CONFUCIANISM
• With no CLERGY or GODS - Confucianism is not a religion
in the TRADITIONAL sense
• ETHICAL system provides direction for personal behavior
• Practiced mostly in CHINA – about 6.3 million followers
• Based on the teachings of Chinese scholar CONFUCIUS
• Confucius (551–479 BC)- teacher, editor, politician, and
philosopher
• Born at a time of CRISIS and VIOLENCE in China
• Hoped his beliefs and teachings would restore order to
society
CONFUCIUS
• Philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and
governmental morality - correctness of social
relationships -justice and sincerity
• Confucius's principles - based on common Chinese
tradition and belief
• Believed in: strong family loyalty - ancestor worship respect of elders by their children and of husbands by
their wives
• His principle "Do not do to others what you do not
want done to yourself", an early version of the
Golden Rule
FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS
• Confucius believed order, harmony, good government could
be restored if society were organized around the:
FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS
• 1. RULER - SUBJECT
• 2. FATHER - SON
• 3. HUSBAND - WIFE
• 4. OLDER BROTHER – YOUNGER BROTHER
• 5. FRIEND - FRIEND
FIVE KEY RELATIONSHIPS
• Except for FRIENDSHIPS – none of the
relationships were EQUAL
• OLDER superior to YOUNGER
• MEN superior to WOMEN
{Were not supposed to take
advantage of position but serve as a
guide or role model}
FILIAL PIETY
• FILIAL PIETY is respect for one's parents and
ancestors:
*to be good and take care of parents
*show love, respect, courtesy and support
*display sorrow for their sickness and death
• Filial Piety emphasized in Confucianism because
devotion to one's parents was associated with one's
devotion to the state; it also meant honoring their
parents’ memories after death
ANALECTS
• ANALECTS: the collection of writings, sayings
and ideas of Confucius
SHINTO
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SHINTO is the traditional religion of JAPAN
Shinto means “WAY OF THE GODS”
About 4 Million people practice Shinto
Shinto – based on respect for forces of NATURE and
ANCESTOR worship
• Shinto is sometimes seen more as a way of life
rather than a religion by the Japanese due to its long
historical and cultural significance
KAMI
• KAMI – divine spirits in NATURE - KAMI thought to control
powerful forces of nature
• KAMI are worshipped in the religion of Shinto - they are elements
in nature, animals, as well as SPIRITS of the deceased
• Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans,
and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were
able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life
{Traditionally great or charismatic leaders like the Emperor could
be kami}
• In Shinto - Kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature,
possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics
KAMI
• Believers respected the Kami and tried
to win their favor through prayer and
offerings. The shared beliefs of the
followers of Shinto eventually helped
unite all of Japan.
SHINTO-BUDDHISM
• BUDDHISM was introduced to Japan from KOREA in the 6th
Century
• Some Buddhist rituals became Shinto rituals and some
Shinto traditions were practiced in Buddhist temples.
• Most “LIFE" events are handled by Shinto and “DEATH" or
"afterlife" events are handled by Buddhism
{*Example: it is typical in Japan to celebrate a birth at a Shinto shrine
while funeral arrangements are generally dictated by Buddhist
tradition}
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgQ4eCc38dM
ANIMISM
• Traditional African people developed belief
systems that helped them understand and
organize information about their world.
• Nearly all religions involved a belief in one
creator or god.
• They also included elements of Animism
ANIMISM
• Animism is not a SPECIFIC religion but more of a
term to describe TRADITIONAL religious beliefs
• Animism is the belief that there is no separation
between the SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL (or material)
world
• Souls or Spirits exist, not only in humans, but also in
all other animals, plants, and other natural forces.
• Animism believes spirits of deceased ANCESTORS
can have a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE effect on life