History of Religion Part 2 Mr. Young Sociology Unit 3 Religion History of Religion Part 2 Mr. Young Sociology

I CAN: Explain the basic structure of Religion Analyze the 4 major categories of Religion Evaluate the 4 major religious organizations

Definition of Religion A Unified system of beliefs and practices concerned with sacred things

What Religion sets apart Sacred Profane Things set apart from daily life Nonsacred, everyday aspects of life

1) Religious Experience A sudden awareness of the supernatural or a feeling of coming into contact with God Example: born again- in Christianity when a person has undergone a life-transforming religious experience and feel as if they are a new person

2) Belief Ideas that people believe to be true Includes values (how people ought to live) and cosmology (a unified picture of the world)

3) Faith One of the most important aspects of religion is faith- unquestioning belief that does not require proof or scientific evidence Sacred- refers to those aspects of life that are extraordinary or supernatural Profane- the everyday, secular “worldly” aspects of life

4) Rituals Rituals- regularly repeated and carefully prescribed forms of behaviors that symbolize a cherished value or belief This can include The Lord’s Supper, Muslims bowing toward Mecca

Rituals videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYEuJ5u1K0 Monty Python Monk Video

Symbols Symbols- helps to provide identity with a particular religion Usually sacred emblems that evoke feelings of awe and reverence

Symbols Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhJVy7TLio Multiple Meanings of Symbols Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fiVkfQn8Jo Multiple Meanings of Symbols Part 2

Community All of the others lead to this Feel a close bond with one another because their faith and beliefs are usually the same Usually refer to one another as brother or sister, fosters a sense of family Usually very powerful and can help people that need structure

Doctrine A particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of religion or government Simply put teachings that a certain religion is founded upon

4 major categories Religion is based on 4 major categories Simple supernaturalism Animism Theism Nontheistic Religion

1) Simple Supernaturalism The belief that supernatural forces affect people’s lives either positively or negatively This type of religion does not acknowledge specific gods or supernatural spirits but focuses instead on impersonal forces that may exist in people or natural objects

2) Animism Belief that plants, animals, or other elements of the natural world are endowed with spirits or life forces that have an impact on events in society Example: Native American hunting rituals Everyday life is not necessarily separated from the elements of the natural world

Theism Belief in a god or gods Christianity, Islam, Greeks, Egyptians

A) Monotheism a belief in a single, supreme being or god who is responsible for significant events such as the creation of the world Worlds major religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, believe this way

B) Polytheism a belief in more than one god Hinduism, Shinto, and many African religions

4) Nontheistic Religion Religion based on a belief in divine spiritual forces such as sacred principles of thought and conduct, rather than a god or gods Similar to Buddhism

Types of Religious Organizations Four major types of religious organizations Cult Sect Church (Denomination) Ecclesia

Videos on Cults http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXYb3zItEdU 3D dialogue on Cults http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvvSuvSA3EI What is a cult video (2 min)

1) Cult A new, loosely organized religious group, with few followers, with practices and teachings outside the dominant cultural and religious traditions of a society All major religions began as a cult Jim Jones and Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate and Hale-Bopp Comet

Characteristics of a Cult Charismatic Leader- someone who exerts extraordinary appeal to a group of followers Members antagonize the majority because they believe they have found the truth Demands intense commitment, usually a sense of close community among the followers

Top 10 Cults http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOSm9wvf5o (6 min)

2) Sect Relatively small religious group that has broken away from another religious organization to renew what it views as the original version of the faith Typically appeal to those who might be characterized as lower class Loosely organized and fairly smaller

Sect Cont. Stress evangelism- the active recruitment of new members If sects grow they can tend to gradually make peace with society, move up in socio-economic status, and can become a church

A) Denomination Midway between church and sect A large organized religion characterized by accommodation to society but frequently lacking in ability or intention to dominate society Approximately 38,000 Christian denominations in the world

3) Church A large, bureaucratically organized religious organization that tends to seek accommodations with the larger society in order to maintain some degree of control over it Church membership largely based on birth Religious services highly ritualized Examples: Lutheran and Episcopal church

4) Ecclesia A religious organization that is so integrated into the dominant culture that it claims as its membership all members of a society Also known as state religion Examples: Church of England, Lutheran Church in Sweden and Denmark, Roman Catholic Church in Italy and Spain, and Islam in Iraq and Iran