World Religions
The Seven Dimensions of Religion
The Seven Dimensions of
Religion by Ninian Smart
O Experiential and Emotional
O Narrative or Mythic
O Practical and Ritual
O Doctrinal and Philosophical
O Ethical and Legal
O Social and Institutional
O Material
1. Experiential and Emotional
O People experience an emotional reaction to
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something which they believe is life changing or
profound
A focus on the subjective and emotional; what goes
on inside the person
Aims to address what it means to “feel the presence
of God”
Religious experiences allow us to move beyond
everyday, ordinary experiences to new, extraordinary
levels of consciousness
Religion helps humans to make sense of their lives
by inspiring (and answering) the “big questions”
(human condition, spiritual perfection, identity,
purpose, etc.)
1. Experiential and Emotional
O Religion begins with the religious
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experience of individuals
Buddhism  Prince Gautama experienced
enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and
became the first Buddha
Islam  Muhammad experienced
revelations from Allah
Judaism  Abram received contact with
God
Some religions are not so obvious
1. Experiential and Emotional
How People Can Experience Religion:
O Faith – a person does not have to believe
in specific doctrines but can just have
faith in God
O Mysticism – a person becomes one with
the divine through inward contemplation
O Vision Quest – is a primal religious
practical mystical experience
1. Experiential and Emotional
O Generally speaking, within the theistic
religions, God is experienced as a holy
presence who is ‘other’. This presence
evokes both fear and fascination.
O Pantheism is another way in which an
individual may experience religion – the
belief that God is in all.
O In non-theistic religions, religious
experience usually takes the form of
mysticism.
1. Experiential and Emotional
Abram (Judaism)
Muhammad
(Islam)
Prince Gautama
(Buddhism)
2. Narrative or Mythic
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Myths are often perceived as
falsehoods
They convey important truths in a
religious context
They are non-historical and nonrational but are sources of sacred
truth (therefore, myths are powerful
and give meaning to life)
They are sacred stories passed
along orally and commonly tell of
the origins of humans and the world
They are important because they
help guide human behaviour within
a faith community
The story of Creation in the
Book of Genesis
3. Practical and Ritual
O A formal practice that re-
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enacts a myth or sacred
story
Symbolic actions
(combining words with
actions)
A form of worship
The Eucharist re-enacts
the Last Supper
The Hajj re-enacts
Muhammad’s return to
Mecca
3. Practical and Ritual
O Also includes: prayer, gatherings, rites of
passage
O Rituals are:
O sacramental
O per formative
O repetitive
O social
4. Doctrinal and Philosophical
O The belief aspect of religions
O Belief in creeds, doctrines or teachings
O Are derived from myths and originate
from lived religious experiences
O Are often recorded in sacred texts &
scriptures, and serve as foundations
O Catholics have the Apostles’ Creed, the
doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and the
Paschal mystery
4. Doctrinal and Philosophical
O Explain the ideas behind a religion
O Determine what is acceptable and
unacceptable (included and excluded) from
religion
O Sometimes the cause of violent conflict
between religions
5. Ethical and Legal
O Religion shows attention toward ethics
O Ethics – moral principles that govern
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behaviour (moral correctness)
How we act while living in the world
Includes sets of teachings that respond to
this question
Links belief with action
Includes obligations and responsibilities
Example: Ten Commandments and The
Golden Rule
6. Social and Institutional
O Religious experience moves beyond
personal experience; becomes a social
experience (creation of religious
communities)
O The shared experience of community
empowers individuals and results in
organizations of hierarchy of leaders
O Means belonging to a group, tribe, parish,
or congregation
6. Social and Institutional
O It is through the social dimension that one
learns a great deal about religion
(relationships help one to connect and share
their experience in a powerful and
meaningful way)
O Examples: Sangha (first community of
Buddhist monks and nuns); Synagogue
(Jewish community); Church (Christian
community); Ummah (Islamic community)
7. Material
O Can include sacred
architecture,
books, music, art,
symbols, places,
and nature
O The Bible,
cathedrals, rivers,
statues
O The Ganges for
Hindus