9 aspects of religion Flashcards
(12 cards)
Beliefs
“The beliefs of any religion are the ideas held about ultimate reality and the meaning of human existence, such as the purpose of all life and notions of the afterlife”
→ Religious ideas (convictions/ concepts) considered true about ultimate reality (the nature of the divine) and the relationship to the cosmos and human beings (the meaning and purpose of existence)
→ Backbone of the religion
→ Distinctive identity of the religion
→ Differentiate one religion/ denomination from another. (may interpret the beliefs differently)
→ Frame of reference to to interpret/ understand the world/ the mystery and complexity of human existence
→ Give meaning and purpose to life
→ Derive ethical principles and moral values from beliefs. Live a meaningful, an ethical life
→ Shape personal identity in terms of developing a sense of who we understand ourselves to be
→ Shape community identity, connectedness, unites adherents
→ Provide comfort, hope, strength, security
→ Nothing physical about beliefs
→ ideas are sacred and well developed
E.g God’s omnipotence, benevolence, in the covenant between man and Gods, Creator God, Lawmaker
Sacred Stories
→ Traditional narratives which relate believed truths about the origins of the religion, its key moments, key figures, connection to ultimate reality.
→ Can be written, oral, artistic.
→ Passed through generations
→ Reflect or communicate religious beliefs
→ Help to highlight key moments and figures in religious history
E.g Legends, myths, parables (exodus of Jewish people out of Egypt, story of creation)
Often told in imaginative detail. Usually found within texts
Symbols
→ Representation of the sacred
→ A traditional mark, object, person (Rabbi), place, word or gesture
→ Represents some reality, truth or meaning beyond itself.
→ Visual statements of beliefs
E.g Magen David, Mezuzah
Social Structures
→ The way in which a religious tradition is organised
→ Social model of the religious community
→ Way people are organised to practice the religious tradition
→ Social Hierarchy
→ People with certain sacred functions, and the way in which people are organised to practice religious traditions
→ Allow to function efficiently
→ Roles and responsibility
→ Any organisation
→ Exhibit how a religious tradition is organised and creates a sense of union and a way to incorporate religion into modern life
→ The social roles/responsibilities have sacred functions and authority. In some religions the social structure is egalitarian and some are specific to men or women.
→ Examples Leadership (often hierarchical), people with certain authority/roles/sacred functions, established how membership is gained, maintained or lost, and how communication is conducted within the tradition and to those outside the tradition, the wider society
E.g Rabbi, Chazzan, Cohanim, Israel
E.g Hospitals, Charrities, Schools, Sport clubs etc
Spiritual experiences
→ An event, occasion or period during which a member of a religious tradition undergoes a heightened awareness of their understanding of beliefs or teachings.
→ Transformational experience, beyond ordinary - deep engagement
→ A powerful emotion is stirred affecting beliefs and practises
→ “ A powerful emotion or insight is stirring, affecting the understanding and or/ commitment to…. Bringing one closer to… delineation between mere adherence to a traditio and having an active faith in the tradition”
→ An encounter with the transcendent, feel the presence
→ The spiritual experience nurtures the faith of the individual and the religious community
→ Belief is made stronger because evidence of God’s existence
→ Negative or Positive
→ Spontaneous or deliberate
→ Subjective experience
E.g Most obvious in prayer, connection to God in Bar Mitzvah
Rituals
→ Actions which follow a set pattern
→ Sanctioned by a religious tradition and through which some sacred purpose is achieved by relating the earthly to the ultimate reality/divine.
→ Deliberate and repeatable patterns of behaviour
→ Ordered sequence of actions
→ To connect to ultimate reality
→ Acts of holiness, religious or solemn ceremonies/rites that have a serious of activities including actions, gestures, words, singing, and objects (including apparel)
→ Done in prescribed order, often in special places or spaces
→ Individual or communal
→ Enhance spirituality
→ Abstract details of religion and making them concrete
→ Can be done only at set places ie: western wall
→ Demonstrates a strong commitment to the religion
→ Rites of passage have rituals - birth, coming of age, wedding
E.g prayers, going to the mirkeh, washing hands
Texts
→ Literature (oral or written) that contains the beliefs, history, stories and laws of the religious tradition
→ Can be of divine authorship/inspiration - sacred
→ Can be compilations of literature - composed over time
→ Sources can be used for each other
→ May derive authority from a divine origin or inspiration
→ Can be written, oral, artistic
→ Treated with great respect
→ Could be a creed: A formal/authoritative statement of beliefs that an adherent must believe in to be considered a member of the religious tradition
→ No other text can argue with the foundational text ie: torah
→ Can have secondary text such as mishnah
Eg. 10 commandments, Torah, Mishnah
Ethics
→ Ethical principles determined by the religion
→ Informal moral judgements and govern ideal behaviour
→ The rules, laws, norms, principles, values by which the religious tradition binds its adherents in the practice of the religious tradition
→ Ethics is the study of decision making about what is right and wrong
→ How to be a member of society
→ Religious ethics - code of approved moral conduct
→ May be divine in origin
→ Visionary ideals offer a picture of a perfect world from which all morality, laws and duties about what adherents ought to do can be derived.
→ They are needed within a religion to make time and remind individuals to act morally
→ The rules by which the religious tradition binds its adherents in the practice of the religious tradition
→ Ethics may be oral or written
→ It is a legal framework of a religion and the visionary ideals from the perspective of that religion
Eg Pikuach nefesh, don’t stand idly by, don’t murder - ten commandments
Places
“Refers to location for worship or spiritual engagement, such as Rome, Mecca, Jerusalem, Lourdes, caveman, stone circles, rivers, mountains, temples, churches, synagogues, mosques”
→ Has a spiritual quality
→ Particular site
→ Important event took place
→ Sacred encounter with ultimate reality
→ Demarcated in some way rock art, carvings, building, artifacts, ruins, ruins, resting places of bodies of spiritual leaders
→ Believes try and visit - Adherents demonstrate commitment - strengthen faith.
→ specific location - set aside for religious practice
E.g shule, Israel, Church, where I go
Spaces
“Focus areas for worship or spiritual experience.. Such as shrines and altars and alcoves containing symbolic artifacts or healing or restorative powers. Spaces may also be where particular rituals are performed or individuals worship. There may be many such spaces with a place”
→ May be found within a places
→ Set areas used for sacred purposes (where one may experience the sacred and show commitment)
→ contained within places
E.g Kotel, Where I pray
Times
“Refers to those periods that are set for annual, monthly, weekly, or daily recognition of and participation in a particular spiritual experience within a religious tradition. Such may engage the whole membership of the religion or a special group or, under the auspices of the religious tradition, be personal”
→ Origination of time - periods that are set for participation in the practice of the religion
→ These may be daily, monthly, weekly, annually, Link to reason, moon cycle, year, significant historical event, memory, agricultural cycle
E.g Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Passover, When I pray
Artifacts
“Refers to human made objects and works that carry varying degrees of spiritual significance within a religion. Not all artifacts related to a religion hold such spiritual significance. For example, the artifacts that are produced for sale to publicise and commemorate visits of religion leaders or pilgrimage experiences”
→ Decorative features, reproduction of a symbol, theological symbolism, statue, prayer item, scrolls
→ Artistic expression/representation of metaphorical reality or thought
E.g Help me pray
