Introduction to Religion What is religion?

Some Images

Religion Religare – Latin root – Re plus ligare – ‘again’ combined with ‘to bind’ meaning ‘to tie fast’ Religia – Latin – ‘obligation’ or ‘bond’ Religian – Old French

Gary Comstock that part of some people’s lives which involves rituals, beliefs, organizations, ethical values, historical traditions and personal habits or choices – some of which refer to the transcendent.

Mircea Eliade “The sacred always manifests itself as a reality of a wholly different order from ‘natural’ realities....The first possible definition of the sacred is that it is the opposite of the profane.” sacred: Set apart for worship of a deity or as worthy of worship. profane: Nonreligious. Outside the sphere of religion.

Ninian Smart Seven Dimensions of Religion. Not a definition, but identifying features that help us understand the way academics think about the topic.

Practical or Ritual Formal or informal Temporal and spatial

Experiential or Emotional Rudolf Otto – Mysterium tremendum fascinans – a mysterious something that draws you in and inspires both awe and fear Bernini, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Gianlorenzo Ecstasy of St. Teresa Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome Mysticism key here - Intuitive - Beyond reason

Narrative or Mythic Dimension Myth – a vehicle that relates a truth defying normal expression and sets pattern for human behaviors – Cosmogony Accounts of creation of the world – Eschatology Accounts/Beliefs about the end of the world Scriptural or canonical (kanon is Greek for measuring rod)

Doctrinal or Philosophical Dimension The principles of a tradition Typically explain complex ideas May or may not be familiar to the average believer, but is part of the scholarly tradition

Ethical or Legal Dimension The things required of a believer

Social and Institutional Dimension

Material Dimension Artifacts – Buildings – Art – Music – Symbols – Natural World

Why do religions exist? Religions help us deal with a variety of human needs. For example: – Give us a way to think about our own mortality – Help us to find security in an insecure world – Organize us socially – Assist the poorest and the weakest with survival – Stimulate artistic production

Sigmund Freud Religion is about projecting our childhood experiences with our parents onto a God or gods

Carl Jung Individuation or personal fulfillment Symbols particularly important

Some Key Terms Theistic – Religions based on a relationship with a divine being Monotheistic – The Divine in a Singular form Polytheistic – Multiple forms of the divine Monistic – Beneath multiple apparent forms of the divine there is one ultimate reality Atheism – Non-belief in any deity Agnosticism – No knowledge if the divine exists or can be known

Why Study Religions Insight into other cultures and into the lives of other people. Religion is a key to the way many people live. Understanding religious practice helps us to better understand others’ lives and hopefully, to be tolerant of people not like us. Improve your appreciation of new places because you can understand what you see and hear and experience more fully. To assist in your own religious quest. Summed up simply: we can learn from others who do not practice as we do. To appreciate every day life more fully. You cannot see a movie, read a book, hear a song, listen to a Presidential debate without some mention of religion it seems. Knowing more is a positive. To make you a better citizen of the world