Week 1 – day 2

In this lesson, you will learn theories on the origin of religions. Religions did not exist out of the blue. They
are products both of human experience and worldview, as well as man’s never-ending search for meaning.
What is incomprehensible is seen as transcendent, or that which is beyond human understanding.

Origin of Religion (3 THEORIES OF THE ORIGIN OF RELIGION 23-25)

As cited from Ong and Jose (2016), the tables below are some of the many theories on the origin of religions
and their respective proponents:

16 Animistic Theory
 Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917), English Anthropologist, - Primitive people believed in souls or
anima found in people (seen in dreams) and in all of nature. Since spirits could be helpful or harmful to
human beings, early people had to pray to these spirits, offer sacrifices, and appease or avoid them.
 Robert Henry Codrington (1830-1917), Anglican priest and anthropologist - In his investigation, he
found out that the Melanesian people believed in mana, a mysterious force that inhabited all of nature.
All early people began their religion in cognizance of such force; the destructiveness of the mana can be
avoided by establishing taboos.
17 Nature-Worship Theory
 Human beings first developed their religion from their
observations of the forces of nature. Early people became
aware of the regularity of the seasons, tides and the phases
of the moon, and began personalizing them by giving
them names, describing the activities with tales that
transformed into mythology. Primitive people identified
the forces in nature, personalized them, created myths,
and developed religions around them.

The Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England

Theory of Original Monotheism
 Wilhelm Schmidt (1868-1954), Austrian anthropologist and ethnologist, In Australia and Africa,
cultures held a common belief in a distant high god, that originally there had been one great god above
all others, and that they may have been the creator of the world or the father of the many lesser deities.
Primitive societies were originally monotheistic, but because it was difficult to worship just one god,
religion was corrupted to polytheism.
18Magic Theory
 People had gone three phases of development concerning the spirit world: (1) primitive magic (wherein
people attempted to control nature in the hope that nature will cooperate if rituals are done properly); (2)
religion (wherein people implored nature to cooperate since they have realized that nature cannot be
coerced); (3) science (wherein a rational understanding of nature is operative).
Wish Fulfilment Theory
 Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach (1804-1872), German philosopher and anthropologist - There were
no gods and that belief in gods was simply wish fulfillment. Troubled people who could not cope with
the difficulties in life projected their wishes and developed gods and religions.
 Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883), German philosopher and sociologist - Religions were developed
by the few to control the masses and suppress revolution because of the continuing struggle between
classes. Rulers and allied priests wished to control all wealth, so they had to create a scheme of gods,
heavens, and hell. Masses were persuaded to accept poverty and be obedient to inherit bliss in another
life.
 Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Austrian neurologist and founder father of psychoanalysis - Religion
originated from the guilt that individuals supposedly feel in hating their fathers. All males possess a
similar tendency to desire our mothers and hate our fathers. Because of this subconscious hatred and
ensuing guilt, a great father image was projected in the sky called God. A healthy mature person can
face problems without the need for gods or religions.

Activity 1.
Go out of your house and look for a place where you can see nature. Observe everything that you see (trees,
birds, flowers, plants, sky, etc.). Try noticing their structure and build. Sit down, close your eyes, take a deep
breath, and reflect by asking yourself these questions:
1. Who could have made all these things around me?
2. How am I connected to them?
3. How am I related to their Creator?
4. What can I do to protect them?
Write your reflection in your notebook.
Spirituality
In this lesson, you will learn the importance of spirituality in religion. Accordingly, spirituality is very much
related to religion, for it is the very ground to connect with the realm which is beyond human existence. Hence,
religiosity and spirituality always go hand in hand, for they are like to wings that support each other. In as much
as spirituality is all about a deeper connection with the divine, religiosity on the one hand is the people’s
expression of faith and belief.

What does it mean to be spiritual? What does it entail to be religious?

Most of the time, people take spirituality and religiosity to be one and the same thing. Taking the literal
meaning of spirituality, it is derived from the Latin word19 “spiritus” which means breath. Like the air you
breathe, you cannot see your spirit. It is a divine reality that goes beyond the things that you can see, hear, or
even touch. Although you can feel in your heart the presence of God even though He is spiritual by nature, your
basic senses cannot recognize his totality. Spirituality springs from the heart and can be felt from within. On the
one hand, religiosity could be the very expression of man’s spiritual longing. It is shown in the way a person
acts according to the prescribed actions of a religious system. This outward disposition gives man a believer a
sense of connectedness between the spiritual and the physical realm, although not all people can be considered
as spiritual in their religious actuations.

In your own understanding, how can you tell whether a person is spiritual or religious? Can a person be both
spiritual and religious? How do you express your own sense of spirituality and religiosity in your life?

In the study of world religions and belief systems, it is important to understand the different fields such as
Theology, Philosophy of Religion, and Spirituality, to see religion in all its facets. These three are related with
each other but are different in methods. Which is why, one can help the other in obtaining the substance of the
study of religion.

20 THEOLOGY is the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine. It seeks to study the
existence and nature of the divine by using a method or theological perspective. (Ong and Jose, 2016)
21 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION is more concerned regarding some issues where religion is involved,
including the analysis of divine texts and the existence of the divine. It also elaborates the explanation of the
people’s religious experiences, as well as their acts of worship and meditation. (Ong and Jose, 2016)
22 SPIRITUALITY is described as the integration of a person’s point of view in life and their search for its
real meaning and value in relation to the existence and presence of the divine which can also be described as
one’s capacity for self-transcendence.
The Four Non-negotiable Pillars of Spiritual Life according to Ronald
Rolheiser as cited by Manaloto and Rapadas (2016).
1. Proper interiority (prayer) and personal moral integrity.
2. Social Justice
3. Active participation in a community of fellow adherents
4. Mellowness of heart and spirit

Now, can a person really become religious and not spiritual? Or spiritual without being religious?
Spirituality, as defined, is a phenomenon that involves a human being’s capacity to transcend to connect to
reality beyond human conditions. That is why it is said that the only way for a person to connect to the divine is
through prayer, for prayer is the very language of the soul. On the other hand, religiosity without spirituality is
vain and nonsense, for there is nothing with pious acts and worship without putting heart into it. Any action
without faith and love is a lavish show of actions without essence. Thus, according to Fr. Joey Rapadas, “when
the heart is far from God, worship and religious rituals clearly become an empty and ridiculous human gesture
incapable of nurturing loving relationship with God” (Manaloto and Rapadas 2016).

Filipinos are known to be both spiritual and religious. Even amid poverty, difficulties, and struggles in
life, they still seek God in the way they could express both their inward and outward devotion as depicted by the
Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo and the Feast of Sto. Nino in Cebu. For some people, this is a negative
expression of faith. But for these people, their awareness of the presence of God in their devotion expresses how
deep their faith is. In this sense, Filipinos are also known for their resilience and courage because they
constantly turn to God in the trying times of their lives. Moreover, since every person has a unique sense of
spirituality and religiosity, it is but necessary to respect each other’s faith and beliefs. No matter how
unnecessary in your eyes what other people are doing, it is always essential that respect must be given to them
because that is how they express their faith and trust in God. This is also one of the main purposes of this
subject matter, that is, for you not to be converted into another religion. Rather, by knowing and understanding
their faith and beliefs, you may also learn the value of respect and tolerance towards them.

Activity 2 Direction: In your notebook, write your own Mantra that will remind you of the presence of God in
your life. This Mantra could be composed of phrases or a sentence that you will repeat either verbally or
mentally over and over again. Write a short reflection as to why you have written/ chosen such mantra.

Example:
My Mantra: God is always with me; I
have nothing to fear.

Reflection:
Whenever I am afraid, I always repeat these words to help me boost my morale, as well as my courage. There
are times that I feel alone and sad because of the many trials that come along the way. Yet, whenever I say these
words in my heart and in my mind, or sometimes with my lips, I really feel that God is at my side and that there
is nothing to be afraid of.

Activity 3. Direction: Answer the following questions in your notebook.

1. How are you going to show your being a spiritual person in your life?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you consider yourself: a spiritual or a religious person? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Rubrics for Essay

5 The question was answered very clearly and definitively.

4 The question was answered clearly and definitively
3 The question was treated quite clearly and definitively.
2 The question was poorly answered
1 The question was not answered well.