World Religions & Belief

Systems
WEEK 1 – 2
HUM3
GRADE 12
AESOP & SOCRATES
 Beginnings
Religion= the response to the mysteries of life
that is organized, ritualized and agreed upon
by a group of people
Religio: something done with attention to
detail or fervor
v. Religare: to bind things closely together
Survival was key to early humans, so life and
death and the rituals around these were
important
 ACT for Spiritual
Development

Hank Robb, Ph.D., ABPP, Reno, NV 2010

Accept the world as it is, was or

may be.
Choose, and willingly follow, your
Values & Leading Principles.
Teach others to do the same.
 Assumptions
Your are one being in one
universe.
Joseph Campbell’s Four
Functions of Mythology

Mystical Function
(Making contact with “the mystery”)
Cosmological Function
(Seeing “the mystery” through all things)
Social Function
(“rationalizing” social action)
Individual Function
(addressing life phases)
 “Spiritual”
Possibilities
RELATIONSHIP:

I AM Divinity.
(though not the “you” you think you are)
I RELATE to Divinity.
ATTITUDES
Say “yes” to the world as is.
Say “no” to the world as is.
Say “yes” after you “fix up” the world.
 Assumptions
If you have the usual
body parts, you have
hands and feet. They
are part of your one
being. You also have a
spirit.
 Assumptions
The actions you take in
your one life will affect the
one universe of which
you are now a part and
that was here before you
and will be here after you.
 Mind

In addition to our spirit, and the

sensations of our body, the one
being we are also has a mind.

Our mind is largely made up of

thoughts and images.
 Thoughts

Those radio programs inside

your head.
 Images

Anything with a picture.

 Bodily Sensations

Your heart beating faster or

slower. Your hands feeling
cooler or warmer. Your
stomach feeling more tense or
more relaxed.
 Thoughts, Images &
Sensations

Sometimes you can control your

thoughts, images & sensations.
 Thoughts, Images &
Sensations
Thoughts, images and sensations
come from your personal
learning history and your
biological history.
 Finding Your Spiritual
Self
It is “the possessor of a body and mind.”

Long duration - as far back as you can

remember.

Stable - like the eye of a hurricane.

 Finding Your Spiritual
Self

Certainty of bodily control, if not control of thoughts, images or

sensations, when you are “there.”

A sense of “is-ness,” “being-ness” or “alive-ness” and not

“goodness” or “badness,” when you are “there.”
 Umpire Perspective
Thoughts are divided into true
and untrue.
Images are divided into attractive
and unattractive.
Sensations are divided into
pleasant and unpleasant.
 Umpire Perspective

With the Umpire Perspective you

sometimes get, “bad calls,” most
typically with thoughts.
 Observer Perspective

You see that a thing is exactly what

it is and nothing more and
nothing less.
 Actuality Perspective
There is a difference between “you” and
your thoughts, images and sensations.
“You” are the person who “has” thoughts,
images or sensations.

There is a difference between your

thoughts, images and sensations and the
actual world.
Leading Principles
Leading Principles are like using a compass to go East or
West rather than North.

Follow a compass North and you will reach magnetic

North. The compass will spin around and every time
you walk away it will point you back to where you
came from.
 Goals verses
Leading Principles
Goals are places at which you can “arrive.”

Have a baby.

Get married.

Graduate high school

 Goals verses
Leading Principles
Leading Principles give direction rather than describe places to
“arrive.”
When would you be “arrive” at:
Be the best parent I can be?
Be the best mate I can be?
Be as educated as I can be?
You can always get up the next day and keep going!
 Leading Principles
Give direction rather than location
& do so without regard to
location.

Provide direction through the

wilderness of life rather than a
path through it.
 Leading Principles
“The path” is where you’ve been. If you
are “on a path,” it is someone else’s
path because NO ONE has lived your
life before.

You are the only one who can do it!

Leading Principles
Start walking.

At what point are you “unable” to

“change directions?”

That is the experience of “human

freedom.”
 Values
Values are ways of performing
regardless of which Leading Principle
you are following, e.g. honestly,
considerately, kindly, thoughtfully,
etc. Not many value deceitfully,
inconsiderately, meanly or
thoughtlessly; though they could.
 The world is filled with
contingent requirements,

and you have a choice as to how

you fulfill them.
 “Midlife Crisis”
Getting to the top of the ladder and
finding it’s against the wrong
wall.

Typically produced by following

someone else’s agenda.
 Giving your permission
IS NOT
giving your approval.
That for which you give your approve is one thing.

That for which you give your permission is something else.

My wife approves of pickles in tuna fish.

I don’t!
 When you don’t give your
permission for Life to be as it is
was or may be who suffers,

You or Life?
 Two Kinds of
Willingness
Willingness with your feet.

Willingness with your heart.

The Buddhists & the
Rolling Stones agree:
“You don’t always get
what you want!”
 SO,

Simply being alive

means experiencing
sorrow.
And SOMETIMES you actually get
what you want!
You experience “fulfillment.”

Life is full of sorrow and fulfillment,

And the place in between!

Thriving requires Surviving

and
Surviving isn’t Thriving
While all other beings are living
their lives as best they can,
as far as we know,

only we can TRY to live our lives as

best we can.

We can act WITH purpose, ON

purpose.
 “Happy” and “Unhappy” are
names for two relationships we
can have with our lives containing
sorrow, fulfillment and the in
between.
 HAPPINESS
Us

A Permission Giving Relationship with

Life as Sorrow, Fulfillment and In Between.

 UNHAPPINESS
Us

A Permission Withholding Relationship with

Life as Sorrow, Fulfillment and In Between.

 Spiritual Love
Looking out for someone’s, or
something’s, long-term best interests.

It is a choice.

A choice not necessarily related to

affection, affiliation, or sexual
attraction.
 You can love yourself, as
well as others,
but maybe not at the same time.
 The price of being a sensitive
human being is that you will feel
the pain of others.
 The price of living YOUR life
will be bringing pain, in the form
of sorrow, into the lives of others.
 Why?
Because in living YOUR life, you will not always be giving
others what they want.

And sorrow is what happens when people don’t get what they
want.

And, if you are a sensitive human being, you will feel the sorrow
you are giving them!
 Forgiveness

Forgiveness means you stop

holding the facts against someone
(e.g. your mate) or something (e.g.
the world in general).
 Forgiveness does not mean
forgetting the facts,
excusing the facts,
explaining the facts,
understanding the facts
or anything other than not
holding the facts against someone
or something.
 NOW WE’RE TALKING

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT!
 Reconciliation
Reconciliation means giving them, or
it, a chance to do it again!

It means going on an adventure where

at least some of the danger is being
hurt in the same way you were hurt
the last time.
And what would be the point
of doing that?

I have no idea!

What would be the point of YOU

doing that?
What Leading Principle would
you be instantiating by
reconciling?

Or by refusing to reconcile?
And you could do that
WILLINGLY!
 NOW WE’RE TALKING

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT!
 Order of Action
First, willingly head in your chosen
direction.

This is not the same as just trying to

get away from where you currently
are.
You can’t go without leaving.

You can’t leave without going.

To which one are you giving the

emphasis?

Going or leaving?
Order of Action
Then, make yourself as
comfortable as possible
while you keep on going.
There’s nothing wrong with
“smelling the roses
along the way”
as long as it doesn’t make
you late for
LIFE!
 Competence & Confidence
You gain confidence when you perform
successfully over time and give the credit for your
performance to YOU.
Not to, “it was Tuesday.”
Not to, “the bike was red.”
Not to, “the audience was friendly.”
And not to, “I just got lucky.”
 Essay Question 25 pts
What does spiritual growth mean to you?

How have you experienced spiritual growth in the

past?

What’s a difficult situation you’re facing right now?

Could that situation be an opportunity for growth?

Why or why not

In your own words, what does it mean to surrender to

God?
Theology
An Invitation to Theology?
“Jesus said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.’”
–Matthew 22:37
 Introduction to
the Theology

We are all real people created by a real God, and we

all have real struggles, real questions, and real
convictions.

We are glad that you are here!

 Introduction to
the Theology
Mission: Renewing minds and changing
lives by purposefully guiding
people through a study of historic
and biblical Christian theology.

Goal: “Our goal is not so much to teach

good theology, as important as
that is, but to teach people to
think.”
Defining Theology
“What does it mean to ‘do’ theology?”
 Question

What is theology?
 Defining Theology
What is Theology?

Write a one or two sentence definition of theology:

 Defining Theology
“The
“Thestudy
studyor orscience
scienceof of
God.”
God.”
–Millard
–Millard Erickson
Erickson “Rational
“Rationaldiscussion
discussion
Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 22
Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), 22
respecting
respectingthe
thedeity.”
deity.”
–Augustine
–Augustine

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“TheScience
ScienceofofGod
God
and
andof
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H.Strong
Strong –Charles
–CharlesRyrie
Ryrie
Basic
BasicTheology
Theology(Wheaton,
(Wheaton,IL:
IL:1986),
1986),99
 Defining Theology

“The
“The science
scienceof of God
God oror of
of religion;
religion; the
thescience
science
which
which treats
treats of
of the
the existence,
existence, character,
character, andand
attributes
attributes ofof God,
God, his
his laws
laws and
and government,
government, the the
doctrines
doctrines we we are
are to
to believe,
believe, and
and the
the duties
duties wewe are
are
to
to practice;
practice; divinity;
divinity; (as
(as more
more commonly
commonly
understood)
understood) the the knowledge
knowledge derivable
derivable from
from thethe
Scriptures,
Scriptures, thethe systematic
systematic exhibition
exhibition of of revealed
revealed
truth,
truth, the
the science
science of of Christian
Christian faith
faith and
and life.”
life.”
—Webster’s
—Webster’s Dictionary
Dictionary
 Question

Who is a theologian?
 Defining Theology
Who is a theologian?

Anyone who has asked the ultimate questions of

life:
• Why am I here?
• What is life?
• What happens after death?
• What is the difference between right and wrong?
• Why is there something instead of nothing?
 Defining Theology

The
The question
question isis not,
not, “Who
“Who isis aa
theologian?”
theologian?” butbut “What
“What kind kind of
of
theologian
theologian am
am II going
going toto be?”
be?” Are
Are
you
you going
going to
to be
be aa good
good theologian
theologian oror aa
bad
bad theologian?
theologian? This
This isis aa more
more
accurate
accurate question
question because,
because, as as one
one
writer
writer put
put it,
it, “not
“not all
all theologies
theologies are
are
equal.”
equal.”
–Source
–Source unknown
unknown
 Defining Theology

How do we “do” theology every

day?
 Defining Theology
1. When we think about God.
2. When we share the Gospel.
3. When we interpret the Bible.
4. When we get sick.
5. When we defend the faith.
6. When we plan for the future.
7. When we choose schooling for our children.
 Defining Theology
8. When we vote.

9. When we attempt to deal with sin in our lives.

10. When we decide on who we marry.

 Defining Theology
How do we “do” theology every day? In other words,
how does our theology influence our daily routine?
 Defining Theology

credo ut intelligam
“faith seeking understanding”
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 Question

What are the different categories

of theology?
 Categories of Theology
Bibliology:

The study of the nature, transmission, canonization,

and purpose of Scripture.

Theology Proper:

The study of God’s existence, nature, and attributes.

Sometimes called “Trinitarianism.”
 Categories of Theology
Christology:

The study of the person and work of Christ.

Pneumatology:

The study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

 Categories of Theology
Anthropology:
The study of the purpose and nature of humanity,
both in its pre-fall and post-fall state.
Hamartiology:
The study of the nature, origin, and effects of sin
on all creation.
Angelology:

The study of the nature and works of demons and angels.

 Categories of Theology
Soteriology:

The study of salvation.

Ecclesiology:

The study of the nature of the Church.

Eschatology:

The study of the end times.

 Question

How certain are you

about your beliefs?
 Essentials and non-essentials

“Certain” (Webster’s)
Definite; fixed.
Sure to come or happen; inevitable.
Established beyond doubt or question; indisputable.
Capable of being relied on; dependable.
Having or showing confidence; assured.
 Essentials and non-essentials
(recitation)
How certain are you that . . .

1. There is a God?

2. That Christ rose from the grave?

3. That God loves you?

4. That Christ is coming back?

5. That God wants you to trust that He will protect you from all physical harm?

6. That God wants you to trust that He will protect you from all emotional harm?

7. That God wants you to trust in Him in every circumstance?

8. That the Bible does not have any historical errors?

9. That Adam and Eve were real people?

1. That there was really a snake in the garden?
2. That God created the earth in seven literal days?
3. The God created the earth?
4. That Christ paid for the sins of all mankind?
5. That Christ died for you?
Sources of Theology
“Where do we go for truth?”
 Question

What are the different sources of

truth?
 Sources of Theology
John Wesley’s Quadrilateral

Tradition Scripture

Reason Experience
 Sources of Theology
1. Tradition

2. Reason

3. Experience

4. General Revelation

5. Emotions

6. Special Revelation (Scripture)

Sources of Theology
 Sources of Theology
Reason: Information that comes through the
human mind’s capacity for logical,
rational, and analytic thought.
 Sources of Theology

credo quia absurdum

“I believe because it is absurd”
This
ThisLatin
Latinphrase
phrasecoined
coinedbybyTertullian
Tertullian(150-225)
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evidences
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Church’sdisdain
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 Sources of Theology
Experience: Information that comes through
direct encounter, participation, or
observation.
 Sources of Theology
Emotions: Information that comes through
subjectively experienced
psychological feelings.
Excursus:
Does God still Speak Today?
 Excursus:
Does God Still Speak Today?

Has Special Revelation ceased, or

does God still communicate to people
through prophets, dreams, visions, and
audible encounters?
 Excursus:
Does God Still Speak Today?
2. While it may be true that Church history has not seen
the continuation of God speaking directly, this does
not mean that it is not possible.
 Unity and Diversity
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary

Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into the grave

The third day he rose again from the dead

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead

I believe in the Holy Ghost

I believe a holy catholic church; the communion of saints

The forgiveness of sins

The resurrection of the body

And the life everlasting. Amen.

 Shelter for survival vs. shelter for
worship
• Whatever was needed for
survival and protection
was of the utmost
importance
• Survival- physical
• Protection- Cultural

• When protection is
achieved, exploration
(both internal and
external) could be
undertaken
Deeper questions emerged
(recitation)

How did we get here?

What is our purpose?
What happens to us after death?
Stories were created
Passed on by word
of mouth
Sacred texts
Some purport to be
the revelations of
God and therefore
become authority
for many
 Systems are established
Worship of nature for survival

Attempts to find answers and

change outcomes for things
like:
Natural disasters
Scarcity of food
Death

Established rituals, prayers,

and ceremonies
Including feasts, silence,
fasting, sacraments and
others
 Characteristics of Ancient
Religions
Belief in spiritual realm- what are the gods like?
Close ties to geography
Prescientific worldview
Concern with survival
Systems of worship
Theology: religious belief and behavior
Scripture: religious story
Philosophy of Religion
What We’re NOT Asking
Theological questions:
Usually presuppose that God exists

Descriptive Questions:
E.g. When exactly did the Jewish and Christian
movements divide?;
Who wrote the Bible?;
What political and social structures influenced the rise
of Scientology
The Kind of Thing We’re Asking

Philosophical questions:
Usually makes no assumptions about the existence
of God

Normative Questions:
E.g. Is it reasonable to have religious beliefs?
Under what conditions would one be justified in
believing (or disbelieving) in the existence of
God?
Should one be required to give reasons in support
of religious judgments at all?
 Words of Warning

Students in this class must respect the

opinions of others when debating the
question

“Does God Exist?”

 Basic Vocab(ulary)
Theist
believes there is a God

Atheist
believes there is no God

Agnostic
is neither a theist nor an atheist
could think it’s equally likely that God exists and that
God doesn’t
or perhaps hasn’t thought about the question enough to
form any beliefs on the matter
 God
An absolutely perfect being
A first cause: a being that causes other things to exist but is
not itself caused to exist
An intelligent creator: a being that created the universe
A being that possesses every property attributed to a being
named ‘God’ in the Bible (Torah, Koran, etc.)
An invisible, vastly powerful intelligence who deserves to
be worshiped and loved
A being who sends those who do not believe in him to hell,
and sends those who do believe in him to heaven
A perfectly loving, all powerful, and all knowing being
 Faith
“The whole point is to have faith”
If faith is believing in something without question, then how is
faith in religion different to faith in fairies?
You can have faith and still be interested in whether there is
also good reason to believe that God exists
You can even still have faith if you think that we have more
reasons not to believe in god, than to believe in God
 Religious Experience
“I have experienced God and require no more evidence/
discussion that he exists”
So have millions of others, but lots of them are aligned to
different religions
Our experiential evidence can be surprisingly deceiving
E.g. spiritual or religious experience
Derren Brown
 Arguments Against Religion in
General
“No one should believe in a religion because they
were all made up by people”
Being “managed” or “conveyed” by people doesn’t
necessarily mean that a religion is false
We are being more specific in this course anyway
Focus is just on God, not religion
 Science
“There is no scientific evidence for God, therefore
God probably doesn’t exist”
“It’s impossible to prove or disprove God’s existence
with science, therefore we should be agnostic”
Science is not the last word on the existence of God
 Best Explanation for the Universe’s
Appearance of Design?
God is all-powerful and all-knowing
He and only he has what it takes to design and create this
marvelous universe

The universe can support life as we know it by chance

Different physical laws may well have allowed for the
existence of a different kind of universe and other kinds of life
 Is that Suffering Unnecessary?

1. We need evil to understand good

2. Humans allowed evil by choosing free will
3. All humans must suffer for the mistakes of our
ancestors
4. God has a plan which makes this suffering
necessary for us all to share harmony in the end
 We Need Evil to Understand Good
Evil and good are like two sides of a coin
you can’t have a 1-sided coin
could you know dark without light?
Good would be meaningless normalcy without evil

If the price to know goodness is so high, then I would prefer we

knew nothing of goodness
Perhaps we could know goodness by evil occurring to adults only
Evil is a Necessary Consequence
of Human Freewill
God gave humans the power to choose to be good or
evil
We would be like ants without this choice
A consequence is that sometimes we choose to be evil

If such great evil results from our freewill, then God

should never have let us have it
We All Must Suffer for the Mistakes of
our Ancestors
Adam needn’t have eaten the apple, but he did
This made him guilty, and
Us guilty too, since we are of him

Our real-world sense of justice does not allow guilt to be

inherited
Why does God allow it?
It doesn’t make sense to us
 Is that Suffering Unnecessary?
1. We need evil to understand good
2. Humans allowed evil by choosing free will
3. All humans must suffer for the mistakes of our ancestors
4. God has a plan which makes this suffering necessary for us
all to share harmony in the end
Any other ideas how to make the evils we see necessary?
 Good cannot Exist without Evil
But, God is omnipotent, so he can make good exist without
evil

Omnipotence = being able to do anything that is logically

possible

Good is logically possible without evil (unlike relative terms

e.g. bigger/smaller)
 5 Categories of World
Religions
Monotheism
Belief in one god
Examples: Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Polytheism
Belief in many gods
Example: Hinduism

Non-theism
Belief in no gods
Example: Buddhism
 5 Categories
Atheism
Belief that there is no
supernatural forces

Animism
Belief in natural spirits
Example: Native Americans
5 Major World Religions
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
 What are belief systems?
Belief systems are organized ways to view the world
Typically include a moral code, or way to live life

Religions are belief systems with a god(s)

Monotheistic- one god
Polytheistic- more than one god
 Nature Religions
• Each of these religions focuses on living in harmony with nature and nature
spirits (making them polytheistic)

Animism Shinto Taoism

• Began in Africa and • Began in Japan • Began in China
the Americas • Kami- ancient • Contemplate Tao-
• Everything has a gods/nature spirits “the way”
spirit • Shrines are marked • Balance of Yin and
• Communicate with by Tori Gates Yang
dead ancestors
 Hinduism
Started in India

Founded through cultural diffusion from the Aryans

Main Ideas:
Polytheistic
Goal is to unite with Brahman (unifying spirit)
Reincarnate to get closer to Brahman
Dharma- moral duty
Karma- good gets good, bad gets bad
Caste System
Ganges River is sacred
 Buddhism
Started in India, but moved to Southeast Asia

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Main Ideas:
No god
Goal is to reach Nirvana (enlightenment)
Reincarnation to try to reach Nirvana
Four Noble Truths- life is suffering because of desire
Eightfold Path- how to end desire and reach Nirvana
Started in China
Confucianism
Founded by Confucius

Main Ideas:
No god
Five Relationships- everyone has a position that
must be respected to keep order in society
Ruler to ruled
Father to son
Older brother to younger brother
Husband to wife
Friend to friend
Filial Piety- respect for elders
 Judaism
Started in the Middle East, practiced worldwide

Founded by Abraham/Moses

Main Ideas:
Monotheistic
10 Commandments
Holy book is the Torah (Old Testament)
Diaspora- Jews were forced to leave Israel
and searched for a place to practice
 Christianity
Started in Israel, currently practiced worldwide

Founded by Jesus (the Messiah)

Main Ideas
Monotheistic
10 Commandments
Holy Book- the Bible (New Testament)

The primary difference between

Judaism and Christianity is that the Jews
do not thing the Messiah has come
 Islam
Started on the Arabian peninsula, currently practiced
worldwide but primarily in the Middle East

Founded by Muhammad

Main Ideas:
Monotheistic- Allah
Five Pillars of Faith
The Hajj- pilgrimage to Mecca
Sharia Law
 Review
The Ten Commandments and Five Pillars of
Wisdom are similar in that they
1. established a class structure for society
2. are guidelines for living
3. consist of prayers for salvation
4. promise a happy and easy life
 Review
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are similar in that
they all
1. place great value on having many statues and
images of holy people
2. believe in Mohammed as the Prophet of God
3. are monotheistic in belief
4. require their members to settle in the Holy
Land
 Review
The terms Brahma, dharma, and moksha are most
closely associated with which religion?
1. Judaism
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4. animism
Positive & Negative Effects
of Religions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pSFYMCPEo0
QUIZ (20 pts)
Ancient Religions
Assignment
•
Choose one of the six religions of which to be a part of a
group
• Research the setting of this religion: time, place,
geography, and culture in which it thrived.
• Who/what are their gods?
• How does the religion answer questions of
creation, death, survival?
• What are some of the rituals? Why do they have
this in their theology?
• What/where is their scripture?

• Create or re-enact a ritual from this ancient religion. Half

your group will preform this task and the other half will
explain it.
• On your blog,
• include a picture and the written elements you
contributed to this presentation
• Your hypothesis about why this religion was so
central to the civilization at the time.