing with sacred time. Some religions believe there is no set time that is sacred; however, they do believe that every minute of each day is sacred. For instance, Baptist religions believe that God is always around and that every minute of each day is considered to be sacred time (Buschart, 2012). Some religions do have sacred time for worship; Christians usually go to church on Sunday’s to worship God.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Elements of Religion

...Elements of Religious Traditions Paper Religion is a set of believes that people have concerning the worship of the creator of the universe whom people address as their personal God or gods. Some says it is an association to put across belief in a divine power. Religion could also be a belief concerning the scared, divine, and supernatural practices. People have their own meaning of religion depending on their personal believes. Saying that this essay trends to elaborate on explaining how religious traditions describe and encourage the relationships with the divine, with sacred time, with sacred space or the natural world, and with each other. This paper will also point out some critical issues in the study of religion with specific examples from my own Hindu religion. Relationship with divine is a very restricted role with little opportunity for spiritual maturity or personal empowerment. A child has to value and pay attention to their parents and obey the rules and regulation set by the them. Scared time is usually the day of special prayer according to religious calendar, days of fasting, or just a day person takes out to dedicate to the god. This helps the family members to get together on a precise day and pray together have a little family bonding where people can moralize from their sacred books. This will help learn about the religion and devotion to the lord. Most Hindu people consider Monday, Tuesday, and Friday their scared time. On these days, they do not eat...

Words: 486 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Elements of Religion

...Elements of Religious Traditions REL 134 June 14, 2013 Professor Don Peavy Sr. Elements of Religious Traditions Elements of Religion are broad within one perspective with an organized collection of beliefs with different meanings. Depending on one’s religious beliefs one will transcend its beliefs within its own supernatural power. There is no difference between natural and supernatural and between the human and nonhuman (Molloy, 2010). The practice of religion can be the beliefs of Buddhism, which their beliefs are the Buddha. Christianity worship God which their beliefs are that the creator is of the entire world. Muslims worship Muhammad which their beliefs are the prophet from God, and many more. For many centuries the practice of religion has transcended from generation to generation there are many practices that take place today. One’s relationship with the divine is the sacred power of understanding the different religions and how it impact our daily lives. “All religions are concerned with the deepest level of reality, and for most religions the core or origin of everything is sacred and mysterious”, (M. Molloy, 2010 Ch 2 pg. Three. In the earlier days man believed the natural occurrences of the universe for instance hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more. Ancient religion cultures were oriented during the seasons for instance the Hebrews distinguished a calendar. The Hebrew calendar marked different events one for...

Words: 705 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Elements of Religion

...Elements Of Traditional Religions Rell/133 October 30, 2012 Daniel Kunkle University Of Phoenix Elements of Traditional Religions Religion is an evolutionary development that has grown with humanity and plays an important role in our existence. The tradition of a religion is surrounded by the Central Myths of a specific belief. Central Myths are stories that express the beliefs of a group and are often renenacted and retold. For example, these stories are the major events in the life of the Hindu god Krishna, the ressurection of Jesus, the exodus of the Isrealites from the oppression in Egypt, as well as the enlightment experience of Buddha. These stories are not historically incorrect but are central to the religion. These ritual beliefs are enacted and brought to life through ceremonies. Ceremonies often include use of different language, clothing, and architecture. Religions also make use of physical objects such as statues, instruments, flowers, incense, paintings, and often musical compositions known as “Chants”. Religion also includes emotional experisnces such as gulit, dread, devotion, liberation, bliss, “rebirth”, and inner peace. Any form of religious teaching is a way to teach someone to live or suggest that they follow these rules and live by the words spoken to them. Forms of religious teachings could be through books, music, or even art. It is just a way to teach the people of that religion right from wrong. Within most religions...

Words: 772 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Religions Element

...Religious Elements of Religious Traditions Paper Juanj Wu REL134 June 27, 2011 Michele Brewster Elements of Religious Traditions Paper When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to tell me how she survived from Japanese air raids by praying to the Buddhist mercy Goddess-Guang Yin. Then I went to school, I studied sciences, and was told that no supernatural power such as God or Goddess existed. I believe sciences, but whenever I feel vulnerable, Guang Yin appears in my mind. For years, I have the image of Guang Yin hanging in my car to keep me safe and sound. This is how religions, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and many other religions, affect me spiritually and people throughout the world. Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a super human agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs According to Molloy (2010), there are eight elements involved in religions: 1. The belief system or the worldview, which explain the universe and the human beings, 2. Community, the group of people who share the belief system, 3.Central myths, which are the stories that interpret the beliefs. 4. Ritual, the ceremonies express the beliefs. 5. Ethics, rules of human behavior. 6. Characteristic emotional experiences, the emotions related to religion. 7. Material expression, such...

Words: 321 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Elements of Religion Tradition

...Elements of Religious Tradition Religious traditions influence people and even more important cultures across the world on a daily basis. The subsequent paragraphs will investigate how religious traditions describe and encourage relationships with the divine, sacred time, sacred space or the natural world and relationships with each other will ensure a more thorough understanding of differing religions. Additionally, providing several examples from various religious traditions will go one step farther in enhancing that understanding. The foundation to any successful religious belief is to establish a relationship with the divine. The Divine Since the dawn of time spiritual relationships with the Divine have been prevalent as part of the human existence in the natural world. Different religions refer to the sacred by various names such as Great Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Great Mother, the Ultimate, and the Absolute. One of the most globally known references to an originating holiness is God. Religions differ in the perspectives from a God, multiple gods, spirits, and even see nature as the Divine. Key to any religion is establishing a relationship with and obligating personal time to share with the Divine. Several methods of accomplishing this is praying, studying the Bible, the Veda, the Quran, or spending time with nature. Specifically, praying is prominent with Christians and is a way to communicate to God on a daily basis. Praying by Christians...

Words: 712 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Elements of Religion Rel 134

...Elements of Religious Traditions REL/134 May 13, 2013 Elements of Religious Traditions Religious traditions share many common elements. First, religious traditions often describe and encourage a relationship with the divine. Further, religions frequently describe and encourage relationships with sacred times and events, for example, a holy birth. Additionally, religious traditions may possess common beliefs concerning sacred space and the natural world. For example, many religions teach earth is sacred, whereas others teach earth is imperfect. Moreover, religious traditions frequently define relationships with other religions, for example, as good or bad. People who study religion often encounter key critical issues, including limited data, unwritten information, and preconceived ideas. Though many religious traditions share common elements, beliefs, and relationships, religion can be difficult to study. Religious traditions often define their relationship with a divine. Religions usually portray their relationship with a scared as a superior-inferior relationship, where people are inferior to the sacred (Molloy, 2010). Some religions describe their relationship with the divine as special, where other religions do not define their relationship at all. For example, Christians teach the Earth’s inhabitants are a main concern of the sacred, whereas Confucians teach people have no relationship with the divine (Molloy, 2010). Still, Buddhists contend sacred’s...

Words: 1076 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Montheistic Religions Elements Matrix

...CheckPoint: Monotheistic Religions Elements Matrix Carmen Welch May 23, 2010 CJS/210 Dr. Donald Howard Axia College Material Appendix H Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix | |Judaism |Christianity |Islam | |Countries of origin |Palestine |PALESTINE |ARABIA | | |EGYPT |ROME | | |HISTORICAL FIGURES AND |JEWS, ABRAHAM, MOSES, & KING SOLOMON |JESUS CHRIST, THE VIRGIN MARY, & THE SAINTS AND |THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD, MOSES, JESUS, & ABRAHAM | |EVENTS | |DISCIPLES | | | |- THE DELIVERY OF THE COMMANDMENTS TO MOSES | |- MOHAMMAD WAS BORN BETWEEN 569 A.D. & 571 A.D. | | |- THE ESCAPE OF SALVES FOR THE PHARAOHS |- THE BIRTH OF BABY...

Words: 468 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Eastern Religion Elements Matrix

...University of Phoenix Material – EASTERN RELIGION ELEMENTS MATRIX | |HINDUISM |BUDDHISM |CONFUCIANISM |TAOISM |SHINTO | |HISTORICAL FIGURES and |ShanKara |Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)|Kung Chiu (Confucius) |Lao-Tzu |Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) | |EVENTS |Sri-Rmakrishna | |Mencius |Chuang-Tzu | | | |Mahtma Gandhi | |Hsun Tzu | | | | | | |Chu Hsi | | | |CENTRAL BELIEFS |Henotheistic – Recognize a |Four Noble Truths – (a) all|Jen – Humanity, |Tao – Way or path. |Kinship – Family is seen as| | |single deity and view other|life involves suffering, |benevolence. | |the main mechanism by which| | |Gods and Goddesses as |(b) suffering originates | |Yin and Yang - Chinese |traditions are preserved. | | |manifestations or aspects |from...

Words: 884 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix

...Associate Level Material Appendix H Monotheistic Religion Elements Matrix | |Judaism |Christianity |Islam | |Countries of origin |Sinai Desert |jerusalem/israel |Saudi Arabia | |Historical figures and |Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and Jesus.The ten |Noah, Moses, Jesus, DanielMinistry of Jesus.The great |Muhammad, Moses , Jesus, AbrahamMuhammad’s death.The | |events |commandments.The betrayal and killing of Jesus.The |flood of Moses.Buddha, Prince Siddhartha GautamaThe |Koran | | | |crossing of the Red sea. |birth of Jesus. | | |Central beliefs |they believe in the Synagogue, the messiah or the |Christians worship god as part of the trinity father, | LIFE AFTER DEATH.ALLAH DAY OF JUDGMENT | | |anointed one, they also believe that Israel is the |son, and holy spirit. | | | ...

Words: 274 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Comparative Religion

...Comparative Religion: Religion is a common set of belief held by different individuals available within a society. Religion concerns itself with purpose, cause, and nature considered for the creation of a superhuman agency fitted with several moral codes. The codes provide guidance on how humans should conduct themselves throughout their life time. Religious beliefs are known to fall into a pattern of 8 different elements such as the belief system, community, central myths, rituals, an ethical system, experiences of the emotions, expressing religion in a material manner, and the ability of being sacred (Jacobs, 2005). Religious Beliefs Patterns: As a Christian, my religious beliefs fall into the already identified pattern to a certain extent despite the fact that certain elements hold more weight compared to other elements. The 'belief system' element is taken into consideration and provided with a lot of weight within the Christian religion. Christians hold a belief that people should always take into consideration the manner in which they dress when attending a church service. Christian followers should wear decent clothes and not provocative clothing. Women should wear long skirts and men long trousers while attending a church service as a form of respect for the supernatural being. In addition to this, as a Christian, a lot of emphasis is put on the community element since every Sunday after the church service, the church followers meet to organize meetings with different...

Words: 918 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Religious Traditions

...TermPaperWarehouse.com - Free Term Papers, Essays and Research DocumentsThe Research Paper FactoryJoinSearchBrowseSaved Papers Home Page » Religion Topics Elements of Religious Tradition Rel/134 In: Religion Topics Elements of Religious Tradition Rel/134 Elements of Religious Tradition UoP Student REL/134 October 24, 2011 UoP Facilitator Elements of Religious Tradition   Religious traditions influence people and even more important cultures across the world on a daily basis.   Religions have many differing views on what or who represents the divine and offer many perspectives on exactly how to worship or pay respect to those identified as the divine.   The subsequent paragraphs will investigate how religious traditions describe and encourage relationships with the divine, sacred time, sacred space or the natural world and relationships with each other will ensure a more thorough understanding of differing religions.   Additionally, providing several examples from various religious traditions will go one step farther in enhancing that understanding.   The foundation to any successful religious belief is to establish a relationship with the divine. The Divine Since the dawn of time spiritual relationships with the Divine have been prevalent as part of the human existence in the natural world.   Different religions refer to the sacred by various names such as Great Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Great Mother, the Ultimate, and the Absolute.   One of the most...

Words: 472 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Religion: Meaning and Nature

...RELIGION: MEANING AND NATURE Religion is an almost universal institution in human society. It is found in all societies, past and present. All the preliterate societies known to us have religion. Religion goes back to the beginning of the culture itself. It is a very ancient institution. There is no primitive society without religion. Like other social institutions, religion also arose from the intellectual power of man in response to certain felt needs of men. While most people consider religion as universal and therefore, a significant institution of societies. It is the foundation on which the normative structure of society stands. It is the social institution that deals with sacred things, that lie beyond our knowledge and control. It has influenced other institutions. It has been exerting tremendous influence upon political and economic aspects of life. It is said that man from the earliest times has been incurably religious. Judaism, Christianity, Islam (Semitic religions), Hinduism and Buddhism; Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto (Chinese-Japanese religions) etc. are examples of the great religions of the world. Meaning of Religion: Religion is concerned with the shared beliefs and practices of human beings. It is the human response to those elements in the life and environment of mankind which are beyond their ordinary comprehension. Religion is pre-eminently social and is found in nearly all societies. Majumdar and Madan explain that the word religion has...

Words: 1429 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Comparison of Religion

...Comparative Religions Comparative Religions: Reflection Essay Luckily we live in a country where we are free to express ourselves religiously however we choose to. I was born into the Greek Orthodox branch of Christianity and have remained a Christian my entire life. Different religions have always interested me; I have even studied extremely different beliefs than my own such as Paganism and Wicca. As noted in the textbook, there are eight different elements in which religious beliefs can manifest, such as: A belief system, community, central myths, rituals, an ethical system, emotional experiences, material expressions of religion and sacredness. (Malloy, 2010, p. 6) Some people may feel that their religious beliefs are larger influenced by each of these eight elements, while others may only be influenced by a select few. I grew up in a very Christian household. My mother was a Christian, that’s what she always said even though she was Roman Catholic. I later learned that she meant she had strong beliefs in Christianity, while not adhering to some of the Roman Catholic beliefs. I would strongly agree that the element of community really played a significant factor on my initial belief in Christianity. Since I was surrounded by an entire family whose belief was in Christianity and around people that talked constantly about Jesus Christ being our savior, I was heavily persuaded into the belief system that is Christianity. As I was raised, my family would tell...

Words: 1307 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Elements of Religious Tradition

...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...

Words: 704 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Elements of Religious Traditions

...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...

Words: 953 - Pages: 4