INTRODUCTION TO WORLD

RELIGIONS AND BELIEF

SYSTEMS (IWRBS) LESSON 1
GRADE 11- ST. THOMAS MORE AND ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
PREPARED BY: MR. MAETHEL ANGELO S. SORIANO
OPENING PRAYER
OPENING
PRAYER
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:

• Differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of
belief system, world view, religion, and spirituality ;
• Identify the difference between religion and spirituality and;
• Appreciate the importance of belief system, religion and
spirituality in one’s life.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THESE
PICTURES?
 INTRODUCTION

• To understand the nature of religion requires knowledge and

appreciation of the way its adherents relate beliefs and practices
to supremely important beings.
• It gives light on the basic grounds that hold together believers into
appraising the frequent questions that emanate from life and
death, of love and hate, and why or how persons desire for
spiritual inspiration that characterize the human condition.
 STUDENT ACTIVITY

When it comes to humanity, do you believe that we are

selfless or selfish by birth? Why?

• Click the Padlet link in the chat box and use it to place your
answer to the question above. You have 3 minutes to do the
task. Then type “done” in the chatbox when you are done doing
the task in Padlet.
 BELIEF SYSTEM

• It is an ideology or set of principles

that helps to interpret our daily reality.
• This could be in the form of political
affiliation, philosophy, religion, or
spirituality, among other many
things.
• These are the stories we tell
ourselves or ideas we hold that
define our personal sense of reality.
 WORLD VIEW

• It tries to explain and

interpret reality, history,
and civilization.
• The collection of beliefs
about life and the
universe being held by
people.
ELEMENTS OF BELIEF SYSTEMS AND HOW EACH ONE
RELATES TO A PARTICULAR WORLD VIEW:

• Agnosticism- is a belief that God is unknown and unknowable.

• Atheism- is the disbelief in gods or other supernatural beings.
• Monism- is a philosophical worldview in which all of reality can be
reduced to one thing or essence.
• Monotheism- is the faith in a single, all-powerful God.
• Polytheism- refers to the belief in and adoration of several deities.
 RELIGION

• It is the relationship between

humans and that which they
regard as holy, sacred, absolute,
spiritual, divine or worthy of
special reverence.
• It rooted from a latin word
“Religio” which means to
something done with
overanxious or scrupulous
attention to detail.
 RELIGION

• It also refers to an
expression of proper
piety, which is,
binding to God.
 COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF
RELIGION
• Belief of the community about deity.
• Way in which the community worship deity.
• Belief of the community about a deity’s relationship with the world.
• Rules which the community follows as a result of beliefs
• Places and people which the community believe to be holy and
sacred.
 OTHER RELATED TERMS

• Theology- it involves the systematic study of the

existence and nature of the divine. It is a branch of study
that deals with religious faith practice and experience,
especially the study of God and God’s creation to the world.
• Philosophy of Religion deals with the meaning and
nature of religion.
 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE CRITERIA TO
DISTINGUISH RELIGION FROM OTHER BASIC
BELIEF SYSTEMS:

• They often deal with people’s relationship to the

unseen world of spirits, gods, goddesses, demons,
and deities;
• They have developed a system of myth about the
unseen world and formal rituals designed for
communing with or propriating the spirits;
 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE CRITERIA TO
DISTINGUISH RELIGION FROM OTHER BASIC
BELIEF SYSTEMS:
• They have statements, tenets, and dogmas about
life after death, such as heaven, hell, reincarnation,
and many more;
• They have attracted large followings from the past
and present.
• They have developed a cult of organized rituals,
priests, scriptures, and temples;
 SPIRITUALITY

• It is something that a person can

have without being implicated in
the ambivalent complexity of
human societies and institutions.
• Derived from the latin word
“Spiritus”, its verb root is
“Spirare” which means “to
breathe” literally.
 SPIRITUALITY

• It is a process of reformation
that aims to regain the
authenticity of man with the
image of God.
 ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUALITY

• Search for meaning and purpose in life.

• A desire to attain knowledge regarding the sacred.
• Holistic or fully integrated view of life.
• Self-reflective existence
 KEY POINTS

• Religions are often viewed as a set of ideals

practiced and followed by organized groups while
spirituality can be manifested in a number of ways
like a person may believe in the presence of an
overwhelming power greater than oneself or
perhaps a person can be fully mindful of one’s
purpose in life.
 KEY POINTS

• One may achieve contentment, inner peace, and

satisfaction in life that are truly independent of
precept and beliefs being imposed by organized
religions on their followers.
• A selfless and compassionate individual is a person
of spirituality.
 ASSESSMENT (ASSIGNMENT)

• 1. Open the google form located in the google

classroom of each respective section.

• 2. Answer the question in it as best as you can.