Religion
• Religion is can mean many different things to
different people.
• “Religion is the belief in an ever living God, that
is, in a Divine Mind and Will ruling the Universe
and holding moral relations with mankind” James
Martineau
• “Religion is the recognition that all things are
manifestations of a Power which transcends our
knowledge” Herbert Spencer
• May best be described as an emotion resting on a
conviction of a harmony between ourselves and
the universe at large” J.M.E. McTaggart
Characteristic Features of Religion
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Belief in supernatural beings(Gods).
Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
A moral code believed to be sanctioned by
the gods.
Characteristically religious feelings(awe,
sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration),
which tend to be aroused in the presence of
sacred objects and during the practice of
ritual and which are connected with the idea
of gods.
Prayer and other forms of communication
with gods.
A more or less total organization of one’s life
based on the world view.
A world view, or a general picture of the
world as a wholes and the place of individual
therein.
The overall purpose of or point of the world
and how an individual fits into it.
A social group bound together by the above.
Purpose of Religion
• Religion is a culture
universal.
• Answers questions to the
unknown.
• Provides a code of ethics.
• Maintains order and unity.
• To comfort in times of
tragedy.
Types Of Religions
• Universal Religion(Global):
Attempt to appeal to all people,
not just to those of one culture or
location.
• 3 major Universalizing religions:
Christianity, Buddhism and
Islam.
• Ethnic Religion(Cultural): Based
on physical characteristics of a
particular place, and therefore
limited in its appeal.
• Example: Hinduism
• Tribal(Traditional) Religions:
Localized religion in which a
small group determines what is
sacred.
• Example: Animism
Geographic Distribution of
Religion Worldwide
Ethnic and Traditional Religions
• Attached to a certain location and thus harder to
transmit to people elsewhere in the world.
• May change if the social, economic and physical
conditions of a homeland change.
• Ethnic religions include, Hinduism, the largest,
Judaism, Confucianism , Daoism (Taoism), or
Shintoism.
• There are also other smaller African traditional
religions or tribal(traditional) religions.
Shamanism is also a tribal religion.
Tribal Religions: Animism
• Animism: The original
human religion.
• Defined as the belief in
the existence of spiritual
beings.
• dates back to the earliest
humans.
• Characteristics of
aboriginal and native
cultures, can be practiced
by anyone.
• Believe all living beings
have a soul.
Beliefs on Animism
• Animistic Gods are often
immortalized by mythology
explaining the creation of
fire, wind, water, man,
animals and other natural
earthly things.
• Each sect of animism varies,
but there are similarities
between gods, goddesses, and
rituals.
• There are holy men or
women, visions, trancing ,
dancing, sacred items, sacred
places for worship and the
connection felt to the spirits
of the ancestors.
Origins of Judaism
• Grew out of Semitic tribes living in SW Asia (Middle East) in 2000 BC.
• Abraham the father of Judaism migrated from present day Iraq to Canaantribal leader of the Hebrews when God intervenes.
• Moses led the enslaved Jews from Egypt to Canaan.
• Each of the twelve sons and grandsons of Jacob were granted a piece of
Canaan.
• After internal strife and being conquered only Israel and Judah lastedIsrael (another word for Jacob), was wiped out and Judah remained.
Distribution of Judaism
• The distribution of Judaism is unlike
any other ethnic religions as a result of
forced and voluntary migration.
• 70 AD the Romans forces them to
disperse throughout the world-this
became known as the Diaspora.
• Exiled from their homeland and
attempted genocide of the Nazis.
• As a result of the Holocaust the Jews
were granted the homeland of Israel—
the root of much conflict today (ArabIsraeli Crisis).
• 6 million in the United States, million
in Israel, 2 million in Russia.
• Zionism: A movement of Jewish
people to move back to the homeland.
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Basic Beliefs of Judaism
• First religion based on ethics
and what is right and wrong.
• Ten Commandments given to
Moses on Mount Sinai. HO
• Monotheistic, based upon the
Torah or the Old Testament.
• Teacher of Judaism: Rabbi
• Place of worship: Synagogue.
• Holidays: Hanukkah a
celebration lights—trapped in
a synagogue represented by
the light.
-Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish
New Year.
-Yom Kippur: Day of atonement.
Three Branches of Judaism
• Orthodox: Traditionalist who
observer most of the traditional
dietary and ceremonial laws of
Judaism.
• Conservative: Do not hold to the
importance of the Jewish political
state, but more emphasis on the
historic and religious aspects of
Judaism, between Orthodox and
Reform.
• Reform: The liberal wing of
Judaism, culture and race orientated
with little consensus on doctrinal or
religious belief.
Origins of Hinduism
• The oldest and most
complex of all religions.
• No specific founder.
• Originated in the religious
practices of Aryan tribes
who moved to India from
central Asia.
• Aryans attack the
Harappan people in
1500BC and combined the
polytheism of the Aryans
with the sanctity of
fertility of the Harappans.
• Aryans soon dominated.
Distribution of Hinduism
Beliefs Of Hinduism
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Based on the idea of
reincarnation.
Souls go up and down an infinite
hierarchy depending on the
behaviors practiced in life within
the caste system.
The caste system includes:
Brahmins(priests)
Kshatriyas(soldiers)
Vaishyas: merchants, farmers,
craftspeople.
Sudra: Peasants and unskilled
laborers.
Harijahns: “untouchables”, those
thought to be descended from
Harappan aboriginal people.
Beliefs and Characteristics of Hinduism
• The goal is the reach brahman
(or the ultimate reality), finding
morality and reaching Nirvana.
• Nirvana is the peaceful escape
from the cycle of reincarnation.
• Based on Karma: culminating
value of one’s life based upon
good/bad actions.
• Religious documents: Vedas:
religious writings,
Upanishads:sacred teachings,
the Gita.
• Place of worship: Temple
• Holidays: Diwali, Holi
Confucianism
• Kong Fu Tzu: Pronounced
Confucius was born in
551BC (Chou Dynasty)
• Wandered through states
of China giving advice to
rulers.
• His writings deal with
morality and ethics and
proper exercise of political
power by the rulers.
Beliefs of Confucianism
• Li: includes ritual and
etiquette.
• Hsia: Love within the
family.
• Yi: righteousness.
• Xin: Honesty and
trustworthiness.
• Jen: humaneness towards
others. *highest Confucius
virtue.
• Chung: Loyalty to the
state.
Connection of Confucianism and the Chinese Notion of An
Empire
• The Mandate of Heaven
establishes the sacred
character of the emperor
who is the “son of
Heaven”
• The Mandate of Heaven
reflects the notion of
universally kingship:
emperor rules all under
Heaven
• Emperor mediates
between the realm of
humans and heaven and
his virtue ensures proper
harmony.
Practices of Confucianism
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Bases on an ethical system to which
rituals at important times in people’s
lives were added.
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Four life passages:
1. birth (T’ai-shen): protects a pregnant
woman.
2. reaching maturity: Group meal in
which the adult is served chicken.
3. marriage: Performed in six stages
dealing with the proposal, engagement,
dowry, procession, marriage, morning
after.
4. death: relatives cry aloud to inform
neighbors and the burial is performed
by a Taoist Priest, a Buddhist or a
Christian Minister
Sacred Texts: Si Shu or four books
describing different aspects of
Confucianism and expected behavior..
Taoism or Daoism
• Lao Tzu or Tao Te Ching: 6th
century BC
• Contemporary of Confucius.
• The message is based on the
workings of the Tao.
• Chuang Tzu: 3rd Century BC
• Author of “Inner Chapters”
• Slightly related to Lao Tzu
• Recommends disengagement
from the world.
Basic Concepts of Taoism
• The Tao(Way): the Way to
follow to maintain or
reestablish order.
• TE (Virtue): denotes the
unity of virtue and power.
• Wu-Wei (non-action, noninterference): acting
naturally without
conscious effort.
• Tzu-jan(the what is such
out of itself): what is what
it is as itself.
Geographic Distribution of Universal
Religions
• The three hearths of
the Universal
religions is in Asia.
• All Christianity and
Islam in the Middle
East (Southwest
Asia).
• Buddhism in South
Asia.
Universal religions
• Each of the three
universalizing religions are
monotheistic, or believe in
one God.
• Each are divided into
branches,denomination and
sects.
• A branch is a large and
fundamental division within a
religion.
• A denomination is a division
within a branch.
• A sect is a relatively small
denominational group that
has broken away from and
established church.
• The largest the
universalizing
religions.
• Dominant in
the Americas,
Europe,
Australia and
some African
and Asian
countries(The
dark green
represents
Christianity).
Christianity
There are many different
branches, denominations and
sects of Christianity.
Christianity
1054
Splits
Roman Catholicism
Orthodox Patriach
Origins of Christianity
• Based on the teachings of Jesus
Christ, born in Bethlehem
between 8 and 4 BC
• Died in Jerusalem about 30 AD
• Raised as a Jew.
• With his disciples preached the
coming of the Kingdom of God.
• The four Gospels: sections of the
Christian Bible-Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John documented the
miracles of Jesus.
• He was referred to as the
messiah, or anointed one.
• Jesus then was betrayed and died
by crucifixion.
Expansion and Diffusion of
Christianity
• Recorded since the time of Jesus.
• Expanded by European colonialism:
-Spain invaded Middle and South
America bringing the Catholic faith
-Protestant refugees came to North
America to get away.
• Diffused from its’ from oppression
and conflict hearth Palestine through
relocation diffusion—missionaries
who brought Catholicism to parts of
Africa and Christianity to British
India.
• The Philippines as a result of Spanish
control.
Basic
Beliefs
• Belief in the Bible, Old
and New Testament.
• One God in 3 persons,
Father, Son and the Holy
Spirit.
• Ten Commandments
• Major Holidays: Ash
Wednesday, Palm Sunday,
Christmas & Easter
• Place of worship: Church
• Religious Leader: Priest
Origins of Islam
• Islam in the youngest yet fastestgrowing religions.
• Traced back to one God (Allah) and
Muhammad(570-632 AD) is the
major Prophet of Islam.
• Other Prophets include Jesus, David,
Moses, and Abraham.
• Mecca is the town of Muhammad’s
birth.
• Muhammad emigrated to Medina
from Mecca in 622 AD where the
Muslim community was established.
• Allah revealed his word to
Muhammad through the
Koran(Qu’ran) the Muslim Holy
Book.
Sects of Islam: Sunni and Shiite
• Sunni: 87% of all
Muslims.
• Shiite: Believes
relatives of
Muhammad had
insight into Koran.
• Example: Ayatollah
Khomeini of Iran—
religious title.
Basic Beliefs of Islam
• Five Pillars of Islam:
-The witness (shahada): there
is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his prophet.
-The Prayer (salat): prayer
performed five times a day
facing Mecca.
-Alms-giving(zakat): giving
money to the poor.
-Fasting: during daylight in
the month of Ramadan.
-Pilgrimage(hajj): Visit
Mecca once in a lifetime if
financially able.
Islam continued…
• Mullah: Islamic
teacher.
• Place of worship:
Mosque
• Holidays: Ramadan
fasting of respect
for the poor,
Eid:celebration
after the
completion of
Ramadan
Origins of Buddhism
• Siddhartha Gautama (563483 BC)—the Buddha
‘enlightened one’.
• Born in what is now
present day Nepal.
• Was a Hindu who thought
that there should be no
suffering and could not
understand it.
• Through meditation and
fasting Siddhartha
(Buddha), came up with
the Four Noble Truths
Types of Buddhism
• Hinayana(Lesser Vehicle),
known as the Theravada-exists
in Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Mahayana(Great Vehicle):
Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and
North Vietnam. Mahayana:
prevalent in Tibet. (Dali Lama).
• Vajrayana(Diamond Vehicle):
strong rituals, similar to
Mahayana Buddhism
• Zen: developed in China and
transmitted to Korea and Japan’an awakening’.
Spread of Buddhism: Light
Green
Four Noble Truths: Arya
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The Truth of Suffering or Misery:
(Duhkhasatya): That life is
suffering, including birth disease
old age and death.
The Truth of Cause
(Samudayasatya): that suffering is
caused by desire and by ignorance.
The truth of
Cessation(Nirodhasatya): that
suffering can be ended if its causes
desire and ignorance are removed.
The Truth of the Way
(Margasatya): the Middle Way
between the extremes of asceticism
and indulgence or the Eightfold
Way. HO
Buddhism
• Buddhist attempt to
achieve Nirvana by
following the Eightfold
Path.
• Buddha was unique and
there will not be another
for thousands of years.
• Nirvana is beyond
understanding and
rationale.
• There are arhats or
Buddhist saints.
• Buddhist teacher: Monk