AOS 1 SAC Revision Flashcards
Define religion
is regarded as a set of beliefs and values, usually involving the presence of or acknowledgement of a divine being, by which people govern their lives in both a moral and practical sense.
Spirituality
the act of being open to perception and experience of everything being interconnected
philosophy
the study of laws that govern thought, knowledge, the universe and reality
adherent
a follower of a religion
theistic
belief in a god or gods
difficulties in defining religion
- range of different understandings
- some definitions are either too broad or too specific
- different perspectives from inside to outside views
Roles of religion on a person (general and specific)
general
1. make sense of existance
2. provide source of happiness during tragedy
3. provide central element of identity
specific
1. provide answers to the ‘big questions’
2. change lives for better
Roles of religion in society
positives:
1. integrates people into community
2. providing framework for justice through legal systems
3. providing ethical principles which underpin charitable work
negative:
1. divisive in society
2. political tool for social control
3. impediment to progress of science and humanity
Texts
oral/ written literature in which the essentials of the religion are recorded
eg. bible, qu’ran, torah
purpose: convey spiritual truth, rules and guidelines, promote beliefs, connection to the divine
Rituals
a ceremony with a prescribed action/ words that have a symbolic meaning
eg.
individual- prayer, bar mitzvah
communial- sunday mass, xmas mass
purpose: allow adherents to feel connected to their religion and community
Individual experience
can be religious or nonreligious but has to have meaning to the person
purpose: create personal relationships with gods
eg. whirling dervish, rosary beads
beliefs
ideas that are the heart of religion and give its identity, these are accepted by the adherents to be true
purpose: expresses authoritative list including creeds and dogmas
interpreted to be relevant in current context
eg. god created the world in 7 days
ethics
the rules and behaviour for the religion ad provides guidance in moral decisions
purpose: guide religion to a goal
eg. Buddhists believe they should never kill another living thing
sacred stories
meaningful stories that reinforce beliefs or values about a religion purpose: authority, meaning, quoted sermons, storehouse of beliefs
examples: Noah’s ark, Adam and Eve, Mohammad, Moses and the Red Sea
Symbols
objects that represent a deeper meaning and represents the beliefs or ethic of a religion
purose: identify a person to a religion
eg. crucifix, star of david, dharma wheel- buddhist
Spaces, places, times and artefacts
spaces- churches, mosques, temples
places- Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina
time- xmas, lent, ramadan, Dirwali, Hajj
artifact- Shourd of Turin ( worn by Jesus)
Social Status and structure
structure of the social hierarchy within a religion
purpose: stable system, built on shared values, allow adherents to understand the denominations of their faith
formulate Practice Qs (use ai to help)
transcendent
fully above space, time and human’s comprehension
immanent
fully present in all things
explain three reasons why people are adherents of a religion
people are part of a religion as they aim to improve themselves, be involved in a structured, secure society and be provided answers to the ‘big’ questions
Humans are faced with the big questions all the time. Explain how religion can help -using examples
Humans are confronted with ‘big’ questions such as creation, purpose existence and religion assist with providing answers. Creation stories from different religions, allow humans to be provided with an answer such as the Christian story of Adam and Eve and the Taoism story of Pan Gu.
Outline positive roles religion plays in society
Some positive roles religion plays is that is integrates individuals into a united community and provides ethical principles which underpins the concepts of charitable work and events.
Discuss possible negative roles religion plays in society
Some negative roles religion plays in society is the divisive effects due to conflicting points and the use of religious values as a destructive political tool.
