RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Religion attempts to answer the “big
questions”.
Aspects of life which go beyond empirical
knowledge.
It deals with metaphysics (the nature of reality),
cosmology (the structure of the universe) and
soteriology ( issues of salvation.
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Religion is often defined as recognition of, and
obedience to and worship of a higher unseen
power .
Religion has a tendency to drift toward varying
trends:
Exclusivism is the perspective that truth and
salvation are available to the members of one’s
particular faith and all others are eternally damned
Inclusivism is the modified version of exclusivism
asserting that one’s particular beliefs are Pluralism
(multiculturalism) is a contemporary viewpoint that
all world religions are independent and valid ethical
Pluralism (multiculturalism) is a contemporary
viewpoint that all world religions are independent
and valid ethical paths to salvation and union with
the divine
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Abrahamic religions refers to the religions that
trace their ancestry to the Jewish patriarch,
Abraham-principally Judaism, Christianity and
Islam.
Diaspora the resettlement of a cultural group from
its original home to a different host culture in
which, as a minority, it preserves the core aspects
of the home culture. Historically, the term refers to
the forced migration of the Jewish people.
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Dualism is the absolute split between equally
matched forces of good and evil.
Fundamentalism is the emphasis on literal
interpretation of doctrine and rejection of
modern trends in within the religious
community.
Evangelism refers to the Christian efforts to
spread the gospel; now refers to any
proselytizing religion
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Religion impacts numerous facets of society
and culture including
rites of social organization customs and
ethics/law;
life cycle events such as birth, marriage, death and
age of maturity
Intellectual creativity e.g. music, art, architecture
and literature.
Although secularism and science challenge
religion’s cultural role, religion remains a compelling
force in individual and identity worldview.
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Vocabulary words:
Atheist the belief that the divinity does not
exist.; this is found primarily in the West as a
rejection of exclusivist and belief centered
religion.
Agnosticism the argument that the existence of
a God may not be proved or disproved with
data available to us.
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
Cosmology a description of the structure of the
universe with attention to the relative position
of Gods, spirits and humans.
Soteriology any doctrine that pertains to
salvation or transcendence. It is often
connected to eschatology the atonement of
sins.