GEN 115

Readings in
Philippine History
Chapter V
RELIGIONS IN THE
PHILIPPINES
1. What is Religion
2. Animism
3. Paganism
4. Christianity
5. Local Religions in the Country
RELIGIO
N• Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the
definition of religion as a set of cultural
beliefs and practices.
• Religion, human beings’ relation to that
which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute,
spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial
reverence.
RELIGIO
NWith 90% of the people practicing Christianity, it is the most
common religion in the Philippines. The majority of people
identify as Catholic, with Protestant Christians, including the
well-known Iglesia ni Cristo, independent Christian churches,
and native Catholic churches like the Aglipayan Church
coming in second and third, respectively.
EARLY
RELIGION
A pantheon of gods, spirits, animals, and men who watched over the
rivers, farms, trees, mountains, woods, and homes made up the pre-
Hispanic belief system of the Filipino people. Bathala was superior to
these other gods and spirits since he created the earth and man.
Regular prayers and sacrifices were made to appease these spirits and
deities, some of which were good and others of whom were evil. No
difference was established between the ancestral spirits and their
physical emblem, which was fashioned of wood and metal. Depending
on how one behaved in this life, one can get rewards or punishment
after death.
RELIGIONS IN THE
COUNTRY
ANIMSI
M
Animism, belief in innumerable spiritual beings
concerned with human affairs and capable of helping or
harming human interests. The word "animism"
refers to a worldview that is consistent with a variety
of religious rituals and beliefs, many of which may
persist in more intricate and hierarchical faiths rather
than a single credo or dogma. Animism is a topic of
discussion in contemporary academia at the same time
as the issue of a rational or scientific interpretation of
religion
PAGANISM
(from classical Latin pāgānus "rural", "rustic", later
"civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century
by early Christians for people in the Roman
Empire who practiced polytheism or ethnic
religions other than Judaism. In the time of the
Roman empire, individuals fell into the pagan class
either because they were increasingly rural and
provincial relative to the Christian population, or
because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of
Christ).
PAGANISM
Alternative terms in Christian texts
were hellene, gentile, and heathen. Ritual sacrifice
was an integral part of ancient Graeco-Roman
religionand was regarded as an indication of
whether a person was pagan or Christian. Paganism
has broadly connoted the "religion of the
peasantry"
CHRISTIANIT
Y With more than 2 billion adherents, Christianity is the
most popular religion in the world. The birth, life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the
Christian faith. Many historians consider the growth and
acceptance of Christianity around the world to be one of
the most fruitful spiritual missions in human history,
despite the fact that it initially only had a tiny number of
members.
CHRISTIANITY BELIEVES IN

Holy Bible

Christmas

Easter

Father, Son, Holy Spirit
ISLA
MIslam is a prominent religion that was introduced to the
globe by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the seventh
century CE. The essential theological principle of Islam is
that the believer accepts submission to Allah's (Arabic:
Allh; God) will. The Arabic word islm, which means
"surrender," sheds light on this principle. It is believed
that Allah alone is the world's creator, sustainer, and
restorer.
ISLA
MThe sacred texts known as the Qur'an (commonly written
Koran in English), which Allah revealed to his prophet
Muhammad, convey the will of Allah, to which human people
must obey. Muhammad is regarded in Islam as the last in a
line of prophets that also includes Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Solomon, and Jesus. His message both consummates
and completes the "revelations" credited to these earlier
prophets.
OTHER LOCAL
RELIGIONS
END OF CHAPTER V
Acknowledgement
https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/christianity-philippines

https://asiasociety.org/education/religion-philippines

https://www.britannica.com/topic/animism

https://www
.history.com/topics/religion/history-of- christianity

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam