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HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

HUMSS 12

Introduction to World Religions &

Belief Systems
Quarter 1
SELF LEARNING MODULE 1
Week 1

F2 ROYLAN HOPE C. PETILUNA.

Subject Teacher
09663557331
F2roylanhopecpetiluna@gmail.com

Name: _______________________________________________________________ Year/Strand ________________________

Subject: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student’s Contact Number: ____________________________________ E-mail Address:____________________________

Date Submitted: ______________________________________

Most Essential Learning Competencies:

1. Differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system, world view, religion, and spirituality
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Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
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HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE

Religion & Belief Systems

Introduction:

Religion is defined in many different ways from different perspectives. Here, you will learn
what are the major descriptions and ways to define religion. You will also discover the different
aspects that are often linked to religion, and identify its respective relationship to and difference
with religion.

What is Religion?
Religion can be defined in three different categories: (1) Substantive definition, (2)
Functional definition, (3) Family of resemblance definitions.
Substantive Definitions
-these define religions according to its distinguishing content or the essential
characteristics that religion particularly possesses like beliefs, institutions, and practices.
Definition(s) of Religion under this category:
 “Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relevant to sacred things which
unite into one single moral community all those who adhere to them”
– Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Functional Definitions
-these define religions according to the function it serves to its adherents
Definition(s) of Religion under this category:
 “Religion is the feeling, acts, and experiences of individual people in their solitude
as they stand in relation to whatever they consider the divine” –William James
(1842-1910)
Family of Resemblances
-this defines religion according to its network of similarities among the different
types of religion. This emphasizes the common traits of the different religions to come up with a
unified definition of what religion is.
Definition(s) of Religion under this category:
 “Religion is the ultimate concern for the ground of Being” – Paul Tillich (1886-1965)
 “Religion is the feeling of absolute dependence” – Friedrich Schleiermacher (1778-
1834)
In order for us to have a unified idea of religion that we can all use in our further
discussions, kindly consider this definition; “Religion refers to the action or conduct indicating
belief in, obedience to, and reverence for a god, gods, or similar superhuman power; the
performance of religious rites and observances.” – Oxford English Dictionary
The definition above shows two important aspects that define religion; (1) religion adheres
to the existence of a superhuman power (e.g. god, gods, angels, etc.), (2) religion is a kind of
effort or commitment to follow in relation to the belief it adheres to.

What are the Elements of Religion?

Though there may be a lot of definitions of religion, all religions share the same and
common elements. These elements are used as a standard in identifying a certain religion.
Without these elements, it may be difficult to consider something as a religion.

1. Religion has something to do with one’s quest for spiritual growth and self-
transcendence. Religion must provide steps, ways, guidelines, laws, and teachings
about what a person should and should not do in order for the person to grow,
improve, and become spiritual. In the case of Christians, these may refer to the Ten
Commandments, the two laws left by Jesus, and the other teachings of the saints as to
how to attain salvation and the favor of God.
2. Religion has a framework of transcendent beliefs. Transcendental beliefs refer to a
person’s view or position about the existence of metaphysical elements of supernatural
powers (e.g. god, gods, angels, etc.). This element emphasizes that a religion possesses
a set of transcendental beliefs. The transcendental beliefs may be categorized into the
following:
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a. Theism – belief in god(s) and supreme supernatural beings.

1. Monotheism – belief that there is only one God
2. Polytheism – belief that there are two or more gods
3. Pantheism – belief that everything is god
4. Panentheism – belief that everything is in god
b. Atheism – belief that there is no god/gods
c. Agnosticism – is doubtful of the existence of god/gods. Neither believes or denies
the existence of god/gods
3. Religion has sacred texts or writings. A religion possesses a written document of the
basis of their faith, tradition, and reflection which is/are used in their religious
activities and is/are passed down from one generation to the other, An example of this
is the Holy Qur-an of the Muslims which was said to be the bearer of the original
words of God recorded by Prophet Mohammad. Because of this, Muslims strive hard
every day to make sure that they are on the right track and are doing what is
essentially good.
4. Religion has rituals – Rituals are cultural artifacts that includes gesture, words,
actions, and objects performed in sacred space such as temples, churches,
synagogues, ad shrines. Rituals are done to give opportunities for people/followers to
express their faith
5. Religion has sacred spaces. Sacred spaces are places revered as the rightful place for
prayer, worship, and reflection, Examples of sacred spaces include churches, temples,
masjids, synagogues, shrines. Aside from being a place of worship, sacred places can
also be of great significance to religion, like for example, Christians who consider the
city of Jerusalem to be a holy place because it is where Jesus visited for several times,
and it is also the place where he was crucified.

What is the Relationship between Religion and Philosophy of Religion?

Philosophy of Religion refers to the branch of philosophy that engages in philosophical
analysis, reflection, and examination of the central issues, themes, topics, and problems about
religion. The goal of philosophy of religion is to provide important insights on some religious
concepts, beliefs, arguments, and religious practices. In other words, philosophy of religion tries
to examine the different teachings and practices of different religions to provide useful ideas
about how we should view the different religions.
Philosophy of religion is different from Religion for the following reasons:
1. Philosophy of Religion is a method useful in understanding some complex
issues about religion (e.g. Does God really exist?, Can God really do anything?
Knows everything? Always good?, Can evil be avoided? Are miracles true?
2. Philosophy of religion primarily uses reason in making judgments unlike
Religion which uses sacred texts, objects, traditions, laws, dogmas, etc.
3. Philosophy of religion is purely an intellectual activity rather than socio-
emotional and spiritual as with religion.
4. Philosophy of Religion cannot replace religion
In addition, Philosophy of religion can also be recognized through the following
characteristics:
1. It is not apologetics. This means that it does not sponsor or defend any
religion
2. It is not comparative religion. It does not focus on just describing religions
but most importantly it tries to evaluate rationality of a religion’s belief systems,
teachings, dogmas, and practices.
3. It is evaluative. It tries to evaluate religions rather than to simply describe
them.

What is the Relationship between Religion and Theology

Theology is defined as the method of explaining one’s faith. This uses reason in order to
critically examine and understand the faith of a person. Theology is a way to reinforce a person’s
faith and influence his/her behavior towards his/her religion. Faith is the main focus of
theology, wherein it seeks to prove the content of a person’s faith through correct rational
justification.
Example: A Christian’s faith says that Jesus is the Son of God; in this sense, using correct
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rational judgment, Theology will try to prove that the Christian’s faith is true. In other words,
theology focuses on reinforcing and proving a person’s faith in order to improve the person’s
attitude towards his/her religion or belief system. However, theology is different from Religion in
the sense that theology is an intellectual activity to prove one’s faith only. It does not necessarily
try to prove or promote any religion. Nevertheless, religion still benefits from the results of
theology, or it could either adapt to such results.

What is the Relationship between Religion and Spirituality

Spirituality is concerned with the non-material dimension of man. In this case, the non-
material dimension is what we refer as “spirit”. Spirituality is generally considered as the way of
regaining the things that have been lost from the original self. It is thought that the self or the
spirit is originally clean, without blemish, and without fault. However, since the spirit is exposed
to this world full of corruption and sin, the original self or the spirit has eventually lost its
cleanliness. Thus, it is the goal of spirituality to lead the person back to regaining the original
self/spirit. Spirituality tends to lead the person to a blemish-free and sin-free life.
It is also said that when a person is able to reach spirituality, the person learns to
understand that the world is not only about him/herself but that he/she is entirely connected
with all the other beings in the universe. A spiritual persons understands that he/she is in
communion with the universe and whatever he/she does will always affect the world. When a
person understands this, he/she is able to elevate him/herself and connect to things, people, or
elements higher than the human being. Examples of known spiritual people are Jesus Christ,
Buddha, Dalai Lama, Socrates, Confucius, and Lao Tzu.
Though spirituality and religion may be linked, many people would claim that people can
be spiritual even without being religious (Spiritual But Not Religious, SBNR). Many would argue
that though religion may help people in achieving spirituality but it does not mean that it is the
only way to achieve spirituality. For them, Spirituality is a personal journey rather that can be
reached even without religion. Examples of proponents of SBNR people are unchurched, eclectic,
unaffiliated, spirit-seekers, freethinkers.

What are Belief Systems or World Views?

Beliefs systems refer to the way people view things, people, events, experiences,
knowledge, and other elements that a person constantly encounter. Beliefs are systematically
structured as a gauge to see the things that make up reality.
A belief system possesses the following characteristics:
1. Belief systems are value-laden – Religious belief systems are aimed at developing
a person’s values or virtues like goodness, respect, charity, love, faith, compassion,
mercy, among others. The development of values are basic to human life and are
highly necessary for his/her survival.
2. Belief systems are prescriptive. Beliefs are prescriptive in a sense that these are
highly imposed by a generally accepted authority in order to achieve goodness and
welfare for the person.
3. Belief systems are instrumental/purposive – Belief systems are used as a way or
a tool to realize the intentions of religion. For instance, many religions teach the
belief that salvation can only be achieved in believing in the god that the religion is
following, and being a participating member of that religion.
4. Belief systems are communal – Belief systems are communal because they are
commonly shared by a number of people belonging to a particular religion.

General Instructions:
Always read and follow the instructions for every exercise carefully. Write your answers in
the blank spaces provided.
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Exercise 1
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Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE
Directions: Create a sketch of a person who is spiritual but not religious (SBNR) and a person who
is religious but not spiritual (RBNS). Just take a pic of your sketch and paste it in the boxes below.

Spiritual but not Religious Religious but not Spiritual

------Scoring Rubric------

Points
Content
15 Concept of the sketch is
highly relevant to what is
asked in the
corresponding column
12 Concept of the sketch is
relevant to what is asked
in the corresponding
column
9 Concept is quite relevant
to what is asked in the
corresponding column.
6 Concept is not relevant to
what is asked in the
corresponding column.
3 Concept is not relevant to
what is asked in the
Criteria
Clarity
The correctness of the
sketch can be easily
identified.
The correctness of the
sketch takes at least two
minutes before it can be
fully understood.
The correctness of the
sketch takes at least five
minutes before it can be
fully understood.
The correctness of the
sketch cannot be fully
understood.
The correctness of the
sketch cannot be fully
Creativity
Concept of the sketch is unique
and there are applications of
different elements of art that
contribute to the overall
attractiveness of the sketch
Concept of the sketch is unique
and there are elements of art
applied
Concept of the sketch is quite
predictable; and there are
elements of art applied
Concept of the sketch is quite
predictable; and there are
elements of art applied
Concept of the sketch is very
predictable; and there are no
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Purok Tugas, Balangasan Dist., Pagadian City, Philippines
Document Title:
ISO 9001:2015
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
SELF-LEARNING MODULE
corresponding column. understood. elements of art applied

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Exercise 2

Directions: Carefully read the following items and identify whether they describe or belong to
Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Theology, Spirituality, or Belief Systems/World view. Write R if it
describes religion, PR if it is Philosophy of Religion, T if it is Theology, S if it is Spirituality, and BS
if it describes Belief Systems. Write your answer on the space provided before the item number. (1
pt. each)

_______1. It seeks to develop values like goodness, respect, charity, and love among others in the
followers of a religion.
_______2. It has a framework of beliefs to a god, gods, and other transcendental beings.
_______3. This refers to the goal and process of regaining back the original self.
_______4. Its main focus is to study the contents of a person’s faith.
_______5. It is an intellectual activity that does not defend nor necessarily adhere to any religion.
_______6. It seeks to evaluate the teachings, practices, and issues of religions whether they are
reasonably acceptable
_______7. Refers to the goal of every person’s spirit which is said to be achievable even without being
religious.
_______8. This refers to views that are shared by a group of people following the same religion
_______9. Presents ways on what a person should and should not do to achieve spirituality
_______10. Possesses and adheres to identified sacred texts/writings, rituals, and sacred spaces
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Reflection

What did you learn most from this topic? Discuss your learnings/insights comprehensively.

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Reference(s)

Atim, B., C., N. (2016) DIWA Senior high school series: introduction to world religions and
belief systems. Philippines. DIWA LEARNING SYSTEMS INC. pp. 2-25
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