Humanities 2

RELIGION
The Study of Religion

 attempt to understand the various aspects of religion,

especially through the use of other intellectual disciplines
 No consensus among scholars concerning the best way
to study religion has developed
Various Ways to Study Religion
 Theology – Is one way in engaging in formal study of a
particular religious tradition;
 is the formal, systematic attempt to give a rational
explanation of the beliefs and practices of a religious
institution and of the religious experiences of its
adherents
The term theology originated from the Christian tradition
and is rooted in two Greek words, theos meaning “god”
and logos “word”
Religious studies – another way of engaging in an
academic study of religion and differ from theology in a
number of ways
Various Ways to Study Religion

Philosophy of religion – as the philosophical study of

nature and meaning of religion, consists in analyzing
religious concepts, beliefs, and practices of religious
adherents
Psychology of religion – attempts to explain religious
behavior by making use current theories in psychology
 Sociology of religion – describes religious phenomena in
terms of their function in human societies
 Religious anthropology – studies the cultural significance
of religious experiences, ideas, and institutions
Religion and Spirituality

 Were formerly linked

 Spirituality is a phenomenon related to religion.
 Spirituality can thus be understood as the human being’s
“capacity for self- transcendence in relation to the
Absolute” which involves in the search for meaning and
ultimate value of one’s life
Basic Components of Spirituality

 Prayer
 Striving to live out the ethical demands of the religious
tradition
 Active involvement in a community of believers
The Major World Religions

 Religions from India

 Religions from East Asia
 Religions from Middle East
Religions from India

 Hindu Dharma
 Buddhism
Hindu Dharma and Buddhism

 The oldest of the known religions

 Originated in the South Asian subcontinent of India
 India remains the home of Hindu Dharma
 Buddhism spread to other nations, like Cambodia, China
Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
Daoism and Confucianism

 Emerged in China
 Has some dispute whether they may be considered as
religions
 They are usually counted as such, because they have,
at times, developed certain religious aspects
Judaism

 Was the first to evolve among the religions that began in

the in the Middle East;
 Along with Christianity and Islam
 Adherents of these religions believe that God has
spoken and his words are contained in sacred texts
Understanding of Deity

 Monotheistic religions – believing in the existence of only

one supreme God
 Polytheistic – acknowledging the existence of a
multiplicity of deities
 Nontheistic – they do not make explicit mention of any
personal deity