UNIT 1

CHAPTER 1:
RELIGION IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

Contents:
Lesson 1: Religion and Social Sciences
Lesson 2: Defining Religion
Lesson 3: Positive and Negative Effect of Religions

INSTRUCTION ON THE PROPER USE OF THIS MODULE:

a. Follow closely the instructions in every activity.

b. Be honest in answering and checking your exercises.
c. Answer the pre-test before going over the materials. This is to find out you
already know.
d. Answer the exercises encountered at the end of every lessons.
e. Review the lesson that you think you failed to understand.
f. Seek assistance from your teachers if you need help.
 Lesson 2
DEFINING RELIGION

I. PRETEST: MULTIPLE CHOICE.

Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1: For most Christian denominations, how do new converts become a Christian and join
the church?

A. Baptism as a small baby.

B. Baptism at any age.
C. Confirmation at the age of 12.
D. Being born into a religious family.

2: Which of these is one of the five pillars of Islam?

A. Fasting at Ramadan
B. Helping family.
C. Attending the Mosque every Friday
D. Reading the Quran everyday

3: Which of these Hindu divine beings is usually shown as a female in art?

A. Shiva
B. Ganesha
C. Kali
D. Vishnu

5: The Adi Granth is the holy text of which faith?

A. Hinduism
B. Confucianism
C. Sikhism
D. Mormonism

6: Jesus Christ was born in…

A. The Province of Palestine

B. The country of Iraq
C. The country of Iran
 D. The City of Rome

7: The holiest day of the Jewish year is…

A. Pesach
B. Yom Kippur
C. Hanukkah
D. Rosh Hashanah

8: What is the title for the head of the Roman Catholic Church?

A. The Teacher
B. The Pope
C. The Vicar of Mary
D. The Great Father

9: Animistic beliefs include the idea that

A. No clear boundaries exist between the natural and the supernatural
B. Nature is superior to the supernatural
C. Animals once existed as human beings
D. There is one creator who intervenes in both the natural and supernatural

10: Right effort, right speech and right action are all:

a. Steps that lead to the Noble truths.

b. Steps to become a Buddhist Monk.
c. Steps towards a moderate life.
d. Steps towards the extinction of the self.

11: The Buddha taught that people can achieve enlightenment if they follow the…

A. The Sevenfold Path

B. The Fourfold Path
C. The Tenfold Path
D. The Eightfold Path

12: Muslims belong to which religion?

a. Christianity b. Buddhism c. Islam d. Judaism

13: Christian’s worship in a church, but Muslims worship in a _______________?

a. mosque b. synagogue c. church d. cathedral

14: Monotheism means _______________________________.

a. believes in many gods b. to pray five times a day

c. judgment day d. believes in one god

15: Who is the founder of Christianity?

a. Muhammad b. Abraham c. Jesus d. Moses
Congratulations for making it this far. At this point let us have an activity for more
knowledge about world religions.

II. INTRODUCTION: DEFINING RELIGION

ETYMOLOGY – (meaning of a word) lies with the Latin word “religare” which means “to
tie” or “to bind”. Meaning having a religion is binding oneself into a group. Having
involvement and connection in an institution.

A. DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Understanding definitions of the following concepts.
1.Theology – Study of the nature of God
2.Spirituality – a sense of meaning of life or association with a sense of inner spirit.
3.Monotheism – a belief in the existence of one God
4.Polytheism – believing in many gods.
5.Astheism – a belief that there is no God.

III. DISCUSSION: DEFINITION OF RELIGION

1. RELIGION Is a SEARCH FOR 2. Is ALSO A SEARCH FOR

THE ORDER OF THINGS.
Religion is about the ordering of
events, people and the material
world as a whole.
PERSONAL MEANING.
A faith or worldview that provides a sense
of meaning and purpose in life.
It is a set of interpersonal relationship and
friendship network.

3. A stable pattern of rules and

statutes and organizational
practices. Means 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.
Religion as a summary is a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and
practices, morals, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations,
that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements.  Meaning it is
a recognition of all duties as divine commands.
I. There are two ways of defining RELIGION as a SOCIAL REALITY.

a. SUBSTANTIVE – Focus on the content or substance of religious beliefs. Focus on

what religion is.
Example:
Belief in God or the supernatural. Meaning to be religious is:
1. Is to believe in something
2. Requires action
3. Involves emotion

b. FUNCTIONAL – which is more concern with the social consequences of religion.

Focus on what religion does and how it operates in terms of its place in the social
and psychological system.

Example:
1. Baptism 2.Christening & Dedication

3.Weddings 4. Church activities

5. Religious festival 6. Funerals

1. Attending Mosque 2. Religious rituals

IV. CLASS ACTIVITY:

 Instruction: Fill in the necessary information that you know about religion.

V. CONCLUSION:
The characteristics of each religion are a reflection of its people. The unique
identities of a people are shaped by their culture, geography, language and history.
These become a basis for how a people understand God, how they show their devotion
and how they worship.

VI. EVALUATION

SIMPLE RECALL:

____________1. The meaning of the word “RELIGARE”

____________2. A belief in the existence of 1 God.
____________3. The birthplace of Jesus.
____________4. Focus on what religion is.
____________5. A belief that there is no God.
____________6. It is a study of the nature of God.
____________7. Focus on what religion does.
____________8. A belief in many gods.
____________9. An association with a sense of the inner spirit.
___________10. What is Religion?

Share your thoughts!

Q: How did beliefs in each of the main world religions influence behavior of believers?
Please share your thoughts below.

VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES

Lewis, John. (1968). The Religions of the World Made Simple. New York: Doubleday &
Company, Inc. Markham, Ian S. & Christy Lohr. (eds.). (2009).
A World Religions Reader. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Partridge Christopher (3rd ed.)
(2005).
The World’s Religions (The New Lion Handbook). Oxford: Lion Hudson. Saint-Laurent,
George E. (2000). Spirituality and World Religions. California: Mayfield Publishing
Company. Sheldrake, Philip. (2012).
Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: University Press. Smith, Huston. (1958).
The Religions of Man. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers

God Bless