INTRODUCTION TO

WORLD RELIGIONS AND

BELIEF SYSTEMS

AERON JOHN A. AMIN

Subject Teacher
BELIEF SYSTEM
• Is an ideology or set of principles that help us
to interpret our everyday reality. This could be
in the form of religion , political affiliation,
philosophy, or spirituality, among many other
things.
• These beliefs are shaped and influenced by a
number of different factors.
1. RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM
• It is usually structured around a moral
code , the belief of one or more
deities, and the ability to supernatural
occurrences to affect us and the
universe that we exist in.
2. SPIRITUAL BELIEF SYSTEM
• It is closely related to RBS , but it is not
structured .
• Some choose to believe in an after-life
and follow a moral code of conduct but
do not affiliate with a particular church or
denomination.
WHAT IS RELIGION?
“ A system of beliefs and practices
by which a group of people
interprets and responds to what
they feel is sacred and, usually,
supernatural as well”
RELIGION IN FACT..
1. RELIGION IS A COLLECTIVE PHENOMENON
2. RELIGION IS CONCERNED W/ ORDERING BEHAVIOR
IN RELATION TO THE SACRED &/OR THE
SUPERNATURAL.
3. RELIGION INVOLVES A BODY OF BELIEFS AND
MORAL PRESCRIPTIONS.
4. RELIGION EXPECTS ITS FOLLOWERS TO FOLLOW A
SET OF PRACTICES.
RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
- CHRISTIANS CONSTITUTE THE BIGGEST NO.(2.2B) OR 31.5% OF THE WORLD
POPULATION OF ALMOST 7B IN 2010
- MUSLIMS 1.6B OR 23.2%
- HINDUS 1B OR 15.0%
- BUDDHISTS 500M OR 7.1%
- JEWS 14M OR 0.2%
- INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS 400 M OR 5.7%
- OTHER RELIGIONS 58M OR 0.8%
- UNAFFILIATED 16.3%
 UNDERSTANDING THE WORLDVIEW:
1. ANIMISM
2. MONISTIC
3. MONOTHEISTIC
4. POLYTHEISTIC
5. ATHEISTIC
6. DEISM
 RELIGION,
SPIRITUALITY,
THEOLOGY AND
PHILOSOPHY
WHAT IS RELIGION?
“ A system of beliefs and practices
by which a group of people
interprets and responds to what
they feel is sacred and, usually,
supernatural as well”
SPIRITUALITY - The
quality or state of being
concerned with religion or
religious matters: the
quality and state of being
spiritual.
THEOLOGY - The study
of religious faith, practice
and experience: the
study of God and God’s
relation to the world.
THEOLOGY - Theology is the
critical study of the nature of the
divine. It is taught as an
academic discipline, typically in
universities, seminaries and
schools of divinity.
PHILOSOPHY - The study of
ideas about knowledge, truth,
the nature and meaning of
life.etc.
• A set of ideas about how to do
something or how.
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion is an institution established
by man for various reasons. Exert
control, in still morality, stroke egos, or
whatever it does.
 Spirituality is born in a person and
develops in the person
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion has a dogmatic and
unquestionable assembly of rules that
need to be followed without question
 Spirituality invites you to reason it
all, to question it all and to decide your
actions and assume the
consequences
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion does not
investigate and does not
question
 Spirituality questions
everything
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion gives you promises
for the after-life
 Spirituality gives you the light to
find God in your inner self, in this
life, in the present, in the here and the
now
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion focuses on
what pleases man.
 Being spiritual focuses
on what pleases God
RELIGION VS. SPIRITUALITY
 Religion follows
man's standards
 Spiritual focuses on
what pleases God
RELIGION VS. THEOLOGY
 Any specific system of belief,
worship, conduct, etc., involving a
code of ethics and a philosophy.
 Theology is the study of God
and (formal) religions
RELIGION VS. THEOLOGY
 Religion as humans’
way to God
 Theology as a study of
God’s way to humans
RELIGION VS. PHILOSOPHY
 Religion involves belief and
practices which assume the existence of
supernatural beings.
 Philosophy of religion is the
philosophical study of the meaning and
nature of religion
RELIGION VS. PHILOSOPHY
 Religion involves belief and practices which
assume the existence of supernatural beings.
 Philosophy of religion is the philosophical
study of the meaning and nature of religion
 It includes the analyses of religious concepts,
beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of
religious adherents
RELIGION VS. PHILOSOPHY
 Religion as humans’ way to
God
 Philosophy as a reflection
of humans’ lived experience of
God
Religion as humans’ way to
God, theology as a study of
God’s way to humans and
philosophy as a reflection of
humans’ lived experience of
God
ELEMENTS OF
RELIGION
1. MYTH/DOCTRINE
– Religious narratives/stories providing
a framework for religious
beliefs/practices
– Codify world views by providing:
• understanding of how the world works
• template for reality
• understanding the origin of humans
MYTHS
– Usually oral tradition, often indirect
messages. It can change through time.
It is recited or performed.
– Common myths: Origin/creation,
Heroes, Apocalypse, Tricksters
DOCTRINES
– Direct statements about religious
beliefs, formalized and written
• Associated with state-level religions
– May be subject to analysis
– May be more stable through time – Translations a source of change
– Many have roots in oral traditions – Bible: many translations
– Qur’an: no translations
• Literal meaning: “the recitation”
2. RITUALS
– Ritual: a patterned, recurring
sequence of events.
– a religious or solemn ceremony
consisting of a series of actions
performed according to a
prescribed order
RITUALS
– Ritual: a patterned, recurring
sequence of events.
– a religious or solemn ceremony
consisting of a series of actions
performed according to a
prescribed order
3. TEXT OR SCRIPTURES
– a sacred writing of a
religion.
- Holy texts which
contains the life of God.
4. SACRED SPACES
– places for worship.
- this is where prayers
and services are taken
place.
5. BELIEFS
– an acceptance that
something exists or is true,
especially one without
proof.
- a religious conviction.
ELEMENTS OF
SPIRITUALITY
1. HOLISTIC
Holism: The synthesis of entities into
organized wholes that are greater than
the sum of their parts.
Emphasize the importance of the
whole and interdependence of its parts
2. QUEST FOR MEANING

 Looking for the real

meaning and purpose
of life.
3. QUEST FOR THE SACRED

 Looking for the real

beliefs of God.
4. SELF-REFLECTIVE
EXISTENCE
  Choosing to look at yourself, find yourself,
affirm yourself internally, and then externally
by acting upon your affirmation and choosing
to literally be, not through your existence but
through your actions, is what it means to be
human.