Unit 3 AOS 1 Part 1 (10%) Flashcards
Belief Definition
Articles of faith about or related to the Ultimate Reality that are thought by adherents to be true. Beliefs are said to have been revealed by the Ultimate Reality in some way.
Religion Definition
A community organised around beliefs related to ultimate reality and the consequent beliefs, practices, principles and codes of behaviour.
Society Definition
A group of people living in organised groups who share a geographical location, social institutions and expectations of behaviour
Ultimate Reality Definition
A term that denotes the underlying cause of all existence, the foundation of reality, supreme being, or even an ideal state of existence; refers to God/s as the ultimate or sole deity in many religions
Religious Tradition Definition
A belief and practice that comes from and leads to, a human recognition of an Ultimate Reality and which is perpetuated, interpreted and communicated by an organised believing community.
Theocentric Definition
Having God as the central interest and ultimate concern in the CCT, this means that the beliefs are centered on God and God’s plan for human kind
Christocentric Definition
Having the theological point of focus being Jesus Christ’s teachings and practices, for the CCT, this speaks of the role that Jesus played in revealing what God is like and how humans are to live according to God’s plan.
Anthropocentric Definition
The belief that considers humans to be the most significant entity of the universe and interprets or regard the world in terms of human values and experiences; human beings are at the centre.
Multicultural Definition
Containing several/many diverse cultural and ethnic groups in society
Democratic Definition
People have a say in electing governments, and are considered equal in society
Pluralist Definition
Religion is but one voice among others in society rather than being the ruling or dominant voice, one of many perspectives and worldviews
What are the 9 Aspects
Beliefs
Ethics
Social Structures
Symbols
Spiritual Experiences
Rituals
Spaces, Places, Times and Artefacts
Sacred Stories
Texts
Beliefs Definition
Articles of faith about or relating to Ultimate Reality that are thought by adherents to be true. Beliefs are said to have been revealed by the Ultimate Reality in some way.
Rituals Definition
Religious ceremonies that consist of a series of actions and words (such as prayers, dances or journeys) that are performed according to a set order.
Spiritual Experience Definition
A personal encounter with the divine or the sacred, most often through prayer or meditation
Ethics Definition
Ideals from which comes all morality about what adherents ‘ought’ to do and is compiled into specific advice or lists of qualities, values or laws
Symbols Definition
Important images or objects that publicly display or help to explain religious truth. They convey meaning beyond the obvious.
Sacred Stories Definition
Stories such as the lives of past heroes, parables and folk tales that convey amoral or religious truth
Social Structure
The human organisation of a religious tradition to which society should conform, comprising of official and unofficial authority structures, social justice and outreach programs
Spaces, Places, Times and Artefacts
The organisation and physical presence of a religious tradition, usually comprising places of worship, calendars of important events and objects of holy significance from the past
Text
Compilations of oral and written literature, written with divine authority in which the essential beliefs and history of the religious tradition are recorded
The 9 purposes of religion to society
- a belief in the transcendent authority or ultimate reality that provides the society with common values
- A metanarrative or truth narrative that provides a way of making sense of ‘the world’, including its origins and end
- A symbolic understanding of mystery or that which remains inexplicable
- Rituals and symbols that designate significant moments in the life of the individual or the community
- Ethical principles and moral values that guide human behaviour
- objects that are sacred and inspire the community through their beauty, either as ideas or as acts
- A way of expressing individual or communal emotions
- A worldview that gives an individuals life meaning and purpose
- Can help offer society material aid through their welfare organisations- education, hospitals, aged care, food bank etc.
Theologians Definition
someone who studies God/religion
Metanarrative Definition
An overarching story that gives meaning and structure to beliefs and experiences
Truth Narrative Definition
An ongoing story unfolding the lessons learned by religions in the search for meaning
World View Definition
The way in which an individual, group or society interprets the totality of existence and world history or civilisation
Purposes of religion in responding to the needs of people in their search for meaning
- Helps form an understanding of an individual’s place in the world through metanarratives and worldviews.
- It helps them to express complex emotions and better understand the world, finding meaning
- Helps form an identity, individually, communally and globally. It is important for some people to belong to a large group. Better understand themselves, the world and its meaning
- helps find meaning through the answering of existential questions
the role of beliefs in responding to the search for meaning
the beliefs of a religious tradition may give adherents
- an understanding of the universe and the role of humanity
- a greater purpose to their lives beyond the everyday experience
- explanations for life’s harshness and what comes after death/ existential questions
- guidelines for interactions between other humans and the environment
- the ability to realise, feel and perceive the interactions of ultimate reality in their own lives and facilitate a process by which people are able to identify themselves by internalising the beliefs of a religion
- a sense of contentment and joy
- connections between the religious community, society and the environment
The relationship between religion and society
- dynamic interplay
- mutually interactive, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively
- contribute to each others characteristics
- religions can provide alternate ways of viewing life as well as moral codes, a vision for society, and social structure of society
- can work cooperatively an against each other/ be diametrically opposed
- religions contribute to social cohesion
- religions contribute to social transformation
- they can both support, challenge and restrict each other
- ideally, respect should be the foundation of the relationship between religion and society
Foundational belief
A belief that existed at the beginning of a religious tradition and is essential to the tradition. These beliefs emerged at the inception of the tradition and helped to define the tradition from other groups at the time.
Fundamental belief
A belief that upon which other beliefs have been built that, if removed, would cause the collapse of the tradition
What is an unbeliever?
someone who denies something positive, in this case, it is a denial of God
4 types of unbelief
- classical atheism- the outright denial of God
- agnosticism- it is impossible to know about God, whether God is true or not. Simple rejects the claim of religion
- Positivism- the rejection of all reality that is not scientifically proven
- Humanism- the belief that humans can control the universe through their own reason and will
Traditional arguments for belief
- Blaise Pascal. Reason and intellect cannot decide the question of whether God exists or not; therefore it would make sense to choose the option that would benefit us most should we be right. e.g. religious belief, not unbelief
- Cardinal John Newman. The fact that we have a moral code/ethics or something that inherently informs us of what ‘we ought to do’ proves that God exists
- Bernard Lonergan. Everyone questions existentially, therefore this questioning is part of human nature, the source of this questioning being the Divine. All of us have a part of the divine in us.
Why do some people believe when others don’t?
- ## differences in experiences of God. People who have experienced God or have social experiences of God are more likely to believe over those who don’t, as God is a God of experience
Mother image
Isaiah 49:15
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!”
The image is of God being the mother of humans, showing people God is close with them, cares about them deeply, and will not forget them
Father image
Deuteronomy 1:31
“and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
Described God as a father to humans, that cares and provides from them
Redeemer Image
Job 19:25
“I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth”
Describes God as the saviour and rescuer of humanity and shows that God will come to the Earth and save humanity
4 words describing Australian society
- Secular- separated from a religious tradition
- Pluralist- diversity is encouraged and present in society
- multicultural- containing many diverse ethnic and cultural groups
- democratic- people have a say in electing governments, and are considered equal in society
Shephard
Psalm 23
Image of God guiding and protecting humanity
Omnipresent
Present in all places at all times
Omnipotent
All powerful
Omniscient
All knowing
Transcendent
beyond the bounds of creation
Immanent
present and ‘pressing’. God is close with creation
