REL IG ION , S P I RI TU A L IT Y

AND T H E OL O G Y
GROUP 2
EXPECTATIONS TO RELIGION,
SPIRITUALITY, AND THEOLOGY
•BROADEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS LESSON
•YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH
CONCEPTS
•OBSERVE THEIR EFFECTS IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH YOURSELF, OTHERS AND GOD.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
HUMAN BEING SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL CONTINUE TO RAISE QUESTION
THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN SUCH AS DOES GOD EXIST?
WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? WHO CREATED US?
AND WHERE ARE WE GOING? LONGING FOR ANSWER ENABLE HUMAN
BEING TO DEPEND FOR A DIVINE POWER OR SUPER NATURAL BEING
HOPEFUL FOR SOME ANSWERS TO THE RIDDLES OF LIFE. IN THE
PROCESS A PERSON SEARCHING FOR PROFOUND ANSWERS IN THE
BEGINNING OF HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE DIVINE HENCE RELIGION
WAS BORN.
RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND THEOLOGY
WHEN YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, YOU
NORMALLY SACRIFICED YOUR PERSONAL WORLDVIEW IN FAVOR OF THE
RELIGIOUS WORLD VIEW OR SET OF BELIEFS OFFERED BY THAT
ORGANIZATION. RELIGION INVITES A PERSON INTO A SPIRITUAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME DIVINE ENTITY. THIS SPIRITUAL
RELATIONSHIP STEMMED FROM THE BELIEF THAT THERE IS A LIFE
AFTER THIS WORLD WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PHYSICAL LIFE.
HENCE IT IS THE ROLE OF RELIGION TO INVITE ALL PERSONS TO
BELIEVE IN GOD FOR THEM TO BE SAVED FROM THIS WORLD.
RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND THEOLOGY
RELIGION ETYMOLOGICALLY IS DEFINED AS COMING FROM THE LATIN
WORLD, “RELIGARE” OR WHICH MEANS “TO BIND” OR “TO TIE”
“HOWEVER, OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY POINTS OUT THOUGH THAT
THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD IS DOUBTFUL. EARLY WRITERS LIKE
CICERO CONNECTED THE TERM WITH “RELEGERE” WHICH MEANS “TO
READ ALL OVER AGAIN.” SOME PERSONS EVEN GAVE A NEGATIVE
DEFINITION OF RELIGION LIKE KARL MARX, THE FOUNDER OF
COMMUNISM.
RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, AND THEOLOGY

HE SAID THE RELIGION IS THE OPIUM OF THE

PEOPLE. IT MEANS WE BECOME SO DEPENDENT
WITH GOD THAT WE RELY EVERYTHING TO HIM
AND WE UNDERMINE OUR CAPABILITIES AS
HUMAN BEINGS.
RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY AND THEOLOGY
POPULAR VIEW HOLDS THAT YOU SHOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF A
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION TO CULTIVATE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
THEIR VIEWS LEAD TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN RELIGION
AND SPIRITUALITY. THE QUESTION IS: IS RELIGION THE SAME AS
SPIRITUALITY? CAN YOU BECOME A SPIRITUAL PERSON WITHOUT
BEING A MEMBER OF A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION? THE TABLE BELOW
SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AND BEING SPIRITUAL?
DEEPAK CHOPRA HAS A VERY INTERESTING
DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND
SPIRITUALITY. HE SAID, “RELIGION IS A BELIEF
SOMEONE ELSE’S EXPERIENCE WHILE SPIRITUALITY
IS HAVING OWN EXPERIENCE.”
FOR DEJAN DAVCHEVSKI,
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
ARE TWO DIFFERENT
PHENOMENA.
SPIRITUALITY IS MORE OF PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE WHILE RELIGION IS
FOCUSES ON MEMBERSHIP, RITUALS,
RIGHT OR WRONG, TRUTH AND FALSITY.
• RELIGION
• Religion makes us vow
• Religion shows us fear
• Religion tells us the truth
• Religion separates from other religions
• Religion makes us dependent
• Religion applies discipline
• Religion makes us follow its journey
• SPIRITUALITY
• Spirituality sets us free
• Spirituality shows courage
• Spirituality allows us to discover the
truth
• Spirituality unites them
• Spirituality makes us independent
• Spirituality applies destiny or faith
• Spirituality allows us to create our
own personal journey
RELIGION AND THEOLOGY
MOST OFTEN THEOLOGY AND RELIGION BROUGHT CONFUSION IN TERMS
OF MEANING AND PRACTICE. THEOLOGY ALSO BELIEVES ABOUT GOD
JUST LIKE RELIGION BUT IT UTILIZES MORE THE INTELLECT TO
UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD RATHER THAN FAITH ALONE.
THEOLOGY IS A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF GOD JUST LIKE OTHER
DISCIPLINES SUCH AS PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND
OTHER SCIENCES. THE PRIESTS, PASTORS, MINISTERS OR EVEN LAY
PEOPLE MUST UNDERGO THEOLOGICAL TRAININGS BEFORE THEY ARE
ORDAINED TO BECOME A PRIEST OR PASTOR OR MINISTER.
RELIGION AND THEOLOGY
THEOLOGY IS NORMALLY TAKEN IN THE SEMINARIES OR THEOLOGICAL
SCHOOLS AS AN ACADEMIC SUBJECT. A PRIEST WHO IS A MAJOR IN
THEOLOGY SHOULD UNDERTAKE A FOUR-YEAR COURSE TO GET AN AB
THEOLOGY DEGREE. THEN HE PRECEDES HIS MASTERS AND DOCTORAL
DEGREE IN THEOLOGY TO BECOME FULL PLEDGE THEOLOGIAN. THERE
IS A SAYING THAT MOST THEOLOGIANS LOST THEIR FAITH IN GOD
BECAUSE THEY USE ONLY THEIR MIND IN KNOWING GOD MORE THAN
FAITH.
PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY
PHILOSOPHY USES REASON TO EXPLAIN THE ESSENCE OR THE
ULTIMATE REASONS WHY THINGS EXIST AND WHERE THEY COME FROM.
PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY USES REASON ALONE IN KNOWING ABOUT
GOD. A FAMOUS THEOLOGIAN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE 13TH
CENTURY, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS EXEMPLIFIES THIS APPROACH. HIS
WORK IS CALLED THE “SUMMA THEOLOGIAE” WHEREIN ONE SUMMA IS
DEVOTED TO THE “FIVE WAYS OF KNOWING GOD.” HERE THE
EXISTENCE OF GOD CAN BE PROVEN IN FIVE WAYS USING LOGICAL
ARGUMENTATION.
THA NK Y O U !
BYE-BYE 