World Religions
Humankind’s Search for
God
The Big Question
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What is the link
between a golden
temple in India and a
huge red rock in
central Australia?
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What does a totem pole in British Columbia have
in common with a stone circle in the south of
England?
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Why do millions of people every year journey
to a church in Rome, a wall in Jerusalem, a
river in India, and a black cube in Mecca?
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What theme do countless songwriters turn to
when they need a song that will connect with
millions of people?
Bon Jovi: ‘Livin on a Prayer’
U2: ‘If God will send His Angels’
Led Zeppelin: ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Beach Boys: ‘God only Knows’
George Harrison: ‘My Sweet Lord’
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m
Looking For - From U2’s The Joshua Tree
I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
I believe in the kingdom come
When all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
???
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The answer to all of these questions involves
one word – religion, a phenomenon common to
all people in all times.
According to the dictionary, religion
involves "belief in and reverence for a
supernatural power or powers regarded as
creator and governor of the universe."
It is "a personal or institutionalized system
grounded in such belief and worship.”
Simply put, all religions celebrate a sense of
the sacred in life.
Origins of Religion
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Religion is as old as
humankind. Since the
beginning, human beings
have looked to powers
outside of themselves for
protection and reassurance.
These beliefs predate the
written word, so we must
look to archaeological finds
for evidence of these ancient
religious beliefs. Of course,
we cannot know exactly
what these beliefs were, but
we can theorize.
Examples:
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Neanderthal Man (60,000 BC)
• Burial sites with animal antlers on the body
and flower fragments next to the corpse.
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Cro-Magnon Man (35,000-10,000 BC)
• Buried with food, shells, necklaces of deer
•
teeth, fine skin clothes, and good tools.
Dead also covered in red earth to look like
newborns. Good indication that they believed
in rebirth after death – an afterlife.
Religions Throughout History
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Every culture throughout
history has had their own
religion and their own rituals
of worship.
Some of these religions such as those of the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks and
Romans, as well as those of
the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs
- are no longer practiced, but
are remembered through their
architecture (temples,
pyramids, etc.) and their
literature (mythology).
Religions Today
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Other religions such as Hinduism,
Judaism, Buddhism,
Christianity, and
Islam, started
thousands of years
ago and continue to
be vibrant and
relevant in our world
today.
What Characterizes a Religion?
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Most scholars agree that every religion
has the same three basic elements:
creed, cult, and code (sometimes
referred to as word, worship, and works).
Others will add two more to the list: canon
and community.
On the following slides, we will consider
what these words mean.
Creed (word)
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Refers to the theological beliefs of a religion. A creed is a
set of truths that MUST be accepted and assented to by
those who wish to belong to a given group or to be a
follower or disciple. Briefly, a creed is no more than a
"summary" of the principle beliefs of a religion.
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What do we call our principle creeds in Christianity?
Cult (worship)
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Refers to the way of
worshipping, to the
rituals that are
practiced by
followers of the
religion. This is often
a difficult element to
describe, because it
involves so many
diverse elements.
Code (works)
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Refers to the ethical values and the system of moral
practice directly resulting from an adherence to the beliefs
or CREED. It is a set of moral principles and guidelines
that must be respected and followed by those who would
be identified as members of the religion. A code, when
used in a religious sense, is simply a summary of the
principles and guidelines by which people choose which
actions are good, and which to be avoided.
These three elements (Creed, Cult, and
Code) fulfill the three parts of the human
soul: thought, feelings and action; mind,
sensibilities and will; the intellectual, the
aesthetic and the moral.
Canon
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Refers to the scriptures, or holy writings
of a religion. Generally, the CREED is
grounded within, these writings.
Community
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is the organization within the religion
which is designed to help the members
observe the beliefs.
The Nature of Religious Tradition
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Most religions try to answer the same
fundamental questions.
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Most religions have a
number of basic elements
such as doctrines,
sacred stories, and rituals.
Fundamental Questions
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Not everyone chooses to
answer fundamental religious
questions by adhering to religious
traditions.
Some people understand themselves to
be ‘spiritual,’ but do not consider
themselves ‘religious.’
Question 1
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Are we good by nature, or are we evil?
Question 2
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Why do we suffer?
Question 3
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What is salvation?
Question 4
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How do we overcome the limitations of
the human condition?
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Question 5
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What is our destiny, why are we here?
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Question 6
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What is right, what is wrong?
Question 7
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What is the nature of the world?
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Question 8
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Is there a God?
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Studying World Religions
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Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Sikhism
Confucianism
Baha’i
Taoism
Zen Buddhism
Shinto
Judaism
Islam
North American Lakota
Scientology
Jehovah’s Witness
Mormonism
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