Unit 1:Nature and purpose of Religion Flashcards
What is the purpose of religion?
Religion is people trying to make sense of their existence and their world,to find a purpose for living and appropriate ways to live safely and comfortable,may have develop religion as a source of social cohesion
specific roles of religion in a person’s life
1.answer existential questions
2. find purpose for living
3.ways to live safely and comfortable
4.social cohesion-rituals and aspects can be performed
5.seek order
6.builds community
7.gives hope
8.services for education and healthcare
9.inspiration
10.hope in war and times of hardship
Why is defining religion hard?
religion is hard because religion is so big and complex but also so simple. Interpreting and translating it is so hard because there are so many world religions with so many beliefs and traditions. Furthermore, religion can also be so simple to some as they might do some traditions and just brush over the more simple sacraments
negatives of religion in the community
possible discrimination between the religions
sometimes it gives people fear leading them to shrink as a person and not express who they are.
Religion also sometimes manipulates the truth and some of the things done are not ethical.
war etc.
Positives of religion
gives people social cohesion and social services which they can go to. I.e charities
GIve people a spot for hope (pray for environmental things to be over,poverty etc.)
change direction of their life for the better
religion can be someones identity
somewhere where people have things in common and can listen to storytelling etc
what is the purpose of using the aspects to study religion
outlines the crucial points of religion. the main things religion is based on and the positives and negatives associated with it. Gives people something to base their lives off and it makes sure every religion is unique
what are artifacts?
artifacts are a focal point of religious beliefs and are linked to the practices of adherents. some artifacts have special meaning in the spirituality of religious traditions.They can be a symbol to identify a focus point for a prayer or ways to make public affirmation
can be used for daily reminders for their faith can be used in traditions and festivals
what is a catholic example of an artifact
crown of thorns
What are places?
places become sacred to local population such as mountains and rivers
more people became inhabitants this turned into more complex places
places where sacred might have been experience adherents demonstrate commitment to unseen forces by acknowledging spirits or ancestors .
Human representation through rock art,buildings etc.
What is an example of a place?
Sistine chapel
What are symbols
used to or stand for or represent something else and often a material object is used to represent something immaterial. These are often signs objects people actions or places that acquire a special meaning or power. The same symbol can vary meaning for individuals. the symbolic function is a key element of religious traditions as symbols express significant beliefs identify an adherant as a member of a particular religion
significance of symbols for adherants
identify an adherant as a member of a particular religion
example of a symbol
the sign of the cross
What are sacred stories
are religious narratives that have a setting such as a special space/place and plot developed in a way to relate often with imaginative detail,believed true. Can be conveyed through dancing,ballads,literature,myths legends etc,
purpose is to inspire and instruct the participant audience or truths history and significant ppl in there life
example of sacred stories
bible
what are social structures
social structures are all the ways a religious tradition organised itself. From memberships,participation,exclusions, and decision making, Some religions make a social hierarchy and focus on authority and power. This is not true for liberal and democratic systems,Sometimes there an extra religious level for adherents who wish to become more spiritually focused.
example of a social structure
laity, decons ,priests, arch bishops, cardinals and popes
What are spaces
spaces can be literally anywhere and can be accessed trhough everyday activities. They can be personal or community. what sets them apart is that they have religious meaning. Used for purposes /sacred stories) if the space has a religious meaning for the community ,there might be retrictions and rules on how to use it
Example of spaces
churches
what are times
times of celebrations can be linked to seasons but also the memory of great people and events in the histories tradition. They can be organised around daily, weekly, monthly, annual ceremonies and rituals that form the rhythm of life for adherents and communities. Festivals are based on the agricultural cycle and link the success of failure of crops in some traditions acknowledgement of the gift of food through rituals and thanksgiving.
example of times
lent
texts
beliefs
religious beliefs are ideas that are accepted by their adherent as true. For some religions there may be a particular set of beliefs which could be expressed in an authoritative list(e.g creed) Most beliefs develop as the writings of their founders or based on the teachings and actions of founders. Without beliefs religion would have no internal structure and would disintegrate. beliefs give religion there identity
example of a belief
god exists in our world
What is ethics
ethics is the study of decision making about right and wrong. in a culture. Guiding ethical thinking and decision making are ethical principles. These are ideals that each theory , perspective, maxim or statement about ethics seek to achieve. Such as visionary ideas offer a picture of a perfect world from which all is morality. how to be the model citizen
Whats the importance of ethics with adherants
ethical principles and COB often dictate the precise details of an adherents expression of beliefs through rituals,diet, calendar, personal decoration or clothing use of scared texts, space and their thoughts and actions in their daily lives
example of ethics
`serve the poor and powerless’ quote from google
what are rituals
rituals are ceremonies with a prescribed set of actions and words that have a symbolic meaning and considered to be sacred. Performing rituals expresses the beliefs of the religion for those involved and any witnesses. There is usually a set procedure that has been passed down by socialization and there are often strong cultural rules that sanction only initiated embers to perform the ritual.
rituals with adherants
rituals require an adherent to publicly demonstrate a strong commitment to the religion.
example of rituals
baptism
what are spiritual experiences
can be had in a religious or a non-religious context. Both participants find meaning in them. A persons religious identity is the sum total of all their religious and spiritual experiences. A positive experience may lead them to want more participation whereas a negative experience can do the opposite or to seek a different religion or spirituality.
example of a spiritual experience
participate in sacriments
interrelationships between the aspects
aspects of religion are all interrelated and can strongly impact on each other.
beliefs-everything
ethics-beliefs-sacred stories-texts
rituals-beliefs-spiritual experiences
sacred stories-beliefs-texts -ethics
social structure-beliefs-ethics
spaces,places,times an artifacts-beliefs-rituals-ethics
spiritual experiences-beliefs-texts-sacred stories
symbols-beliefs-sacred stories-spiritual experiences
texts-beliefs-sacred stories ethics
