Religious Knowledge Systems
Religion
Dominant WOKs that are used in
this religion-consider examples
Justification of knowledge claims
Similarities:
Differences:
Sims
Diffs
1. Review 6 religions from this site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
2. Based on your comparisons, in what ways are religious knowledge claims justified?
3. Are there similarities or differences in how religions justify their claims? Explain.
4. Can knowledge be justified using more than one system? For example: How do you justify your belief system when living in
a place that may not share the same premises? Example: a Muslim living in a Hindu dominated society. Or, watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxmRCV82ip4.
5. Can religious knowledge be justified outside of its own framework?
6. Or, what if there are multiple, competing claims for truth made by different systems in one place? Like in a country in which
there are people with varied beliefs? Who do you believe and how do you justify those beliefs?
Examples: Imagine a society where you have Marxists, secularists, humanists, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus… living
together. Is tolerance of another belief sufficient? What are the criteria for defining these as true given this situation?
7. Is religious knowledge shared, or is it individual knowledge?
Things to include on your poster:
o Metaphysical beliefs
o Deities
o Spiritual Leaders
o Sacred Texts
o Prayers/Meditations
o Religious Events
o Sacred Spaces
o Social Structures
o Religion/Ethics
o Attitudes towards dissent
o Attitudes towards conversion