The Four Dimension of Religion

1. Belief------

2. Rituals- are the repeated physical gestures or activities such as prayers or mantras, used to reinforce
religious teachings, elicit spiritual feelings, and connect worshippers with a higher power,

-ritual plays an important role in providing practitioners with access to spiritual "powers" of various
sports.

3. Spiritual Experience- a feeling of immediate connection with a higher power.

4. Unique Social Forms of Community- emphasizes that religious beliefs and practices "unite in one
single community called a church, all those who adhere to them".

Social Dimensions that religions share according to Dawson and Thiessen:

1. Religion gains credibility when agreed and shared by a group.

2. Religion provides an authority that deals specifically with social or issues such as determining the best
way to live life.

3. Religion acts as a form of social control, and it supports the development of self-control, which are
vital elements of a functional society.

4. Places of religious worship function as social hubs within communities, providing a source of
entertainment, socialization and support.

Religious Classification by what or who they hold to be divine

RELIGIOUS CLASSIFICATION WHAT/ WHO IS DIVINE EXAMPLE

Polytheism Multiple gods Hinduism, Ancient Greeks and
Romans
Monotheism Single god Judaism, Islam, Christianity
Atheism No deities Atheism, Buddhism, Taoism
Animism Nonhuman beings (animals, Indigenous nature worship,
plants, natural world) Shinto

The Major Religions

1. Judaism

 The oldest of the Abrahamic religion and the predecessor of Christianity and Islam.
 It encompasses the religion philosophy, and the culture of the Jewish people.
 It is characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham,
Moses, and the Hebrew propgets and by a religios life in accordance with the scriptures and
rabbinic traditions.
 TORAH - is their sacred text.
2. Christianity

 The world's largest religion.

 Is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serve
as the focal point of the Christian faith.
 BIBLE- is their sacred text, wherein the word od Gos is written.

3. Islam

 "ISLAM" means submission or surrender.

 The root word of Islam is "SALAM", which means "peace".
 The word "Islam" in religious term means "surrender one's will to the true will of God to achieve
peace".
 A Muslim is one who surrenders himself to God’s true will.
 Islam is the religious faith of Muslims who worship Allah as the soul deity and believes
Muhammad as his prophet.
 Koran- is their Holy Scripture.

4. Hinduism

5 Buddhism