INTRODUCTION TO

WORLD RELIGION
AND BELIEF
SYSTEM
Do you Believe that there is a God
or there is an existence of God?
 Belief System
It refers to a set of principles that help in
interpreting our daily reality.

These beliefs are shaped and influenced by different

factors such as:
How we know things
How we were raised
Peer pressure among others
 World View
It is the mental model of reality that signifies a
comprehensive framework of ideas & attitudes about the
world, ourselves, life, a system of beliefs, a system of
personally customized theories about the world and how
it works.
 Religion
It comes to the latin word religare or religio which means
“to tie” or “to bind”. This signifies that humanity and
divinity can be joined together to build a harmonious
community that is bounded by the relationship between
humans and the divine.

Others are re and lig. Re means “again” and lig which

means “to join” or “to connect”. This account insinuates
the original connection between Humans and the divine.
 Religion
relegare which means “to tread carefully”.
This indicates that humans should be
cautious when dealing with divine. It should
be regarded with respect and care.
 World View
Understanding of the world specially regarding
politics, philosophy and religion.

It
can also be defined as the collection of belief
about life and the universe being held by people.
 Basic Religious Concept
Theistic God
The concept of a being purely spiritual, all
good, all knowing, and all powerful.
Theism
Belief in the existence of theistic God
 Basic Religious Concept
Atheism
Disbelief in theistic God
Disbelief the existence of any divine being.
Agnosticism
Neither belief nor disbelief in the existence of
theistic God.
 Types of Theism
Animism
The belief that inanimate objects have souls.
Polytheism
The belief in a multiplicity of gods.
Henotheism
A polytheistic belief that each nation or country
has its own god.
 Types of Theism
Dualism
The polytheistic belief in two conflicting deities,
one good and other evil.
Monotheism
The belief in one God
 Types of Theism
Deism
The monotheistic belief in a God who set the
universe in motion and thereafter left it alone.
Pantheism
The monotheistic belief that God is identical with
nature as a whole.
 Revelation
Special Revelation
The divine revelation to humans in specific in
content, and for a specific audience.

General Revelation
The divine revelation to humans is general in
content, and for a general audience.
 Revelation
Theology
The human attempt to understand special
revelation
Natural Theology
The human attempt to understand general
revelation.
 Elements of Religion
Belief System or World View
Many beliefs that fit together in a system to make
sense of the universe and our place in it.
Community
The belief system is shared, its ideals are
practiced by a group.
 Elements of Religion
Central Stories / Myths:
Stories that help explain the beliefs of a group; these
are told over and over again and sometimes
performed by members of the group. They may or
may not be factual.
Rituals
Belief are explained, taught, and made real through
ceremonies.
 Elements of Religion
Ethics
Rules about how to behave; these rules are often
thought to have come from a deity or supernatural
place, but they might also be seen as guidelines
created by the group over time.
Characteristic Emotional Experiences
Most religions share emotions such as awe, mystery,
guilt, joy, devotion, conversion, inner peace, etc.
 Elements of Religion
Material Expression
Religions use things to perform rituals or to express
or represent beliefs, such as statues, paintings,
music, flowers, incense, clothes, architecture, and
specific sacred locations.
Sacredness
 Spirituality
It is described as the quality or state of being
concerned with religion or religious matters.
It may also be put as a deep sense of aliveness and
interconnectedness with the nature, the divine or
supernatural.
Derived from the latin word spiritus, its root word is
spirare which means to breath. (Courage, vigor,
soul)
 Characteristics of Spirituality
1. A sense of wholeness and harmony within oneself.
2. A sense of wholeness and harmony with others
3. A sense of wholeness and harmony with God or
supreme power
4. A sense of wholeness and harmony with
ecosystem.
 Attributes (Elements) of Spirituality
1. Meaning: the ontological significance of life; making
sense of life situations; deriving purpose in existence.
2. Values: beliefs and standards that are cherished;
having to do with the truth, beauty, worth of a
thought, object or behavior; often discussed as
‘ultimate values’.
3. Transcendence: experience and appreciation of a
dimension beyond the self; expanding self-
boundaries.
 Attributes (Elements) of Spirituality

4. Connecting: relationships with self, others,

God/Higher power, and the environment.
5. Becoming; an unfolding of life that demands
reflection and experience; includes a sense of who
one is and how one knows other things.
Elements of Spirituality

AFFECTIONAL
DEVOTIONAL
INTELLECTUAL
MORAL