1. VI. ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION:
Archeology, Ethnology & Linguistics
Religion
Rai a. reyes
Reporter

2. religion
Religion is the relationship between a human being and a Supreme Being
in which the latter is capable of helping the former if he obeys His laws and
commandments. Religion is the recognition of a Power that transcends humans
and such Power is capable of assisting or harming them.

3. Some Religious Beliefs & Practices
Belief in Supreme Being, all-powerful, creator, or essence of the universe. Some religious believe in a multiplicity of supernatural beings called Gods, Goddesses, or Deities.
2. Belief in the power of the Supreme Being to pour out blessings upon those who obey His laws and commandments and to give punishments to those who disobey them. The Gods and Deities are also capable of doing these things.
3. Belief that the performance of ceremonies consisting of rituals such as prayers singing sacred songs, fasting and penance, would befit the reverence and worship accorded to the Supreme Being that would make him pour out his blessing upon those who believe. All religions have ceremonies.
4. Belief in spiritual and moral codes. All religions have spiritual and moral codes.

4. NATURE OF RELIGION
- Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of superhuman agency, usually involving devotional and ritual observances and behaviour and, often, having a code for the conduct of human affairs.
-Religion is a universal and pervasive phenomenon in social life which is a part of cultural system.
-Religion cannot be segregated from the rest of man’s life.
-Religion means differently to different people of a particular society. This is because every person has unique religious experiences and peculiar ways of expressing it.
* Primitive form of religion - animism
* Civilized world – people are exposed to many and often times conflicting beliefs, doctrines and
opinions
* Some learn God through the wonders of science and technology
* Others are led to know God through their sufferings and difficulties
* Some are taught through church because they have immensely felt the presence of God in
their lives.
* Anti-clerical and atheists are indifferent and hostile towards all religious beliefs and practices because of their serious analysis

5. Definition of Religion
The modes of religious experiences are diverse; hence, religion means different persuasions to different people. This is the reason why it is very difficult to reach a generally accepted definition in terms of uniformity of the term “religion.”
Etymologically, religion comes from the Latin word religare, which means “to bind together”. In ancient societies, the various phenomena of nature are often associated with a number of things or objects revered as sacred. God-like personalities befitting deities are usually believed to possess some mystical or occult powers.

6. WILLIAM JAMES EMILE DURKHEIM
“One might say that religious life consists of the belief that there is unseen order and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjustment are ourselves thereto.
This belief and this adjustment are the religious attitude in the soul.
EMILE DURKHEIM
Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things; that is to say, things set apart and forbidden beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them.

7. EVANS PRITCHARD ROBERT NISBET
“Religion belongs to sacred things, things protected and isolated by prohibitions and set apart from the mundane, the everyday wordly objects and activities . Religion is a collective things; that is, the belief s and the values are the possession of a group which imposes them upon its members.
ROBERT NISBET
The deepest roots of any religion lies in the experience of the social and moral community which professes it. The spontaneity of being one in worship as a condition of unity and coherence satisfies human craving and this may be found in universal religions; e.g. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Protestantism.

8. HENRY CLAY GIDDENS
All religions involve a set of symbols which arouse profound feelings of reverence associated with the rites or ceremonies practiced by the community of believers. These sacred symbols are regarded as representing something to motivate their emotions and feelings as an expressions of immeasurable adulations, exaltations and devotions.
Rosary – a string of beads used for counting the prayers during the recitation of the five mysteries of the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of Christ, has been a powerful force that binds the family to stay together.
Cross- has a long and uninterrupted history and occupies a high place of
Respect, honor and veneration in Christian churches. The cross upon which
Jesus Christ died to save sinners is a profession of God’s existence. It is regarded
to be a more perfect symbol of Christ’s death and mankind’s redemption

9. Respected emblems or symbols of great religions all over the world
Islam
Hinduism
Shintoism
Zoroastrianism
Judaism
Buddhism
Cunfucianism
Taoism
Christianity
Gnosticism
Atheism

12. Instruments of Religion
There are certain instruments of religions by which a believer relates himself to his God,
the Supreme Being.
Ritual - is a single definite religious act. Examples are prayers, singing sacred songs, temple dances,
and making some offerings.
2. Ceremony - is a complete religious performance consisting of related interconnected rituals.
Examples are Sunday mass, Religious service, wedding ceremony, baptism, house
blessing and car blessing. Different religions have different rituals and ceremonies.
3. Taboo - are prohibition to do certain acts, which, if violated, may bring punishment or misfortune
to violators. Example Catholics are prohibited from eating meat on Good Friday; Muslims
do not eat pork; Hindus are prohibited from eating cow meat; almost all religions prohibit
incest; Muslims can have two or more wives at the same time but this is a taboo to
Christians. A taboo to one religion may not be a taboo to another.

13. Religious Leaders or Officials
Almost all religions have their hierarchy of officials. Among the Catholics, the head of the entire Catholic world is the Pope followed by Cardinals, Archbishop and the Priests. In the Protestant churches, there are the Bishops, Superintendents and Ministers or Pastors. In Tibet, the religious head is called Dalai Lama. The equivalent of the Priests in Buddhism are the Monks.

14. Classification of Religion According to the Number of Gods Worshipped
Monotheistic – A religion is monotheistic if there is one god or God worshipped.
Christianity is monotheistic as well as Islam.
Polytheistic – A religion is polytheistic if there is more than one God worshipped.
Some religions are polytheistic.
3. Animistic – A religion is animistic if many animate or inanimate objects are worshipped.
Paganism is often animistic. Some pagans worship to moon, the sun, a big rock
and a big tree.

15. Functions of Religion
Religions the world over, like any other political and social institutions, exist to meet certain needs of the people.
Horace T. Houf, a professor of philosophy, identified the important functions of religion:
Religion gives man assurance of superhuman help and bring comfort in times of distress and crises.
Religion offers some practical explanations to the presence and meaning of evil, and provides a
technique for overcoming it.
Religion provides a way of salvation from evil, and its best gift to men is its actual integration of the
personality of the individuals.
Religions motivates individuals and group life. It involves valuing attitude towards life, its interest and
activities. It cultivates faith, hope, beauty, goodness and love and respect for human life.
Religion supports sound morals; it integrates and promotes group solidarity.

16. Major functions of Religion perceived by some Sociologists
It gives the person peace of mind through the discovery of a way to spiritual serenity.
It legitimizes the foundation of the culture of society and integrates its value system by way of defining and explaining what God requires from its adherents and providing rules and norms of conduct to regulate human behavior.
3. It justifies, rationalizes and supports the sentiments that give cohesion to a particular society.
It allays fears and anxieties from the individual be reassuring him of the care and protection of his deity.
5. It provides norms of behavior for proper conduct of the daily activities of the people.
6. It performs social activities through welfare, education and recreation functions.
7. It serves as a means of social control. Religion exerts a great influence upon an individual
because he has to act according to the tenets of his religion.

17. It exerts a great influence upon personality development
It exerts a great influence upon personality development. Since religion is very much a part
environment , it follows that religion affects the personality development of an individual.
9. It allays the fear of the unknown. Man fears death very much because of the uncertainty of
life after death. Religion allays this fear by giving him hope of eternal and glorious life.
It supplies the explanation to events or situations, which are beyond the comprehension
of man.
11. It gives man comfort, strength, and hope in times of crisis and despair.
12. It preserves and transmits knowledge, skills, spiritual and cultural values, and practices.
13. It serves as an instrument of change.
14. It promotes closeness, love, cooperation, friendliness, and helpfulness.
It alleviates sufferings from major calamities. Generally, religion teach benevolence, charity,
and helpfulness toward people stricken with misfortunes.
16. It provides hope for a blissful life after death.

18. Disadvantages of Religion
1. Religion promotes divisiveness.
Religion divides people into enemy camps even to the extent of engaging themselves into armed
Conflicts.
Early Christians were pitilessly persecuted by Roman emperors, especially Nero, because of religion.
The Battle of Tours in 732 was a battle between the Spanish Moors (Muslims) and the French
Christian in the name of religion.
The Crusades were undertaken to recover the Holy Land from the Saracens (Muslims) in the name of Religion.
In Mindanao, the Christians and Muslims are often at odds because of religion.
Even Christians who belong to different denominations verbally attack one another because of
Differences in doctrines.

19. 2. Religion promotes the concept of predestination or fatalism.
Some poor people believe that it is the will of God that they become poor and remain poor throughout their lives. Hence, they do not struggle hard enough to improve their lives because they believe that no matter how much they struggle, they will remain poor. They are contented remaining poor because they believe they will be compensated in heaven.

22. The Universality of Religion
Religious beliefs and practices are found in all societies – primitive or contemporary.
Early people believed in the existence of supernatural spirits and tried to communicate with.
Theories to account for the universality of religion that humans create it in response to
certain needs or conditions.
Faced with ignorance, pain and injustice, people frequently explain events by claiming
intervention by gods.
Various methods have been used to attempt communication with supernatural.
Recent cross – cultural research shows that there are four major types of practitioners –
The shamans, the sorcerers or witches, mediums and priests.
The history of religion includes periods of strong resistance to change. One explanation perhaps is that religious practices always originate during the period of calamities and stress. Religious movements throughout the world have been called revitalization movements - efforts to save a culture
by infusing it with a new purpose, a new direction and a new life.

23. Implication of Religion to Education
Religious education makes a distinctive contribution to a balanced and broadly-based school curricular which:
1. Promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and society.
2. Prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
3. Reforms our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave.
4. Provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the
self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human .
5. Develops pupils knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion and belief including Christianity,
other principal religions, traditions and world views that offer answers to the challenging questions.
6. Offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.
7. Enhances awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, and of the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures.

24. 8. Encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions, while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning.
9. Challenges pupils to reflect on, consider, analyze, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.
10. Contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society.
11. Encourages pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging.
12. Enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens, in diverse society and global community.
13. Has an important rule in preparing pupils for adult life, employment and lifelong learning.
14. Enables pupils to develop respect for and sensitivity to others.
15. Can make an important contributions to other parts of the school curriculum such as citizenship, personal, social, health, and economic education, the humanities and the arts, education for sustainable development.

25. Three statutory aims of the National Curriculum
contributed by Religious Education
Successful learners who enjoy learning, make
progress and achieve.
Confident individual who are able to live safe
healthy and fulfilling lives.
Responsible citizens who make positive contribution
to society.

27. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!
GOD
and
Bless !