Chapter 1
Studying
the World’s
Religions
The study of religion begins in
mystery
Religious experience comes out of
questions
That humans
experience in the face
of reality
Human beings ask questions, and
by our very nature,
They are religious questions.
Humans are beings with
Physical, rational,
emotional capacities
– but we are not
merely the sum of
these.
Human nature has the
capacity for reflection, for
conscience, for love, and
for the capacity to be
aware of the meaning of
life and events
This is the spiritual nature of
human beings
Not everyone chooses to ask these
questions or to seek answers
But all of human history
and tradition testifies
to this deeper quality
of human experience.
In every culture and
religion – there is an
awareness of the
spiritual.
5 fundamental questions
1) What is the nature
of human
experience?
Are we merely physical
organisms?
Do we have a soul?
Why do we suffer?
Why do we do evil to
one another?
2) What does spiritual perfection
mean?
Almost every religion
offers the possibility
of spiritual fulfillment
– either in this life or
the next.
Religions offer ways to approach
spiritual maturity
A) Ethics – how do we
live in this life?
Religions require living a
just life as the basic
step towards
spiritual perfection
B) How do we transcend
the human experience?
How do we overcome the
normal limits and
weaknesses of our
humanity? Religions tend
to insist on a brutal facing
of reality which in itself
allows a human being to
transcend the human
condition by accepting its
frailties. (examples –
Buddha – “Life is suffering”
Christ “Carry your cross”)
C) Salvation - Spiritual
maturity comes to
fruition with the
transcendence of the
final limitation of
human experience:
death.
3) What is our destiny?
Most religions (but not all)
answer the question of human
destiny: Where are we going?
Some offer the opportunity of
paradise vs condemnation.
For some it is more complex and
human beings must live more
than one life before the cycle
of birth and death can end.
4) What is the nature of the world?
Where did the world come
from?
What is the nature of our
world?
This is the question of
cosmology – an
understanding of the
nature of the universe.
Is the universe created?
Is it a benign place, or is
it merely left to
chance by cold,
neutral forces of
chemistry and
physics?
All religions give some
answer to the nature
of the physical world.
5) What is ultimate reality, and how
is it revealed?
For religions in the West –
this question is about the
nature of God?
Who is God? Is there one
God (monotheism), or are
there many gods
(polytheism)?
Or does the divine nature
exist in all things
(pantheism)?
Some religions are nontheistic:
A concept of a god is
not important for
them.
Most religions teach that the
ultimate reality is revealed
To human beings. This revelation usually takes
place through the sacred stories and myths of the
religion.
It is helpful to attempt to create a
common language for
understanding different religions.
However, as in any translation,
We can never be exact and
must make room for
some generalities and
inconsistencies.
Religions of the West,
drawing heavily on Greek
and Jewish concepts of
God, will be very different
from Eastern traditions
such as Buddhism and
Hinduism.
All religions in general have the same
seven dimensions of religious faith.
1) Experiential
There is a revelation
of some sort –
normally to an
individual - that
brings the religion
into experience
This is the “faith experience” of the
individual receiving the experience
Moses and burning
bush
Buddha attaining
enlightenment under
the Bodhi Tree
Jesus after his baptism
This experience can be one of:
A) Experiencing God
as a profound
“other”
B) Experiencing inner
union with divine
reality – mysticism
2) Mythic (Sacred Story)
“Religion is not primarily a matter of
facts; it is a matter of meanings”
– Huston Smith
Religion is not trying to give
factual answers to
questions, but is trying to
address the meaning of
life’s joys and sufferings,
so as to allow human
beings to touch and
encounter true life,
eternal life, or
enlightenment.
Religion uses mythic language
To understand our
concrete reality.
“Myth is not factual,
but it is always
true.”
- Richard Rohr
Myth is often contained
in the sacred stories
of the religion.
The Bible
The Torah
The Koran
The Vedas
Myth lays out explanations for:
The way things came to
be
The nature of the
universe
The nature of human
beings
3) Doctrinal
Doctrine is about what
people believe.
It tries to make sense
and order out of the
experiences and
mythology of the
religion.
It is contained in creeds,
doctrines, etc.
Apostles Creed
Four Noble Truths
4) Ethical
Religious faiths devote much time to ethics:
How are we to live our lives?
Examples:
Beatitudes
Kosher laws
5) Ritual
Religion is to be
experienced… if there
is not sight and sound
it loses its credibility
Religion is often practiced in ritual
Ritual is a formal
practice, very
intentional in its
aspects, which
symbolizes, reenacts,
and sometimes
embodies the
religious mythology
and beliefs.
Sunday services
Going to Mecca once in a life time
Meditation
6) Social
Religion tends to be
social in organization.
It creates a sense of
community among the
people, and also
normally manifests
itself in some form of
leadership and
hierarchy.
Religion is also an empowering
force for people,
And often provides
many services to the
community
7) Material
Religion has always
inspired sacred
architecture, art, and
music, as well as
many other items that
remind one of the
religion.
Sacred Place
Whether human made
or natural, religions
are often associated
with sacred places
Some challenges
1) Why so many?
If there is one truth, one ultimate reality – is it not, by definition,
the same for everyone?
If this is so, can there be more than one true religion?
Are they saying basically the same
thing, just in different ways?
Is what religion you choose simply
your own personal choice?
It can often seem that
there is no real
answer to these
questions – or not
one that all people
can agree on!
“The final reason for
understanding another is
intrinsic – to enjoy the
wider angle the vision
affords.
Without two eyes –
binocular vision – there is
no awareness of space’s
third dimension. Until
sight converges from
more than one angle, the
world looks flat as a
postcard… the final
reward is the deepened
view of the world itself –
the panoramas that unroll
before us…”
Huston Smith
We will approach religions in two
ways:
1) Comparative methodology – as we study the
many, we can become clearer about what an
individual religion means.
2) We approach them from a place of empathy –
the capacity to see things from another’s
perspective.
“What a strange fellowship this is, the Godseekers in every land, lifting their voices in
the most disparate ways imaginable to the
God of all life. How does it sound from
above? Like bedlam, or do the strains
blend in strange, ethereal harmony? Does
one faith carry the lead, or do the parts
share in counterpoint and antiphony where
not in full-throated chorus?”
“We cannot know. All we can do is try to listen carefully
and with full attention to each voice in turn as it
addresses the divine.”