Introduction To World Religions and Belief Systems
Introduction To World Religions and Belief Systems
Topics:
A. Introduction to Religions and Belief Systems
B. Religion, Spirituality, and Theology
Learning Objectives:
a) Identify the four dimensions of religion.
b) Describe the dimension religion.
c) Identify Religion, Spirituality and Theology.
d) Differentiate theology from philosophy of religion.
e) Differentiate spirituality from religion.
DISCUSSION
TOPIC 1
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Introduction
Religion is an important aspect of life and a significant sector of society. It serves as people’s
guide on how to live their lives and what to believe in terms of dealing with people and other creatures
in the world. There are different religions and belief systems in the world. Even though they differ in
elements, they all have a common direction to provide guidelines to help people achieve peace and
contentment while living in a challenging world.
In this lesson, we will define religion and discuss its development as a school of thought/sector
of society. We will discuss the relationship among religion, spirituality, theology, and philosophy
especially the interconnectedness of these concepts that enables religion to holistically contribute for
the benefit of the society and the people.
Words to Remember
Reverence – regard with deep respect, think highly of
Transformative – causes a big change to someone or something
Functional definitions, on the other hand, are based on “what religion does or how it functions
in society.” According to retired Church of Scotland minister and author Ronald Johnstone (2004),
religion is a “system of beliefs and practices by which a group of people interprets and responds to
what they feel is sacred and, usually, supernatural as well.” There are four elements in this definition a
collective phenomenon, that is, religion is associated with a group of people or an organization
following a common belief; related to the sacred and/or the supernatural, in which there are
figures, texts, places, and events that are regarded as sacred and important in the life of religious
group; involves a body of beliefs and moral prescriptions, which lists down a set of morals, ideals,
and practices that should be followed to demonstrate “religiousness” and faith; and follows a set of
practices, which includes prayers, traditions, and customs that set a certain religion unique and
distinct from others.
Dimensions of Religion
To make it easier to discuss religion in the context of social sciences, it is necessary to be
familiar with the four dimensions of religion: belief, ritual, spiritual experience, and unique forms of
community. These are elements that are present, in various levels and forms, in all religions. Thus, we
can use these dimensions or characteristics to compare and contrast religions and to highlight the
uniqueness of each religion.
In some literature, the four dimensions are referred to as the four functional modes. These consist of
intellectual (the formal statements of beliefs), existential (having the religious experience), ethical
(the moral code of conduct done through rituals), and the institutional (the community that promotes
and advocates for the beliefs). However, for easier discussion and better understanding, let’s keep on
using the “non-technical” terms for now.
Beliefs are ideas and values that guide (religious) members on how to understand the world. They
serve as the “standard” knowledge about religion taught by religious leaders like priests, imams, and
shamans. Religious beliefs are usually summarized in creeds, which outline the basic principles and
ideas of a religion like the Nicene Creed in Christianity.
Rituals are habitual activities or gestures that reinforce religious teachings. For example, prayers help
connect the people to a higher being. These determine what followers should do and how they should
behave to be able to please the Supreme Being and/or achieve a “sacred life.”
Spiritual experience pertains to the transformative experience of being connected to the Supreme
Being. In all religions, being able to “experience being/communicating with the supreme one (YHWH,
Allah, Brahma, etc.)” is the ultimate goal of religious followers. With this goal, it is a must that people
belonging to a certain religion should have faith in their beliefs, practice their rituals, and act according
to their teachings for them to experience the “ideal, peaceful, and contented life.”
Community in religion is also very important. Religions consist of people belonging to a social group
or an organization, with common beliefs, practices, and goals. This community follows a set of rules,
usually of moral conduct, to be able to demonstrate their unity in practicing their religion. Thus, a
religion supported and followed by more and more people becomes more prominent, more convincing,
and more established. Religions can be classified based on their size and influence in society or their
effect on spiritual beliefs and practices. Understanding the different religious organizations will help us
see and appreciate the connection between these religions and their relationship with society. See the
classifications of the religious organizations below:
In Philippine Context
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), or better known as the Aglipayan Church, is a
religion (technically, a Christian denomination) established in the Philippines during the colonial
periods. It was established in 1902 by the members of Union Obrera Democratica (UOD), the first
labor union organization in the country that was led by Isabelo delos Reyes, Sr., an ilustrado.
Fig. 3. Gregorio Aglipay, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo, and some officials of the Malolos (First) Republic of
the Philippines
The church was then headed by Gregorio Aglipay, the Vicario General Castrense or the
spiritual leader of President Aguinaldo’s Malolos Republic. Over the months, millions of Filipinos
joined the church, mostly members of the Philippine Revolution. With the motto “Pro Deo et Patria”
(For God and Country), IFI continued to realize its vision as a nationalist church that advocates for
peace and social justice.
Religion believes in something of a higher power, usually a supernatural being, practicing a set
of customs and traditions towards achieving an “ideal religious life.”
In social sciences, religion can be defined in two ways: substantive and functional.
Substantive definition focuses on determining the distinct characteristics of
religion that make it a unique aspect of society.
Functional definition focuses on what religion can do or how it works in a
society.
There are four dimensions of religion:
Beliefs
Rituals
Experiences
Community
Religion based on beliefs can be classified into monotheism (one god), polytheism (many
gods), atheism (no god), and animism (god is not in human form).
Religious organizations can be classified into churches (ecclesia or denomination), sects, and
cults.
Religion, Spirituality, and Theology
Introduction
As you have learned from the first lesson, no single definition of religion exists. While many
commonalities about its nature and purpose are evident, countless differences also exist. This variety
of views often leads to confusion and division. To establish clarity, some people use reason to answer
the riddle of religion. Others who feel alienated by it adopt a different approach to connect to the divine
or make sense of their purpose and existence.
In this lesson, we will look into fundamental concepts related to religion that attempt to explain
people’s search for meaning and connection to a higher power. These include the concept of
spirituality, which focuses on the ultimate value of life, and the disciplines of theology and philosophy
of religion, which systematically study different aspects of religion.
Words to Remember
etymology – the origin and development of a word
secularism – separation of religion from social and political affairs
transcendence – an experience beyond physical existence
Religion and Spirituality
In the previous lesson, we found out the definition of religion. Religion is defined as the belief
in a higher power, usually a supernatural one. One of its dimensions is spiritual experience, which is
the transformative experience of being connected to a supreme being. Based on these definitions, one
can say that the two concepts are deeply connected or that spirituality is an integral part of religion.
However, you will also hear some people make a distinction between the two when they say
they are "spiritual but not religious." What do they mean by that? How is spirituality different from
religion?
Nowadays, people make a clear distinction between religion and spirituality. Religion is
emphasized as a set of organized beliefs and rituals practiced by a group or community. In contrast,
spirituality is viewed as more of a personal practice to connect with the divine and search for life’s
meaning. For example, religion is how people abide by religious traditions, such as going to mass or
following the Ten Commandments; meanwhile, spirituality is an individual preference to express a
connection with a higher power, such as taking pilgrimages or practicing spiritual movements (e.g.,
yoga). The centrality of life in the concept of spirituality can be traced in its etymology. Spirituality and
its root word spirit came from the Latin word spiritus, which means “breath” or “life.” Sheldrake (2012)
and Watts (2017) noted that the related term spiritualis, which means “of the spirit,” was used i n early
Christianity to describe a spiritual person as “someone within whom the Spirit of God dwelt.” This was
a time when spirituality is intricately embedded and not clearly distinguished from religion. According
to Sheldrake (2012), the practice of spirituality within religious contexts is called religious spirituality.
This is in contrast to a newer form of spirituality called secular spirituality.
Secular spirituality is the practice of spirituality outside religion. The rise of secularism in the 20th
century helped form this approach. After experiencing world wars and sweeping social changes, many
people became doubtful of religion’s power to lead people in finding peace and meaning in life. In their
search for an alternative approach, people turned to spirituality. Spirituality quickly became an
integrative view of life on its own, forming ideas and beliefs about life and connections with others.
Social scientists view the separation of spirituality from religion as completely normal, especially when
viewed through the lens of the secularization theory. This theory asserts that religion loses social
relevance due to the rise of science and reason (Hill et al. 2000). Religious scholars, however, argue
that the separation between spirituality and religion is both inaccurate and problematic since all
spiritual beliefs, values, and practices originate from and are shaped by religious teachings (Sheldrake
2012)
Fig. 1. Transcendence is the experience beyond physical existence that is often achieved in ritualistic
prayers and meditation.
Despite the debate, the shift in perspective has led many people today, especially in Western
countries, to define themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Some of them continue to believe in a
god or identify themselves as members of a religion but refuse certain religious dictates or rituals. For
them, a relationship with a higher being must not be controlled by a book, a religious leader, or a
practice. As an example, they continue to be prayerful but do not see the point of attending religious
services. They view religion as a public display of relating to God while spirituality is the private and
personalized form of it (Cline 2019). A group of people who consider themselves “spiritual but not
religious” have a more radical view i n the sense that they completely reject traditional religion or the
idea of god. Nonetheless, they experience spirituality and transcendence by accessing a higher state
of mind through meditation or by feeling a sense of connection with the rest of humanity and nature
(Scott 2020).
Philosophy of religion deals with all aspects of religion; however, as a branch of philosophy, it
strictly and critically examines religion using logic and reason. Anything that does not satisfy the rules
of human understanding is considered a flaw. Although philosophers of religion do not hesitate to
make criticisms, it does not necessarily mean that their goal is to disprove religious ideas. Oftentimes,
their purpose is simply to evaluate how reasonable those ideas are. Also, philosophy of religion is not
exclusive to critics. Anyone may philosophize or reflect on a religious question. This is different from
theology, where ideas in question are explained within the religious convictions of the theologian.
Also, unlike theology, methods of philosophy of religion are applicable to examining all kinds of
religions, whether or not they have a god (or gods). In that sense, philosophy of religion is broader
than theology.
In Philippine Context
Several psychosocial factors have a positive significance on the spirituality and religiosity of
Filipino youth, and two of them are organizational involvement and parental closeness. This was the
result of a study by Baring et al. (2015) involving 3,000 students, aged 17–24, in a private sectarian
university in Manila. The study regarded spirituality and religiosity as interrelated concepts. They refer
to "feelings and behaviors involved in the search of the sacred, which occurs both within and outside
of organized religion.”
Participation in youth organizations, in- and off-campus, is found to increase religiosity and
spirituality among students since it fosters a commitment to moral action. The close parental
attachment also has a positive correlation because of the support and guidance it entails. Gender and
religious affiliation are also significant factors as women are two times more likely to be religious than
men, and non-Catholic students are twice more expressive of their religiosity than Catholic students.
All in all, however, the rate of students who identify themselves as religious is only at 54 percent. This
is low compared to the 86 percent rating recorded by Sandoval et al. in 1998 and the 85 percent rating
documented by the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines in 2013. The study said that the
sharp decline is due to older adolescents shunning traditional religion and viewing God more as a
spiritual force rather than a personal being. Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, sociology of religion expert from
Ateneo de Manila University, disagrees with labeling any drop i n religiosity rating as a
decline. However, he agrees that many Catholic youths indeed turn to reflexive spirituality, which is
the process of rethinking religion to make it personally meaningful.
Both religion and spirituality aim to uncover the ultimate truth and meaning of life. Religion
accomplishes this through the guidance of a belief system, usually practiced by a community.
Spirituality is a personal approach to connect with the divine, often helping the person to form
an integrative view of life.
JONEL P. HORCA, LPT NOIME S. SEÑO, LPT JERALDAINE M. CLAVERIA, LPT, MAED
Grade 11 TVL- Programming, Senior High School Coordinator School Principal
Adviser
Date: Date: Date:
References:Introduction to World Religion First Edition 2020, Self Learning Modules - DepEd.
ACTIVITY
Activity 1: Identification. Identify whether the word or phrase in each item belongs to the belief,
ritual, experience, or community dimension of religion.
_________________________ 1 . simbang-gabi
_________________________ 2 . apparition of a supernatural being
_________________________ 3. Holy Trinity
_________________________ 4 . Torah
_________________________ 5 . caliphate
_________________________ 6 . achieving the life of Buddha
_________________________ 7 . baptism
_________________________ 8 . Allah
_________________________ 9. creed
________________________ 1 0. Temple
Activity 2: Answer the following.
1. Pick one religion that you know of and describe its dimensions.
Beliefs
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Rituals
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Spiritual Experience
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Community
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. How does religion affect society?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. How will you define a “good” religion?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity 3 :Identification. Identify the concept described by each statement. Choose the correct
answer from the box below.
EVALUATION