Dominican Blessing

May God the Father bless us,

May God the Son heal us,
May God the Holy Spirit enlighten us
and give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
hands to do the work of God with, feet to walk with,
and mouth to preach the word of salvation with.
And may the angel of peace
watch over us and lead us at last
by the Lord’s gift of the Kingdom. Amen.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
• Explain the nature of religion as a key concept in sociology
• Define animism, monotheism, and polytheism
• Explain the different types of religious organizations and religions
• Discuss the belief system of the major world religions
• Examine the separation of Church and State as an important provision of the
Constitution
TOPICS

• THE NATURE OF RELIGION

• TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
• CLASSIFICATION OF RELIGIONS (INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGIOUS IN THE WORLD)
• SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
LESSON PRETEST

• What do you remember when you hear the word “religion”? Complete the
concept map on the circles all the terms or concepts that you can relate to the
word religion.
LESSON PRETEST

RELIGION
THE NATURE OF RELIGION
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
RELIGION

• Religion was derived from the Latin word religo, which means “to bind” or “to
obligate.”
• According to Renard (2002), religion refers to a person’s “adherence to a set of
beliefs or teachings about the deepest and most elusive of life’s mysteries.”
EMILE DURKHEIM
• French sociologist Emile Durkheim
defined religion as a “unified system
of beliefs and practices related to
sacred things, i.e., things set apart
and forbidden – beliefs and practices
which unite into one single moral
community called a Church.
KARL MARX
• Karl Marx defined religion as the “opium
of the people.”
• Marx argued that religion was used to
maintain the unequal social system that
provides more benefits to the elites or
the upper class while negatively
affecting the lower classes.
MAX WEBER
• For Weber, religion can affect a
society’s behavior and can thereby
become a possible agent of social
change.
RELIGIONS PRODUCE A VARIETY OF RELIGIOUS PATTERNS

• These religious patterns include supernaturalism, animism, totemism, theism.

Polytheism, and monotheism.
RELIGIONS PRODUCE A VARIETY OF RELIGIOUS PATTERNS

SUPERNATURALISM
• Supernaturalism refers to the
society’s belief in nonmaterial forces
that can influence the physical
world.
ANIMISM
• Animism is the belief in nature spirit.
• It also emphasizes ancestor worship.
RELIGIONS PRODUCE A VARIETY OF RELIGIOUS PATTERNS

TOTEMISM THEISM
• Totemism believed that natural • Theism refers to the people’s belief
elements, plants, or animals can in the divinity.
influence one’s life and the material
world.
RELIGIONS PRODUCE A VARIETY OF RELIGIOUS PATTERNS

POLYTHEISM MONOTHEISM
• Polytheism refers to the belief of a • Polytheism refers to the belief of a
society to the pantheon of gods. society in a single god.
TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
CHURCH
• The church is an institutional
organization that is considered as the
most recognized form of religious
organization.
• The church is defined as a large and
formalized organization that is
incorporated into society and is
sometimes fused with the state.
THE CHURCH AS A FORMAL ORGANIZATION HAS
THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS:
1. The church has a clear hierarchical
structure and organization.
2. It has developed professional class
which makes up the bureaucracy of
the church.
3. The church hierarchy formulates and
implements a set of rules and
regulations to govern the organization.
DENOMINATION
• Denominations are religious
organizations that have a large number
of members but are less formal than a
church.
• Denominations gain members by
recruiting and converting members from
other churches and denominations.
SECT
• Sects are religious organizations that
tend to differ and oftentimes reject a
larger religions’ beliefs.
• They are considered as less formal than
churches and denominations.
• They do not also have a well-organized
organizational structure and formal
leadership.
CULTS
• Cults are relatively small religious
organizations whose doctrines are
outside mainstream religious traditions.
• Cults are usually small and localized
communities led by a charismatic leader
who exercises absolute control over its
members.
TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

• Explain the similarities and/or differences of a church, denomination, sect, and

cult.
CLASSIFICATION OF RELIGIONS: INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
MONOTHEIST AND POLYTHEIST WORLD RELIGIONS

Region where it Religion Nature of religion

started
West Asia Judaism Monotheism
Christianity
Islam
South Asia Hinduism Polytheism
Buddhism
JUDAISM
• Judaism came from the hebrew word
Yehudim, which means “Judah.”
• It traces the beginnings to the time of
Abraham, the first Hebrew, who
received revelations from God or
Yahweh.
CHRISTIANITY
• Christianity came from the Greek word
Christos, which means “anointed.”
• The term was derived from the name of
Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity.
• People who professed their belief in
Jesus Christ are called Christians.
ISLAM
• Islam is derived from the Arabic word
aslama which means “surrender.”
• Islam strictly believes in one god
called Allah.
• It believes that Muhammed is the
prophet or messenger of god.
HINDUISM
• Hinduism is considered as the
world’s oldest living religion.
• It is made up of a complex set of
belief systems and practices that
encompasses not only religion but
also philosophy and culture.
BUDDHISM
• Buddhism is considered as the third
major religion in India next to
Hinduism and Jainism.
• It is also believed to be the first
international missionary religion
that was established in the sixth
century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama.
CLASSIFICATION OF RELIGIONS:
INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD

• What is the difference of monotheist and polytheist religions? Give examples of

monotheist and polytheist religions and explain how they are monotheist or
polytheist.
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IN THE PHILIPPINES
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IN THE PHILIPPINES

• The 1987 Philippine constitution guarantees the separation of the church and
state in the Philippines.
• In article 2 section 6 of the 1987 constitution, the law clearly states that the
state shall ensure the inviolable “separation of church and state.”
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Discuss the importance of the separation of church and state in a democratic

country like the Philippines.
LESSON POST TEST

• Identify the person or concept described by each statement.

LESSON POST TEST
Islam
_______________ 1. Religion that Karl Marx
_______________ 3. He believes that
strictly believes in one god called religion is the opium of the people.
Allah, whose prophet is Mohammed. Article 2 Section 6 4. An important
_______________
Church
_______________ 2. Social provision of the Constitution the
institution that is made up of a unified prevents the state from controlling,
system of beliefs and practices related intervening, and disrupting the
to sacred things. religious practices of the Filipinos.
LESSON POST TEST
Christianity
_______________ 5. Religion that Monotheistic Religion 7. Religions that
_______________
professes belief in Jesus Christ. assert the existence of a single divine
Judaism
_______________ 6. Religion that being.
traces its beginnings to the time of Cults
_______________ 8. These are
Abraham and believes in the existence relatively small religious organizations
of Yahweh. whose doctrines are outside
mainstream religious traditions.