RELIGION, RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES AND SPIRITUALITY

CHAPTER 1
In this module, you shall be able to have a basic introduction to the concept of
religion and spirituality. Particularly, the material focuses on one of the many types of
religion and the oldest Abrahamic religion, the Judaism.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of religion.

2. Introduce significant information about Judaism.
3. Distinguish Judaism from other Abrahamic religion.

INTRODUCTION:

What is Religion and Spirituality?

The English word "religion" is derived from the Middle English "religioun"
which came from the Old French "religion." It may have been originally derived from
the Latin word "religo" which means "good faith," "ritual," and other similar
meanings. Or it may have come from the Latin "religãre" which means "to tie fast."

Religion is a set of organized beliefs, practices, and systems that most often
relate to the belief and worship of a controlling force, such as a personal god or
another supernatural being. Religion often involves cultural beliefs, worldviews, texts,
prophecies, revelations, and morals that have spiritual meaning to members of the
particular faith, and it can encompass a range of practices, including sermons,
rituals, prayer, meditation, holy places, symbols, trances, and feasts. It serves several
functions, such as giving meaning and purpose to life, reinforces social unity and
stability, serves as an agent of social control, promotes psychological and physical
well-being, and may motivate people to work for positive social change.

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On the other hand, Spirituality is primarily realized by some individuals as

something about a belief in God and active participation in organized religion.
However, while religion and spirituality are related, there are differences between the
two. Spirituality is an individual practice and belief, whereas religion is centered on a
set of organized practices that a larger group shares. It is possible to be spiritual
without being religious.

LESSON 01: JUDAISM

What is Judaism?
One of the Abrahamic religions and the oldest of the three, Judaism, is a
religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by beliefs in one
transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew
prophets and by a religious life in accordance with scriptures and rabbinic traditions.
It is a cultural, social, and religious beliefs and practices of the Jews.

Origins of Judaism
The origins of Judaism date back more than 3500 years. This religion is
rooted in the ancient near eastern region of Canaan (which today constitutes Israel
and the Palestinian territories). Judaism emerged from the beliefs and practices of
the people known as “Israel”. What is considered classical, or rabbinical, Judaism did
not emerge until the 1st century CE.

Judaism traces its origins to the covenant God made with Abraham and his
lineage—that God would make them a sacred people and give them a land.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share this Abrahamic heritage and are often
referred to as being Abrahamic religions. In other words, they all claim descent from
the practices of the ancient Israelites and the worship of the “God of Abraham”. The

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primary figures of Israelite culture include the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
the prophet Moses, who received God’s Torah at Mount Sinai.

Historically, Judaism went from being a religion practiced primarily in and

around the lands that are modern Israel up to the year 70 CE to one practiced in
lands beyond due to the exile and forced dispersal of Jews. It also evolved from a
religion centered in religious practice in the two great temples, to rabbinic Judaism
and religious worship and education in synagogues.

Rabbinic Judaism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 1st
century. It is based on the belief that Moses received God’s Torah in two forms; the
Written Torah (Pentateuch) and an oral explanation, known as the Oral Torah that
Moses transmitted to the people.

Rabbinic Judaism contrasts with Sadducees, Karaite Judaism, and

Samaritanism, which do not recognize the oral law as a divine authority nor the
rabbinic procedures used to interpret Jewish scripture.

Judaism is a tradition grounded in the religious, ethical, and social laws as

they are articulated in the Torah—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Jews refer
to the Bible as the Tanakh, an acronym for the texts of the Torah, Prophets, and
Writings. Other sacred texts include the Talmud and Midrash: the rabbinic, legal, and
narrative interpretations of the Torah.

Rabbinic Judaism is also based on the emergence of rabbi’s as leaders, the

study of the Torah, and thrice daily prayer.

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Founder of Judaism
The origins of Jewish faith
are explained throughout the
Torah. According to the text, God
first revealed himself you a Hebrew
man named Abraham, who
became known as the founder of
Judaism.

Jews believe that God made

a special covenant with Abraham
and that he and his descendants
were chosen people who could
create a great nation.

Abraham’s son Isaac, and

his grandson Jacob, also became
central figures in ancient Jewish
history. Jacob took the name
Israel, and his children and future
generations between became known as Israelites.

More than 1,000 years after Abraham, the prophet Moses led the Israelites
out of Egypt after being enslaved for hundreds of years.

God of Judaism
God of Judaism has been conceived in a variety of ways. Traditionally,
Judaism holds that Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the national
god of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and gave them the Law of Moses at
Mount Sinai as described in the Torah.

Jews traditionally believed in a monotheistic conception of god (god is only

one), which is both transcendent (wholly independent of, removed from, the material
universe) and immanent (involved in the material universe)

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God is conceived as unique and perfect, free from all faults, deficiencies, and
further held to be omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and completely infinite in all
of his attributes, who has no partner or equal, being the sole creator of everything in
existence.

Judaism Holy Book

The Torah has
central importance in
Jewish life, ritual and
beliefs. Some Jews believe
that Moses received the
Torah from God at Mount
Sinai, whilst others believe
that the text was written
over a long period of time
by multiple authors.

How is the Torah used in worship?

Traditionally, the Torah is read four times a week in the synagogue: at the
Sabbath (Saturday) morning and afternoon services and the morning service on
Mondays and Thursdays. Additional readings may occur on high holy days such as
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) or Rosh Hashanah (New Year). Many synagogues
are in possession of more than one scroll, but all are housed in the Ark, a large
cabinet positioned to face Jerusalem. As a sign of the sacred status of the Torah, the
scroll is often covered with a decorative mantle.

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Judaism Symbol
Star of David, Hebrew Magen David (“Shield of David”), Magen also
spelled Mogen, Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that
form a six-pointed star. It appears on synagogues, Jewish tombstones, and the flag
of the State of Israel. The symbol—which historically was not limited to use by Jews
—originated in antiquity, when, side by side with the five-pointed star, it served as a
magical sign or as a decoration. In the Middle Ages the Star of David appeared with
greater frequency among Jews but did not assume any special religious significance;
it is found as well on some medieval cathedrals. The term Magen David, which in
Jewish liturgy signifies God as the protector (shield) of David, gained currency
among medieval Jewish mystics, who attached magical powers to King David’s
shield just as earlier (non-Jewish) magical traditions had referred to the five-pointed
star as the “seal of Solomon.” Kabbalists popularized the use of the symbol as a
protection against evil spirits. The Jewish community of Prague was the first to use
the Star of David as its official symbol, and from the 17th century on the six-pointed
star became the official seal of many Jewish communities and a general sign
of Judaism, though it has no biblical or Talmudic authority. The star was almost
universally adopted by Jews in the 19th-century as a striking and simple emblem of
Judaism in imitation of the cross of Christianity. The yellow badge that Jews were
forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe invested the Star of David with a symbolism
indicating martyrdom and heroism.

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Place of Worship and Beliefs

A synagogue, sometimes referred
to by the Yiddish term SHUL and referred
to by reform communities as a temple, it
is a Jewish house of worship.
Synagogues have a place for prayer (the
main sanctuary and sometimes smaller
chapels), where Jews attend religious
services or special ceremonies (including
weddings, b’nai mitzvah, confirmations,
choir performances, or even children’s
play), have rooms for study, social hall(s),
administrative and charitable offices,
classrooms for religious school and
Hebrew school, sometimes Jewish preschools, and often have many places to sit
and congregate; display commemorative, historic, or modern artwork throughout ;
and sometimes have items of some Jewish historical significance or history about
synagogue itself on display.

However, a synagogue is not always necessary for Jewish worship due to

adaptions during times of Jewish persecutions in countries that banned Judaism.

LESSON 02: BELIEFS OF JUDAISM

Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but
with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship. They believe
that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything people do.

The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for

the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish people.

- The Jews keep God’s laws

- The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives.

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Judaism Rituals and Ceremonies

Birth and coming of age

Jewish rituals mark important stages of life. They often mark a transition from
one phase of life to another.

Birth rituals

After a birth of a child, the mother must undertake a ritual cleaning and attend
the mikveh. A scripture from the book of Leviticus requires the mother to be
“purified”. Rituals begin for Jews from birth, with Brit Milah for boys and Simchat Bat
for girls.

Brit Milah

Is a ritual of circumcision and dates back to the covenant made between

god and Abraham. Circumcision is a sign that the baby belongs to the Jewish faith. It
usually takes place at home, seven days after the baby is born. The circumcision is
performed by a trained professional called a Mohel.

Simchat Bat

Is a ceremony that celebrates the birth of a baby girl. It is more likely to be

performed among reform Jews than among orthodox Jews. The ceremony
focuses on blessing the baby and explaining the choice of name made by the
parents. It may take place in a synagogue or sometimes a meeting hall.

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

Bar and mitzvah ceremonies mark the transition into adulthood for young
Jews. At age 13 a boy becomes Bar Mitzvah and at age 13 a girl becomes a Bat
Mitzvah. This means that they become responsible for following the mitzvoth
themselves rather than their parents having this responsibility.

During his Bar Mitzvah, a boy reads from the Torah. During her Bat Mitzvah, a
girl read a prayer from the Siddur. Within Judaism, girls and boys are not thought to

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hold the same responsibilities. As a result some rules, (such as the requirements to
read from the Torah) are less strict for girls than they are for boys.

Orthodox Jews tend not to celebrate Bat Mitzvahs as girls do not have the
same responsibilities as boys in the Orthodox Jewish faith. Most Reform Jewish
have a Bat Mitzvah ceremony.

The Jewish view of God

A summary of what Jews believe about God

- God exists
- There is only one God
- There are no other gods
- God can’t be subdivided into different persons (unlike the Christian view of
God)
- Jews should worship only one God
- God is Transcendent
- God doesn’t have a body
- God created the universe without help
- God is omnipresent
- God is omnipotent
- God is beyond time
- God is just, but God is also merciful
- God is personal and accessible

LESSON 03: SUBDIVISIONS OF JUDAISM

There are three man branches of Judaism today. They are Orthodox
Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reform Judaism. Even though Judaism is
one religion, there are notable differences between the three branches. Orthodox
Jews practice religion the most like the Jews from ancient times.

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Orthodox Judaism

It is a major branch within Judaism that teaches strict adherence to rabbinical

interpretation of Jewish law and its traditional observances. They believe in a future
bodily resurrection of the dead, divine reward and punishment for the righteous and
the sinners.

Conservative Judaism

(Known as Masorti Judaism outside North America) is a Jewish religious movement

that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the
assent of the people through the generations, more than from divine revelation.

Reform Judaism

Also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a Jewish denomination

that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, superiority of its ethical aspects to
its ceremonial ones, and belief in continuous search for truth and knowledge, which
is closely intertwined with human reason

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