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What Is Religion

This document provides an introduction to world religions and belief systems. It defines religion as a set of beliefs and practices focused on deities or gods. Key aspects of religion discussed include it originating from the Latin words for "to bring together" and "to rehearse painstakingly," it being a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things per Emile Durkheim's definition, and it existing as both a personal matter and socially constructed institution. The document also distinguishes between monotheistic, polytheistic, non-theistic, and atheistic types of believers and discusses how religion can spread and form part of one's worldview.

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Mary Glou Melo Padillo
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144 views15 pages

What Is Religion

This document provides an introduction to world religions and belief systems. It defines religion as a set of beliefs and practices focused on deities or gods. Key aspects of religion discussed include it originating from the Latin words for "to bring together" and "to rehearse painstakingly," it being a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things per Emile Durkheim's definition, and it existing as both a personal matter and socially constructed institution. The document also distinguishes between monotheistic, polytheistic, non-theistic, and atheistic types of believers and discusses how religion can spread and form part of one's worldview.

Uploaded by

Mary Glou Melo Padillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS

WHAT IS
RELIGION?
P R E PA R E D B Y: M S . G L O U
name as many religions
as you can.
meaning of Religion

A Religion is a set of beliefs


and practices that is often
focused on one or more
deities or gods.
LATIN ORIGINS of the
word
Religare (to bring together)

Relegere (to rehearse


painstakingly, as in the
case of collective rituals)
Concept of religion
The French sociologist, Emile
Durkheim (2001) has a famous
definition of religion as a “unified
system of beliefs and practices
relative to sacred things, that is to
say, things set and forbidden–
beliefs and practices which unite
into one moral community.”
religion as set of beliefs
• Existence of a higher power, spirits, or god.

• An explanation of the origins and purpose of


humans and their role on earth.

• Which involves rituals, festivals, rites of passage


and space (Religious Landscapes).
religion as a complex reality
• It could be a personal matter and therefore could be very
emotional.

• It is also a socially constructed institution with particular


historical contexts and trajectories depending on the physical
and social constraints that it is faced with.

• The beliefs and practices of a religion have a consequence on


its followers and the wider society that it is part of.
religion as a social reality
SUBSTANTIVE (focuses on content or religious beliefs)
• Concerned with what constitutes religion.
• Religion involves beliefs and practices “which assume the
existence of supernatural beings” (Davie, 2007)

FUNCTIONAL (functions it performs for individuals of society)


• It is more concerned with the social consequences of religion.
• “A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred
things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs
and practices which unite into one single moral community.
how religion spreads
• Through trade and immigration
• Through missionaries
types of believers
• monotheistic
• polytheistic
• non-theistic
• atheistic
monotheistic believer
• believes in the
existence of one god
or the oneness of
God.
• as is the cases of
Christianity, Judaism
and Islam
polytheistic believer
• believes in many
gods.
• Polytheism
characterizes
virtually all religions
other
than Judaism, Christi
anity, and Islam
non-theistic believer
• one who explicitly
denies the existence
of God. 
• A non-theist may
simply have never
contemplated
theism.
atheistic believer
• “Atheist” suggests a
person has at least
given theism some
thought and
rejected it – or not
accepted it as true
or probably true.
worldview

Philosophy of Religion
Religion Spirituality

Man's way to God God's way to man Experience of man


having God

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