CALASANZ de DAVAO ACADEMY, INC.
Brgy. Baliok, Talomo District, Davao City
Tel. no. (082) 285-9825
S.Y. 2020- 2021
Introduction to World Religion
and
Beliefs System
Specialized SUBJECT
Student’s Name: _____________________________________
Grade & Section: ____________________________________
Teacher’s Name: Br. John Michael O. Dion, Sch.P.
Gmail Account: dionmichaelschp@[Link]
Facebook Account: janmikeldionschp
INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE
A. For the Parents and Guardians
The parents and guardians are encouraged to be the learning facilitators of the
learners. They will be guiding out the learners in performing tasks and activities provided
in this module. With your support and motivation, learners will be guided well and inspired
to learn which would result to a strong positive effect on the learner’s academic
achievement. Thus, parents and guardians are now the most important partners of the
teacher and the institution in imparting knowledge to the learners and in the success of
the learner’s education in the new normal set-up.
B. For the Learners
This module in Introduction to World Religion and Belief Systems is based on the K to
12 design of the course on world religions. It aims to provide understanding of the eight world
religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana
Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism.
In this module, you will be exposed of the following:
appreciation of the uniqueness and differences of these religions;
promotion of mutual understanding and respect among followers of these
religions;
deepening of one’s own sense of spirituality.
It also has several components that guides the learners on what the tasks that needs to
be done. Herein below are the following components:
START UP!
Contains motivational activities, local examples and applications that
connects to a real-life problem or situations.
DISCUSSION
Presents the demonstration/lecture/simulation of the lesson.
LET US PRACTICE
Provides easy-medium-hard questions.
ENRICHMENT
Contains reflection questions, additional examples and applications and
introduces extensions or generalizations of concepts.
ASSESSMENT
Provides a quick check of the students’ understanding of the lesson.
To do well in this module, you need to remember and do the following:
1) Carefully read the module and do the activities neatly and accurately.
2) Be responsible and complete all the given tasks on time.
3) Study the explanations and examples well.
4) If you are having problems, do NOT wait to request help. The longer you wait the
bigger the problem becomes!
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course explores the main tenets and practices of major world religions:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism,
Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism.
It aims to help learners understand the historical contexts of nine religions,
appreciate their uniqueness and similarities and promote mutual understanding
among believers of different faiths. They are expected to demonstrate
understanding and appreciation of one’s faith and that of others.
LESSON COVERAGE
Chapter 1 WORLD RELIGION IN FOCUS
Lesson 1: Understanding The Nature Of Religion
Lesson 2: Understanding Beliefs And Worldviews
Chapter 2 STUDYING RELIGIONS
1ST
Lesson 1: Approaches To The Study Of Religion
QUARTER
Lesson 2: The Effects Of Religions In Culture And Society
(PRELIM &
MIDTERM)
Chapter 3 THE ABRAHAMIC FAITHS
Lesson 1: Judaism
Lesson 2: Christianity
Lesson 3: Islam
Comparative Analysis of Judaism, Christianity, And Islam
Chapter 4 THE DHARMIC RELIGIONS
Lesson 1: Hinduism
Lesson 2:Theravada Buddhism
Lesson 3: Mahayana Buddhism
2ND Comparative Analysis Of Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, And
QUARTER Mahayana Buddhism
(SEMI-
FINAL & Chapter 5 THE DAOIC RELIGIONS
FINAL)
Lesson 1: Confucianism
Lesson 2 Shintoism
Comparative Analysis Of Confucianism And Shintoism
Module
Introduction to World
Religions & Belief Systems
WORLD RELIGION IN FOCUS
Objectives:
Explains the definition and nature religion
Identifies and explains the key elements of religion
Differentiates the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system, world view,
religion, and spirituality
Understands the worldview of each of the world’s major religions is critical in appreciating
their rituals and practices
INTRODUCTION
As Asians, we should be proud of the fact that the world’s greatest religions originated
from Asia. From the arid western frontier began Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. From the
vast Indian subcontinent came Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhism
from South Asia. In the east originated Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoism.
START UP!
The study of world religions is a challenging and worthwhile. According to Mark
Wallace, a professor of Religion at Swarthmore College and author of Finding God in the
Singing River: Christianity, Spirit, Nature (2005,) Religion is one of the primary disciplines for
investigating the boundary questions of life and death, of love and hate, that characterize the
human condition. All persons crave for self-transcendence in one mode or another.
Religious Studies provides the opportunity to understand, with depth and nuance, the many
beliefs and rituals that move persons to appreciate the alternative world of the religious
reality.
In the context of religion, list down 10 things that you believe in by completing the
following statements. What have you observed in your own belief system?
1. I believe in/that___________________________________________________
2. I believe in/that___________________________________________________
DISCUSSION #1
LESSON 1: DEFINITION AND NATURE OF RELIGION
TASK 1: Open the link and watch the video about function or visit the LMS and click the
given URL.
[Link]
DEFINITION AND NATURE OF RELIGION
Religion may be defined as “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used
to worship a god or a group of gods” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2014).
The Latin word religio means “to tie together, to bind fast.”
In its original sense, the word refers to expression of proper piety that is, binding to
god (Grassie 2010).
Quite later, religion was used to designate formal belief systems and tenets.
The term was eventually applied to what we now call as religion because of the manner
in which people performed rituals during those days.
While religion may be universal in all stages of human history, it does not follow that all
individuals are religious or even religious to some degree (Parrinder 1971).
Study the table and figure below.
Table 1.1 below summarizes the various definitions forwarded by several social
scientists on the nature of religion.
NAME OF SOCIAL BACKGROUND VIEW OF RELIGION
SCIENTIST
Edward Burnett Taylor English anthropologist; the belief in spiritual beings
(1832-1917) founding figure of the
science of social
anthropology
James George Frazer Scottish social a propitiation or conciliation
(1854-1941) anthropologist; one of of powers superior to man
the founding figures of which are believed to
modern anthropology control and direct the
course of nature and of
human life
Bronislaw Kasper an eminent 20th-century a body of self-contained
Malinowski (1884-1942) Polish anthropologist acts being themselves the
fulfillment of their purpose;
an affair of all, in which
everyone takes an active
and equivalent part
David Ëmile Durkheim French sociologist; father a unified system of beliefs
(1858-1917) of sociology and practices relative to
sacred things
Figure 1 shows the common characteristics of the different world religions
DISCUSSION #2
LESSON 2: UNDERSTANDING BELIEFS AND WORLDVIEWS
Every individual sees and interprets the world quite differently from one another. This
overall perspective is also termed worldview which is a collection of beliefs about life and the
universe being held by people (The Free Dictionary 2014). For a certain individual, social
environment and upbringing are critical in the development of a religious life. All these factors
have an effect on how people organize their beliefs and ideas while eventually creating a
comprehensive narrative through which they look at the world and interrelate with it.
Belief in god or gods is found in almost all religions. There is a good reason to
presuppose that religion had existed during prehistoric times and this has continued to the
modern day. Human life may have produced hundreds of religions and belief systems. There
could be more unknown than known religions in the world since recorded history covers only
several thousand years of human existence
Table 1.2 Enumerates the different kinds of belief systems or worldviews
Kinds Description
Monism there is no real distinction between god
and the universe
Polytheism the belief and worship of many gods
Monotheism the doctrine or belief in one supreme god
Atheism disbelief in or denial of the existence of a
personal god
Agnosticism god cannot be known
Theism, often used as a synonym to monotheism, is defined as “a belief in the existence
of one god viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends
yet is imminent in the world” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2014).
Monotheistic religions claim that there is only one God who could have designed and
created the universe or may have directed all events that led to the creation of everything.
There is one supreme God who is both personal and moral, and who seeks a total and
unqualified response from humans (Hick 1990). Modern-day examples of monotheistic
religions include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Polytheistic religions that are common among early people recognize many principal
gods among whom no one is supreme. These include the ancient religions of Egypt,
Greece, and Rome wherein people worship a multitude of personal gods.
Monism asserts that there is no genuine distinction between God and the universe. Two
implications arise from this belief. Firstly, it contends that God is dwelling in the universe as
part of it. Secondly, the universe does not exist at all as a reality but only as a
manifestation of God.
Atheists deny the existence of God.
Agnostics deny the possibility for man to acquire knowledge of the existence of God.
ENRICHMENT
Reflective Journal # 1
Write a short reflection about the lesson. Choose one among the three and follow the
given rubric. (Capture it clearly and send it through messenger or LMS)
Guide Questions:
1. Why is it important to study religion and its meaning?
2. Why is it important to respect worldviews different from ours?
3. Would you describe yourself as more of a spiritual or a religious person? Why?
Rubrics:
Outstanding Satisfactory Developing Beginning
(4) (3) (2) (1)
The reflection explains The reflection attempts to The reflection does not Speech has no
the student’s own demonstrate thinking about address the student’s conviction. There is
REFLECTIVE thinking and learning learning but is vague and/or thinking and/or learning. no comprehensive
THINKING processes, as well as unclear about the personal discussion of the
implications for future learning process. position.
learning.
The reflection articulates The reflection articulates The reflection attempts to The reflection does
multiple connections connections between this articulate connections not articulate any
between this learning learning experience and between this learning connection to other
experience and content content from other courses, experience and content learning or
MAKING
from other courses, past past learning experiences, from other courses, past experiences.
CONNECTIONS
learning, life and/or future goals. learning experiences, or
experiences and/or personal goals, but the
future goals. connection is vague
and/or unclear.
Proper language, Proper language, Proper language, Proper language,
capitalization and capitalization and punctuation capitalization and capitalization and
MECHANICS punctuation are present are present with no more than punctuation may be used, punctuation are not
with no mistakes. two mistakes. but more than two observed.
mistakes.
Reflective Journal #1
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REFERENCES
Ong, Jerome A. & dl. Jose Mary Dorothy (2016). Introduction to World Religions &
Belief Systems. Vibal Group, Inc., pages 3-11
Mabaquiao, Napoleon M. (2019). Introduction to World Religions & Belief Systems. The
Intelligent Publishing, Inc., pages 2 – 18
