Religion and belief systems

Submitted by:
Loreigne Mulles
What is a religion and belief systems

According to Anthropologists, Religion “a set of

attitudes, beliefs, and practices, pertaining to
supernatural beings and forces. Such beliefs may
vary within a culture as well as among societies,
and they may change over time.
Religions are different in terms of perspectives and
practices. Religion can be found in all human
societies which makes it cultural universal.
Religion and Belief Systems

A religion is a set of beliefs and practices that is often focused on

one or more deities, or gods. All religions have a set of basic beliefs,
scriptures (sacred texts) that communicate the beliefs and of a
religion (Bible-Christianity; Koran-Islam; Torah-Judaism, Code of
conduct, or beliefs that right and wrong). Religions have spread by
trade and migration and also by missionaries.
Religion affects us and our way of thinking in the existing world. It
serves as a pattern for the actions we take in day-to-day existence.
Religion is seen not only as a social belief but also as a social
institution that continues to develop over time. Sociologists study
religion while considering diverse societal factors such as gender,
age, race, and education, that also tap other social institutions and
the concept of social change.
Religious Patterns
1.Animism
2.Polytheism
3.Monotheism
4.Institutionalized Religion
1. Animism
Belief that the natural world, as a whole or in parts, has a soul or spirit
As a whole = World Spirit, Mother Earth, Gaia
In parts = rocks, trees, springs, and animals.
Natural phenomena and environmental destructions are understood as
repercussions of the interaction between humans and spirits
In animism, Spirits can be in either good or bad form which can make
interactions and influences on humans in various ways and forms.
Bad spirits = negative energies, possessions, demonic disturbances and
cases of insanity.
Good spirit = attributes that aid humans in acquiring their needs
addressing their issues.
Religion during the Ancient Periods

Early societies (Egyptians, Greeks, and

Sumerians used religious symbols and
practiced ritualistic ceremonies, which made
religion one of the central parts of the
development of human societies.
Polytheism

Belief in more than one deity which characterized by the worship of

many deities that illustrate the ways of life including beliefs, practices
and traditions.
Rooted from the words: poly, which means “many”, theism which
means “god”. Polytheistic deities consist of variants such as: Sky god,
Death deity, Mother goddess, Love goddess, Creator deity, Trickster
deity, Life-death rebirth deity, Culture hero.
David Hume in The Natural History of Religion (1755) argued that
polytheism was the earliest from of religion among several societies.
The ideas of religion are said to be rooted in the “events of life including
hopes and fears which actuate the human mind.”
Polytheistic societies (Greeks, Romans, Indians, Aztecs).
Monotheism

Belief in one god, which is accountable for all the things

happening in the world including the world’s creation and
existence.
Scholars argue that as human societies affiliate with a few gods
in the pantheon, they have come to practice exclusive worship of
several deities that was promoted with the ascension of a
singular chosen deity to supremacy.
Hume(2015) believed that the differences between polytheism
and monotheism led to the changes of the human mind, wherein
rationality is more associated with monotheism while tolerance is
to polytheism.
Christians and Muslims
Institutionalized Religion

Also called as Organization, is religion which belief

systems and rituals are systematically arranged and
formally established.
Growth of Neolithic societies = rise of
institutionalized religions.
As the societies grow more complex, the systems
of worshipping the divine became more structured.
The declaration of a country’s official religion is
premier example of how a religion is
institutionalized.
Characteristics of Institutionalized
Religion:
▶ 1. Wide-scale religious clout.
The number of individuals affiliated with this religious
institution is immerse that it crosses political and international
borders and cuts across social status.
▶ 2. Hierarchical leadership and membership.
Followers of this type of faith system to socio-political
posts within the system, which provides ranking and status. This
implies that access to the divine may not be given to every
member but is a privilege of a select few. The decisions for the
welfare of the religious group are also made by those who hold
power while members are expected to follow them.
Characteristics of Institutionalized
Religion:

3. Codified Rituals.
Processes of interacting with the divine
and with fellow members are guided by
written rules and regulations that have the
power of the law, such that a member’s
inability to comply results in the imposition of
sanctions.