2. Statistics World Population –> 7 billion Professing Christians –> 2.1 billion Religious Non-Christians –>3.7 billion

3. Group Questions 1.What is a “religion”? How would you define a “Religion”? 2.Name as many religions as you can? 3.What religion (apart from Christianity) do you know the most about? How many facts can you list about it? 4.What is the practical value of a study like this?

4. Religion A system of beliefs and practices that directs a person toward transcendence and thus provides meaning and coherence to a person’s life.

5. Religion A system of beliefs and practices that, by means of its cultus, directs a person toward transcendence and, thus, provides meaning and coherence to a person’s life.

6. Cultus External features, no matter how small, which have meaning only for the sake of the religious belief and would be unnecessary in other contexts.

7. Stages in Evolution of Religion 1. Mana 2.Animism 3.Polytheism 4.Henotheism 5.Monotheism

8. Mana  Most “primitive” form of religion  Very little complexity  General awareness of a Spiritual Force in world  The Force is not personal

9. Animism  Visualizes spiritual forces in terms of Personal Spirits  Many forces, pictured as personal beings with distinct identities and names  Often organized into: Nature & Ancestor Spirits

10. Polytheism  Not just many “spirits”, but many “gods”  These “gods” are vastly superior to “spirits”  Pantheon = sum total of gods + goddesses within a particular religion

11. Henotheism  Recognize many different gods as real, but worship only one.  Visible in “other nations” in the OT

12. Monotheism  Highest step of development (potentially)  Only one God, who is: The creator of the world Vastly superior to any creature Author of moral directives for people Alone worthy to be worshipped.

13. Original Monotheism Locates the origin of religion in God, not man.

14. Folk Religion The lived, everyday practices of religion by common laypersons. (May be very different from the “official” definitions of the religion by professionals)