Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning

an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine
or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, traditions and rituals associated
with such belief or system of thought.

Supernatural dimension:
- Belief in the supernatural is the belief in a divine being or power, which is greater than
humankind and the natural world. This being is believed to be responsible for the creation of
the world for providing moral framework to humankind and being the ultimate destiny of the
human being at the end of their moral life.
- The Semitic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam, believe that the supernatural dimension is
a single divine being or power. Also known as polytheism.

Immanent worldview:
- Textbook: A world view that recognises a divine being or power as a constant reality- an
active and continuing presence among believers and in this world.
- My book: an immanent worldview holds the belief that the supernatural or divine beings
dwell within the human world. Examples would include Hinduism and Buddhism. For
example, Buddhist follow eightfold path prescribed by Buddha in order to reach
enlightenment. The divine power is believed to be found in the human and awaits discovery.
Transcendent worldview:
- Textbook: a world view that recognises a divine being or powers whose existence ‘goes
beyond’ human limitations.
- My book: is a view in which one has a belief in a divine power or powers beyond the human.
The three Semitic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam emphasise the idea of God
being revealed to humankind from beyond the human spirit. For example, Islam, adherents
believe that the command of allah has been revealed to the prophet (SAW). Hence,
transcendent due ti the divine being seen as being separate and outside of the human.

Characteristics of religion:
- Beliefs and believers, sacred texts and writings, ethics, rituals and ceremonies.

Beliefs and believers:

- Beliefs are the key tenets, doctrines, or values which underpin the religious practice of a
particular religion for the believers. Sustains all religions.
Sacred texts and writings:
- The most important belief of an ancient religion is recorded within its texts. Usually, these
beliefs were in oral circulation before they were written down in the sacred texts. Contain
sacred stories, explains through historical or non-historical means how people are connected
to the supernatural dimension.
Ethics:
- Reasoning behind moral decision making. The ethics and precepts of a religion are the laws
which embody the key doctrinal tenants of a religion and allow for the practical application
of that religion. Ethics offer a system of standards which regulate moral decision makings.
Rituals and ceremonies:
- Are practical expressions of aspects of a religion. Rituals and ceremonies involve prescribed
words and actions along with the use of symbols. These reflect the understanding of the
sacred dimension. Lead to greater understanding of ultimate reality.

The contribution of religion

Questions humans Brought up include:
- Is there a supreme being?
- Who am I? – individuals gain identity by by relating to their God or gods, guided by the
beliefs and practices of their tradition.
- Why is there evil pain and suffering?
- Is there life after death?
The contribution of religion:
- With its claim to a supernatural dimension (and by association to the transcendent and
immanent world views), religion succeeds in fixing the minds and hearts of its adherents in
the here and now, while at the same time pointing them beyond the material to the spiritual
or divine realm.
- Religion also contributes to individuals, society and culture by adhering to the key
characteristics that have been discussed - beliefs and believers, sacred texts and writings,
ethics, and rituals and ceremonies. These characteristics enable religion to become practical
and concrete.

Aboriginals
 Ancestral being: Spirits who moved about forming the landscape and creating the plants, animals
and peoples of known world. They also founded the ceremonies, marriage laws and other laws
of human society.
 Totem: an object such as an animal, a plant or a particular landmark through which a person is
linked to the ancestral being responsible for their existence.
 Dreaming: a complex concept of fundamental importance to aboriginal culture that embraced
the long-ago creative era of the ancestral beings as well as the present and future.
Indigenous groups include.
- Aṉangu: central australia.
- Koori (e): southeastern australia.
- Murri: Queensland.
- Nunga: South Australia.
- Nyungar: southwest Western Australia.
- Yolngu: Arnhem Land region. Northern Territory.

The dreaming:
- Is the belief system of aboriginal people which is animalistic. (Animalistic: the belief that
animals, nature, objects are living spirits.)
- The dreaming is divine nor universal.
- The indigenous australian worldview is a distinctive religious system. The religion is very
strongly linked to the land, the land remains alive with religious significance.
All three worlds are interconnected with another: (human, physical, sacred) are dependent on each
other. Land is at the centre of all three worlds. When land is taken the way of life is destroyed.

Dreaming:
- Refers to the events and places, rather than time. It is the unseen spirit world, it is not
obscure and in the past, it is what gives life and reality to the visible world.
- Dreaming is both communal and personal. Dreaming is reflected in a special way in the land.
-
- The stories, songs, art and ceremonies recall the journeys of their ancestral beings and their
interaction with people and their bestowal of land upon particular language groups.
- Aboriginal art and ritual objects pay an important role in the telling of stories and preserving
the scared laws handed from the past.
- The whole way of life do traditional aboriginal society is grounded in direct links to the land.
- Their stories, art, and ceremonies recall the way the ancestral beings shaped the
environment as it is now known, a laid down the law and establish the relationships and
responsibilities by which aboriginal people live out their lives.

Aboriginal art and its symbolism communicate the intimate relationship between the Ancestral
Beings and the Law, values, customs, ceremonies and obligations of Aboriginal peoples. It enables
the passage of knowledge within Aboriginal society and, in limited ways, to the outside world.

It is impossible to discuss the beliefs and spiritualities of Indigenous Australians without talking about
the land. It is the land that gives them their identity - 'the Land is my mother'. The journeys of the
Ancestral Beings shaped the landscape and gave birth to its people - journeys that are re-enacted in
the rituals and ceremonies of the people and expressed in their art.
‘Our story is in the land ... it is written in those sacred places ... My children will look after those
places, that's the law.’ - Big Bill Neidjie
Christianity
- Christianity began in Judea where Jerusalem was the main religious and economic centre.
- Jesus, a Jew had emerged, and his followers had seen him as the Messiah. They had become
a sect in Judaism, yet it separated and became a religion.

Events in Jesus life and the ministry.

- Jesus is born. 6-4 BC. Bethlehem. Matthew 1:18-25.
- Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. 26 A.D. River Jordan. Mark 1:9-11.
- Chooses the 12 disciples. 28 A.D. Capernaum. Mark 3:13-19.
- Preaches sermon on the mount. 28AD. Capernaum. Mathew 5:1-48.
- Arrest, trial and crucifixion. Friday. Passover eve. Jerusalem. John 18:2-40.
- Resurrection from dead. Sunday. Jerusalem. Mark 16:1-8.
- Ascends to heaven. 40 days after resurrection. Mount of olive by Jerusalem. Mark 16:19-20.

Jesus lives a life of prayer.

- The gospels portraits of Jews show him to be a man of prayer, frequently communicates with
God with familiar and intimate manner. (Luke 10:21)
- He often escapes from the pressure of daily life to pray in a quiet place. (Luke 5:16)
- Jesus prayer includes the tradition of the Jewish liturgy. (Matthew 27:46).
Jesus lives a life of service to others.
- From the outset the ministry of Jesus is characterised by service of others. (Mark 1:23-45)
- Initially jesus focuses on the Israelites (Jews) than expanded his scope. (Mark 7:24-45).
Preaches universally.
- A number of the sayings attributed to Jesus includes the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) and
the golden rule (Matthew 8:12) highlights the attitude of service. Treat others what you love
for yourself.

After jesus:
- Mark: wrote the gentiles from the perspective of Christians under persecution and
emphasised the crucified Christ as the son of God. (C 54-68ce).
- Matthew: wrote for Jewish Christians in Antioch, Syria, and focused on Jesus the teacher.
(cc.85 CE)
- Luke: write for wealthy gentile Christians in the Roman Empire. He emphasised the
compassion and forgiveness of Jesus.
- Paul: emphasises that jesus is God in action and that he is the wisdom of God. The whole
world is a sphere of Gods redeeming action in Christ since Jesus Christ is Gods new covenant
with humanity. The earliest of his writing is 1 Thessalonians (c.50-51ce).
- Peter: leader of the 12 apostles and was forced to leave Jerusalem and said to have gone to
Rome as the first bishop of the roman church.
- James: when peter was forced to leave, James became the undisputed Christian leader in
Jerusalem.
Christian community stages:
1. Jesus's death and resurrection is announced to the Jews and others in Pentecost.
2. The church learns its first lesson about expansion. The first break – the gospel message is not
tread to Jerusalem.
3. The church learns a second valuable lesson. Expansion and disagreement – you need not to
be a Jew to be Jesus' disciple.
4. The churches expand through Paul’s missionary journeys.
Nicene creed
- A creed is a statement of faith which includes shared beliefs of that particular Christian
community.
- When Constantine won control of the Roman Empire in 312 CE, he elevated Christianity to
favoured status and the official religion of the Roman Empire. He became the Holy Roman
Emperor.
- He soon discovered the fractured state of the church and to bring unity he convened a.
Council in 325 CE, that met at the city of Nicaea.
- Most orthodox Christians take on the nicene creed as a declaration of faith. Also used by
Catholics, Anglican, and some Protestants.
Denominations.
1. 11th century – major split of Christianity. Catholic and orthodox split.
o Orthodox has own patriarchy and more imagery in churches due to greek influence.
o Catholic Church has roman history and remains until the 16th century.
o Anglican part of Protestant but split of in high and low Anglican.
2. 16th century – enlightenment, major split, humanism and educated scholars questions the
split.
o Protestant church would be very rare as shown in their beliefs.
o Catholic Church and pope splits. Christians want to get back to bible.
o Reformation period. (Protestant church protests against pope of Catholic Church as
they believe of man traditions are embedded into this.
- Protestants: believe in salvation