First Quarter

Module 1: An Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems (Definition of Terms)

Content Standard:
a. Belief systems, worldview, religion, spirituality, philosophy, philosophy of religion and
theology.
Performance Standard:
a. Prepare character sketches of a person who is spiritual but not religious and a person
who is religious but not spiritual.
Learning Competency:
a. Give example of a belief system or worldview. Communicate her/his understanding of
her/his religion.
b. Differentiate religion from: a. Spirituality b. Theology c. Philosophy of Religion
c. Relationship and elements of religion and spirituality
Specific Learning Outcomes:
The learners will be able to:
a. Give an example of a belief system or a world view.
b. Enumerate and discuss the elements of religion.
c. Differentiate religion from spirituality, theology and philosophy of religion.
d. Explain the relationship between religion and spirituality.
e. Discuss the nature and value of religion and its importance in relation to: one’s self,
society and nature/environment.
Essential Questions:
1. How would you describe religion?
2. Is religion important to you? Why/why not?
3. How does religion give meaning to your life on a day to day basis?

I. Introduction
Lesson 1

RELIGION

II. Motivation
Activity 1. Answer the following questions:
a. Why should you know what it means by ‘’religion’’? Does it make a difference? (5 pts)
b. In the context of religion, list down 5 things that you believe in by completing the
following statements. What have you observed in your own belief system? (5 pts)
I believe in/that ____________________________________________
I believe in/that ____________________________________________
I believe in/that ____________________________________________
I believe in/that ____________________________________________
I believe in/that ____________________________________________

Was it difficult for you to think of five things that you believe in? Why or why not?
Did you find this activity thought-provoking? Why or why not?
Pause and reflect on these questions:
How do you describe your commitment to your religion?
How do you and your friends observe your religious practices?
How do people with different religious backgrounds practice their religion?

III. Lesson Proper

Most people, if not all, belong to a religion. Perhaps you belong in a family that deeply
observes religious practices regularly and submits to its teachings of doctrines and beliefs.
However, while growing up, you encounter people of various religions, and you discover
that while your religion may be different from theirs, it still shares something in common
with other religions.
Every individual sees and interprets the world quite differently from one another. This
overall perspective is also termed worldview which is a collection of beliefs about life and
the universe being held by people. For a certain individual, social environment and
upbringing are critical in the development of a religious life. All these factors have an effect
on how people organize their beliefs and ideas while eventually creating a comprehensive
narrative through which they look at the world and interrelate with it

WHAT IS RELIGION?
 An action or conduct indicating
belief in, obedience to and
reverence for god, gods, or similar
superhuman power; the
performance of religious rites and
observance. (Oxford dictionary)
 It is personal or institutionalized
system grounded in such belief
and worship.
 By etymology
 Latin word variants :
 Relegere- “constantly
return”
 Religari- “to be tied into”
 Re-eligere- “to choose
again”

Figure 1 illustrates the different characteristics that are common to most major religions.
WHAT IS BELIEF?
 a mental state or attitude toward a particular thing, people, place, or event. It does not
necessarily require empirical evidence.
 For example, there are some beliefs which lack sufficient evidence or do not have
evidence at all such as belief in the existence of alien, ghosts, santa claus or a fairy.
Religions have their set of beliefs, and these beliefs are important because
1. beliefs serve as a compass for people in choosing to behave the way they do
2. beliefs help people see and/or make sense of reality
3. beliefs form the values and human character of a person
4. beliefs move people to action
5. beliefs are kinds of knowledge

WHAT IS FAITH?
 defined as a belief that is not based on proof. It refers to the observance of religious
obligations, an attitude of reverence toward entities and ideas that are considered
important in that religion and unwavering trust in the major beliefs of particular
religion.
World Religions and Their Belief Systems
Religion Founder Sacred Text(s) Doctrine(s) Transcendental
Belief(s)
JUDAISM Abraham/Moses Torah, Poetry, Ten Monotheistic
Prophets, Commandments Yahweh/Jehovah
Talmud, , 618 rules
Mishnah
CHRISTIANITY Jesus Christ Bible (Old and Trinity, Trinitarian
New Resurrection, (Father, Son and
Testament) Last Judgment Holy Spirit)
ISLAM Prophet Qur’an and Five Pillars of Monotheistic
Muhammad Hadith Faith Allah
HINDUISM Aryans Vedas, Dharma, Kama, Polythiestic
Upanishads, Artha, Brahman, 33 million gods
and Atman, Yoga and goddesses
BhagavadGita
THERAVADA Siddharta Tripitaka Four Noble Non-theistic
BUDDHISM Gautama Truths, Eight-
fold Paths
MAHAYANA Siddharta Sutras Four Noble Non-theistic
BUDDHISM Gautama Truths, Eight-
fold Paths, Six
Perfections
CONFUCIANISM Confucius Confucian Nirvana Human Nirvana
Classics Nature, Five
(Analects) Cardinal Virtues
TAOISM Lao Tzu Tao te ching Wu-wei and Law Tao
Book of of Reversionn
Chuang Tze
SHINTOISM Prehistoric Kojiki and Kami and Kami (animist
animists of Nihongi divinity of and nature
Japann emperors spirits)
There are at least three main positions or temperaments when it comes to the belief in God:
theism, atheism, and agnosticism.
Theism – is the belief in the existence of God or gods.
Multiple variants: Monotheism – belief in one God
Polytheism- belief in many gods
Pantheism-belief that everything is god
Panentheism – belief that everything is in god
Deism
Atheism- this view denies the existence of a god or gods
Agnosticism – cannot prove nor disprove the existence of a higher being named god or
gods.

ELEMENTS OF RELIGION
Despite the wide variety of supernatural beliefs found in cultures around the world,
most belief systems do share some common elements. Most religions highlight the
relationship between the individual and the divine, particularly deities, gods or spiritual
beings. Many religions have sacred texts and recognize certain individuals as imbued with
spiritual or moral authority.

5 Elements of Religion
1. The first element has to do with one’s quest for spiritual growth and self-
transcendence.
 Religions provide the template on how one has to live his or her life leading to
one’s ability to allow himself or herself to be formed, grow, and transcend.
 Religion becomes one major facet in self-formation. It allows a person to discover
the meaning of life and human existence
 It then inspires human beings to strive and be creative in their endeavors and way
of living in order to make their lives most satisfying, worthy to be lived, and attain
perpetual happiness.
2. The second element is a framework of transcendent beliefs.
 Major religions of the world differ in their orientation regarding their belief in God.
 The way they see things as it is may be caused by cultural, historical, and
geographical conditions.
3. The third element is sacred texts or writings.
 Texts were product of different traditions and a reflection of people’s way of life
and culture.
4. The fourth element is rituals.
 Practices or ceremonies that serve a religious purpose and are usually supervised
by religious specialists.
 It involves gesture, words, actions and objects performed privately or publicly in a
sacred space such as churches, synagogues, temples or shrines.
5. The fifth element is a sacred spaces.
 Prayers, meditations, and other religious celebrations are usually held in sacred
spaces like churches, synagogues, mosque, temples or shrines.
 Spaces contribute to the sacredness, reverence, and value of what are considered
essential and holy.

In an effort to seek ways to define and understand the concept of religion, you may ask:
What makes religion distinct from spirituality, theology, and philosophy of religion?
Relationship between Religion and Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy comes from the Greek words philos and Sophia which together mean ‘‘love of
wisdom’’. It is the study that tries to critically examine the nature, meaning, structure, and
value of things by the use of reason and logic.
 It is related to religion since it explores the experiences of human as they related to
God.
 Religious beliefs often include philosophical insights regarding the world and everything
in it, the meaning of life, and man’s ultimate purpose.
Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy that deals with the philosophical analysis,
reflection, and examination of the central issues, themes, topics, and problems about
religion.
 The function of philosophy of religion is to provide illuminating insights on some
religious concepts, beliefs, arguments, and religious practices.
 To examine our religious diversity; theological concepts such as grace, faith, and
salvation; arguments for and against the existence of God; and problems of evil among
others.
Theology comes from the Greek words theos, which means ‘‘deity’’ or ‘‘god’’ and logos,
which means ‘‘word’’ or ‘‘discourse’’. It is the study or discourse about god or gods.
 Functions as a method in forming a reasoned expression of faith. Its objective is to
critically examine and understand the content of faith.
Spirituality is connected with the nonmaterial dimension of man. Its root word, spirit, is
primarily thought to refer the incorporeal substance of any animate beings like humans.
 It understood as an activity that deals with recovering what has been lost from the
original self.
 It emphasizes the expression and experience of the sacred, the search for transcendent
meaning, the attainment of harmony with the universe, and the achievement of a sense
of purpose and balance in the face of life’s challenges.
The Element of Spirituality are as follows:
1) a holistic or fully integrated view of life
2) a search for meaning and purpose in life
3) a desire to attain knowledge regarding the sacred
4) self-reflective existence.

Religion can be considered the manifestation of one’s spirituality, as many people

attain the elements of spirituality within the framework of their religion. But being religious
is not a guarantee of spirituality. A person can be outwardly ‘‘religious’’ in performing
certain religious actions or rituals, while not adhering to the underlying principles of
spirituality.
On the other hand, it is also possible for a person to be spiritual without being
religious. Those who adopt the ‘‘spiritual but not religious’’ view spirituality as an
achievement of balance between the body, spirit, and mind, as well as the attainment of
overall well-being in one’s life.
ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING
* Understanding the nature of religion enlightens learners about the common grounds that
bind believers into examining the questions of life and death and why or how persons yearn
for spiritual inspiration.
* Recognizing the inherent characteristics of religion provides the opportunity to deeply
grasp the many beliefs and practices that mold humankind's spiritual needs.
In this module, you have discovered that they also showed how the concepts and disciplines
of theology, philosophy of religion, and spirituality are related to religion. It has been
established that they all help in understanding better the phenomenon of religion.

IV. Practice

Activity 2 Venn Diagram

Directions: Present the similarities and differences of spirituality, theology and religion using
the expanded Venn diagram below. (15 pts)

Religion Theology

Spirituality

V. Evaluation
Essay (20 pts)
1. What different values have your religion instilled in you?
2. What various guiding principles which may have been influenced by your religion do
you adhere to in your life?
VI. Assignment
Answer the following questions:
A. What is the image/face of your religion? Draw an image that describes your religion.
B. Interview a religious person and have him or her describe how religion has guided
their actions and helped them attain a sense of harmony and purpose in life.
C. Interview a non-religious but spiritual person and ask him or her to describe how
spirituality has given him or her purpose in life.
D. Have you ever come across people who are religious but not spiritual? Create a
character sketch of that person and evaluate what he or she needs to do to achieve
spirituality.

GOD BLESS & KEEP SAFE! :)

Prepared by: Karl Cano , LPT