Seven Dimensions of Religion
Understanding a human
phenomenon
The Seven by Ninian Smart
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Practical and Ritual Dimension
Experiential and Emotional
Narrative or Mythic Dimension
Doctrinal and Philosophical Dimension
Ethical and Legal Dimension
Social and Institutional Dimension
Material Dimension
Practical and Ritual
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Practices such as
–
Worship, Praying,
Regular Gatherings,
Rites of Passage
http://www.huntington.edu/worship/images/Worship-039_small.jpg
http://www.farsipraise.net/blog/uploaded_images/worship%20shofar-blower-talit-756042.jpg
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/muslims-praying.jpg
Experiential and Emotional

People react when they
have encountered
something which they
believe is very profound.
http://delivery.viewimages.com/xv/74365748.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4A
D9FDB9CF1933D389E1A66A48986185BD6C7A7470EA7879D000F7E7BD7FE
http://delivery.viewimages.com/xv/1541648.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=
17A4AD9FDB9CF19396908EAF14430D35940696E613E87FCF2556AE8CBB5C4EFC
Narrative or Mythic
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Stories which explain
and inspire.
–
One such story is the
Hopi tradition of how
peaches became sweet
and the bees got wings.
http://www.zoopy.com/photo_image/large/1180376216.jpg
http://www.greengiantfresh.com/images/peaches.jpg
Doctrinal and Philosophical
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Provides rational for
many of the practices
and ideas of the
religion.
–
–
Trinity
Bodhisattva
http://www.lemoyne.edu/philosophy/images/thinker.jpg
http://www.rothburycommunity.org/images/RCC2%20Logo.JPG
Ethical and Legal
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Ideas and laws that
shape behavior.
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Laws of Manu
5 Precepts
Ten Commandments
Beatitudes
http://minimediaguy.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/tn_question.jpg
http://66.231.15.127/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/515.jpg
Social and Institutional
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Social outgrowth of
religious experience.
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–
–
–
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Jama_Masjid.jpg/800px-Jama_Masjid.jpg
Masjid
Church
Synagogue
Sangha
http://www.diamond-congress.hu/mdo2006/images/mdo/pict/synagogue.jpg
http://www.jeffooi.com/Sangha_0044.jpg
Material
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An outgrowth of religious
experience/encounter.
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Music
Art
Symbol
Architecture
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_pictures/symbols/images/dharma.gif
http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/images/buddhist-art-thanka-life-mandala.jpg
http://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/Previous/Images/ISLAMIC.JPEG
Sources

Seven Dimensions
of Religion are from
The World’s
Religions by Ninian
Smart