This course is about Religion Why study religion?
Religion is everywhere!
The influence of religion is inescapable Religion is one of the most significant efforts to answer the most profound questions of human existence
Awe and wonder about the BIG questions of life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eshagiri Rao
Studying the world s major religions will help facilitate one s own religious quest Some other beneficial reasons for studying the world religions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
Each of of the world s religious traditions have benefitted humanity in some profound way... What is religion?
Not an easy question to answer Most of us know perfectly well what religion is, until someone asks us to define it... (Saint Augustine)
re + lig to join or connect again How would you define religion?
A system of belief that involves the worship of a God or gods, prayer, ritual, ceremonies and a moral code... Is this kind of answer adequate?
A few famous definitions of religion to consider Religion is a way of life founded upon the apprehension of sacredness in existence... (Julian Huxley)
Religion is the human attitude towards a sacred order that includes within it all being human or otherwise (Peter Berger) Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things which unite into one single moral community all those who adhere to them... (Emile Durkheim)
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) The essence of religion is to be found in the feeling of utter dependence upon the infinite reality, that is to say, God... (F.D.E. Schleiermacher)
Religion 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) Religion is the establishment of man s relation to the infinite existence to which he feels himself related and from which he deduces his rules of action... (Leo Tolstoy)
The awareness of an unknown power or reality, the idea of something holy and sacred, is the essence of religion... (Rudolf Otto) True religion is not a narrow dogma. It is not external observance. It is faith in God and living in the presence of God. It means faith in a future life, in truth and ahimsa... (Mahatma Gandhi)
Religion is to do right... It is to love, it is to serve, it is to think, it is to be humble... (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Religion is the organization of all duties as divine commands... (Immanuel Kant)
The cosmos is a gigantic flywheel making 10,000 revolutions a minute. Man is a sick fly taking a dizzy ride on it. Religion is the theory that the wheel was designed and set spinning to give him the ride... (H. L. Mencken) A system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life (J. M. Yinger)
It is the presence in the world of something spiritually greater than man himself man's goal is to seek communion with the presence behind the phenomena (Arnold Toynbee) Religion is the substance of culture and culture the form of religion... (Paul Tillich)
One s religion is whatever he or she is most interested in... (J.M. Barrie) Religion is what an individual does with his or her own solitariness (A.N. Whitehead)
Religion consists of a set of things which the average man thinks he believes and wishes was certain... (Mark Twain) Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opiate of the masses... (Karl Marx)
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful... (Seneca) Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet... (Napoleon Bonaparte)
Religions are the great fairy tales of conscience... (George Santayana) Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence; it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines... (Bertrand Russell)
Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires... (Sigmund Freud) Religion is a virus...
Do any of these definitions capture the essence of religion? Can religion be defined at all?
Religion is one thing to the anthropologist, another to the sociologist, another to the psychologist, another to the theologian, and another to the philosopher As a result, there is great variety of theories about the nature of religion. Consequently, however, there is also no universally accepted definition of religion, and quite possibly there never will be... (John Hick) Perhaps a different approach needs to be considered...
Perhaps the best way to explain the concept of religion is to elaborate in detail the relevant features of an ideally clear case of religion and then indicate the respects in which less clear cases can differ from this, without hoping to find any sharp line dividing religion from nonreligion... According to this approach, when enough of these characteristics are present to a sufficient degree, we have a religion... (William P. Alston) What constitutes an ideally clear case of a world religion? What are the essential characteristics of an ideally clear case of world religion? What s a sufficient degree of essential characteristics?
If tradition X is both historically influential and still alive today, then tradition X may be considered an ideally clear case of a world religion If tradition X exhibits a sufficient degree of essential characteristics shared by ideally clear cases of world religions, then tradition X may be considered a religion
A few essential characteristics of known religious traditions... 9%,"#$"-(+8+."1%$"#$%*33/"++"+%$"'% -5'3*1"'.*#%-//)'/NO)'/G2+/%24%#$-" 9%&'32.+-P'1%2&115'$.8%24%$'3$7$35*#+% $"#$%"1,/*2"+%$"#$%,"#$"-%/>/$'* 9%2&##"26&'%24%3'+$&#;%+.&/$"+%2&%18.)+ Q#&-2)/%2"/"1&'$"+%2&%/$.5*#+ 9%+".%24%".)$2*#%R#+1%2&%;'.#;S%%5$3"#$'"+% T"#$'&-/G3%"1&6&'+%2&%";4"/$"'2"+% $"#$%*22&14*'8%$"'%./*3$6&' K2*'%+"'+"%24%$"'%+*2/"3%2&%$"'%3$7$'"% R#/%2::2/'1%$2%$"'%:&24#+'S A few preliminary ideas, concepts and terminology
The notion of the divine or the sacred in religion 9;;%/"#$%$&'+%#&'%2&'2"/'"3%(-$"%$"'% 3""4"+.%;'8';%24%/"*#$.8 U2&%*2/$%&';-.-2+/%$"'%32&'%2&%&/$%$'%24% "7"/8.)$'%%-/%);G*#$';>%/2*'$"-+.% *>/$'&-2)/<%3$7$'"%RV"'#8'+;>A<% V3';'/G#;A<%V.21;-6'AS%2&%+*2/"3 W"'%B+*2/"3C%$'+1/%$2%'826'%-""#$'%+%24%,2$"%-*+2$'*6&'%#+1%3/"*3 =4%/2*'$"-+.%-/%X/#3&'1Y%-$%-/%'+G$;'1%$2% 7"'"/*6&'%2&%&';-.-2)/%/"+4"2.%,>% 8-&$)'%24%-$/%#//23-#G2+%(-$"%1-8-+-$>%2&% 1-8-+'%$"-+./ William James suggests that in every religion there is some sort of awareness of what is called the divine or sacred and some sort of response to this sacred divinity...
Where is the divine or sacred primarily sought and located in the tradition? What is the appropriate response to the divine or sacred in the tradition? Generally speaking, the world s religions can be classified into three major groups in terms of these questions...
Sacramentally oriented religious traditions @)"(#&2*6&'(&-(.)"(3$7$'"(&/(+*2/"3 W"'%3$7$'"%-/%:&-*#&-;>%#&2*."3D+&5%).( -+%3'&$#-+%1*."/$*#%"1,&3$1"'.+%R'D.D% /#3&'1%2,C'3$/<%:;#3'/<%;-8-+.%$"-+./<%'$3S @)"(*44/&4/$*."(/"+4&'+"( W"'%*44/&4/$*."%/"+4&'+"%$2%$"'%1-8-+'% -/%$"'%&'8'&'+$<%/"%5#*/%#+1%2&//"2.% 4"/-&/1*'2"%24%8#&-2)/%2"/"1&'$"+% #+1%/$.5*#+%R'D.D%W-,'$#+%,)11"-/$% :&#>'&%("'';<%$"'%Z#+.'/%&-8'&<%32(/S Mystically oriented religious traditions @)"(#&2*6&'(&-(.)"(3$7$'"(&/(+*2/"3 W"'%3$7$'"%-/%:&-*#&-;>%#&2*."3D+&5%).% -+%$"'%";4"/$"'2"%24%#%18+62*#% 32++'3G2+<%-1'+G[3#G2+%2&%5'$&'%(-$"% $"'%3$7$'" @)"(*44/&4/$*."(/"+4&'+"( W"'%*44/&4/$*."%/"+4&'+"%$2%$"'%1-8-+'% 2?'+%-+82;8'/%8#&-2)/%2&'."14#*67"% ";"/2$+"+%#+1%."2)'$95"+%1'/-.+'1% "';:%#3"-'8'%5'$&'%(-$"%$"'%3$7$'"%R'D.D% >2.#<%*'1-$#G2+<%4#/G+.<%'$3S
Prophetically oriented religious traditions @)"(#&2*6&'(&-(.)"(3$7$'"(&/(+*2/"3 W"'%3$7$'"%-/%$"2)."$%$2%1*'$-"+.%-$/';4% 4/$1*/$#8%-+%-+%$"'%"7"'.+%24%")*#+% )$+.&/8%#+1%-+%$"'%$'+4$/"3%5E"/*'2"+% 24%$"'-&%:&2:"'$/%R'D.D%/#3&'1% 1';-8'&#+3'/<%:-;.&-*#.'/<%/#3&'1%$'H$/S @)"(*44/&4/$*."(/"+4&'+"( W"'%*44/&4/$*."%/"+4&'+"%$2%$"'%1-8-+'% -/%*22"4.*'2"<%,';-'4%#+1%&,"3$"'2"% R'D.D%$"'%\',&'(%1';-8'&#+3'%4&2*% /;#8'&><%$"'%])/;-*%:-;.&-*#.'%$2% ]'33#<%$"'%W2&#"<%^2&#+<%'$3S Some important religious terminology to keep in mind... F.)"$+1%E%*#+>%.21/%'H-/$ G&'&.)"$+1%E%2+;>%2+'%.21%'H-/$ F*'.)"$+1%E%#;;%$"#$%'H-/$/%-/%.21 H.)"$+1%E%+2%.21/%'H-/$ H%'&+62$+1%E%$"'%'H-/$'+3'%24%.21%-/% +2$%6+2(+ @/*'+2"'3"'.%E%$"'%1-8-+'%2&%/#3&'1%-/%,'>2+1%$"-/%(2&;1?11*'"'.%E%$"'%1-8-+'%2&%/#3&'1%-/% (-$"-+%$"-/%(2&;1