001- MY Summaries - AOS 1 summary all religion in study design PDF

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AOS 1 summary all religion in study design...

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Religion and Society Questions answers and possibilities

OUTCOME TO BE DEMONSTRATED Discussion of the analyzed nature and purpose of religion and religious beliefs. Lilli-Rose Gemmill [Company name] [Date]

Contents The nature and purpose of religion.......................................................................................................3 The general nature of religious beliefs...................................................................................................3 What makes beliefs distinctive..............................................................................................................4 Case study..........................................................................................................................................4 Buddhism.......................................................................................................................................4 Christianity.....................................................................................................................................4 Hinduism........................................................................................................................................4 Islam..............................................................................................................................................5 The purpose of religious beliefs.............................................................................................................5 Addressing the ‘big questions’...............................................................................................................5 Beliefs about ultimate reality.................................................................................................................5 Case study..........................................................................................................................................5 Buddhism.......................................................................................................................................5 Christianity.....................................................................................................................................6 Hinduism........................................................................................................................................6 Islam..............................................................................................................................................6 Judaism..........................................................................................................................................6 The nature and purpose of human life..................................................................................................6 Case study..........................................................................................................................................6 Buddhism.......................................................................................................................................6 Christianity.....................................................................................................................................7 Hinduism........................................................................................................................................7 Islam..............................................................................................................................................7 Judaism..........................................................................................................................................7 religious perspective on good and evil..................................................................................................7 Case study..........................................................................................................................................8 Buddhism.......................................................................................................................................8 Christianity.....................................................................................................................................8 Hinduism........................................................................................................................................8 Islam..............................................................................................................................................8 Judaism..........................................................................................................................................9 the meaning of life.................................................................................................................................9 Case study..........................................................................................................................................9 Buddhism.......................................................................................................................................9

Christianity.....................................................................................................................................9 Hinduism........................................................................................................................................9 Islam............................................................................................................................................10 Judaism........................................................................................................................................10 death and the afterlife.........................................................................................................................10 Case study........................................................................................................................................10 Buddhism.....................................................................................................................................10 Christianity...................................................................................................................................10 Hinduism......................................................................................................................................11 Islam............................................................................................................................................11 Judaism........................................................................................................................................11 the relationship between ultimate reality and humanity....................................................................11 Case study........................................................................................................................................11 Buddhism.....................................................................................................................................11 Christianity...................................................................................................................................11 Hinduism......................................................................................................................................12 Islam............................................................................................................................................12 Judaism........................................................................................................................................12 the relationship between humans.......................................................................................................12 Case study........................................................................................................................................12 Buddhism.....................................................................................................................................12 Christianity...................................................................................................................................12 Hinduism......................................................................................................................................13 Islam............................................................................................................................................13 Judaism........................................................................................................................................13 the relationship between human life and the rest of the world..........................................................13 Case study........................................................................................................................................14 Buddhism.....................................................................................................................................14 Christianity...................................................................................................................................14 Hinduism......................................................................................................................................14 Islam............................................................................................................................................14 Judaism........................................................................................................................................14

The nature and purpose of religion 

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Earliest times people told stories o Asking life’s big questions o Through travels Romans found this as a pattern  Human behaviour o Similar to their own Roman philosopher Cicero (107 BCE – 47 BCE) o Term religioi (verb to relegre) o Meaning to reread or to illustrate Religion became important for political administration o Within society o System for organising  Expressing respect in ‘worshipping the gods’ Sociologists suggest that the purpose of religion is to assist in shaping society Religions purpose to provide society with o Belief in a transcendent power  Provide society with a set of common values o Overarching story or truth narrative  Help make sense of the world o Symbolic understanding of something that remains inexplicable o Rituals and symbols that designate significant moments in the life of an individual or community o Ethical principles and moral values o Objects that are sacred o A way of expressing emotion o A world views  Giving life a purpose o A part of the nature of religion is the debate as to what religion is  Aspects of religion  9 agreed upon aspects o Beliefs o Sacred spaces o Sacred stories o Places o Times o Artefacts Today the definition of religion has been under stress o Shift towards spirituality  Those who don’t associate with atheism or mainstream religions o Breakaway groups, cults and new religions  Integration between body mind spirit o Increase in political religious adherence

The general nature of religious beliefs 

Search for meaning

Natural human response to life  Fundamental  Both universal and personal Humans across time and place o Pondered life’s questions Ongoing meaning search Foundational belief existed at the beginning of a religious tradition A fundamental belief o A belief upon which others are built Subsequent belief o Not integral to a religion o

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What makes beliefs distinctive  

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Some religions have shared beliefs with other religions A foundation for Christianity, Islam and Judaism o Monotheism  Not fundamental o Distinctive belief  Only in that religions tradition Most religions have diversity o Different interpretations lead to sects What distinguishes each as a a separate religion is o Different emphasis on a central belief o Different interpretations o Abandonments or rejections of elements of the belief o Development of the subsequent, subordinate beliefs that are derivative from the belief o Variations in the expression of the belief

Case study Buddhism   

Strong academic response o Often referred to as a philosophy rather than a religion Budda doesn’t equate to a god o Attracts some people Required to test the truths o Path to enlighten

Christianity  

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Belief in one god with a focus on prayers and liturgies God o Trinitarian in nature  Almighty God  Jesus Christ  Holy spirit Paschal mystery o The saving work of Jesus

Hinduism  

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Multiple creeds/ sets of beliefs 3 distinct worlds of existence o Physical o Astral o And casual Universe o Endless cycles of creation preservation and dissolution

Islam   

Belief in the oneness of God Sin is forbidden Subsequent beliefs o Prophets o Reverence towards prophets

The purpose of religious beliefs  

Extremes of emotions o Led to a religious response Pain and suffering often act as an impetus for asking the big questions

Addressing the ‘big questions’  

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Religions assist in big questions Fundamental questions include o Who am I? o Why am I here o Is there a power greater than us in the universe? o What is good and what is evil o Is there a life after death? Deep seeded existential questions o Most people ask themselves sometime in their lives  Some/many religions provide answers to these questions Each religion has a distinctive way that they prescribe o To answer questions

Beliefs about ultimate reality 

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To establish a meaning for all existence o Ultimate reality relationship with life  Affects how people think and behave Ultimate reality o Way to name the cosmic force beyond human understanding Lack of a transcendent being o Lies in a stark contrast to any monotheistic religion

Case study Buddhism 

3 main forms of Buddhism

Mahayana  Zen o Theravada o Vajrayana Formless eternal environment of ultimate reality o

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Christianity 

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Believe that their god is triune o Relationship between 3  Father son holy spirit paradox o statement that seems contradictory/ unbelievable

Hinduism 

ultimate reality in Hinduism called brahman o indefinite uncreated source of reality  all being emanate, all beings end up in the same space

Islam     

Allah is their GOD nothing is comparable to Allah o power over all that is prophet Mohamed o Answered questions about Allah from god Humanity and earth o Created to worship and serve Allah The concept of divine unity (tauhid) o Strongly professed  Chapters of the Qur’an

Judaism 

God is o Indescribable o Omnipotent creator o Transcendent force

The nature and purpose of human life 

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Religions often offer a framework o Help understand human existence o Developed from religious world views  Ascribe human existence Religious traditions may be primeval o From the earliest times

Case study Buddhism 

A person must deeply and critically examine o Karma o Apply Buddhist teachings

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Achieving dramatic changes is the purpose of the Buddhists life

Christianity 

Has its own understanding o Founded on the profound love that god has for humans

Hinduism 

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Human person described o A physical body o Thoughts and feelings o Eternal self  Atman o Reborn through a successive life Role in maintaining o Making sacrifices to God Trues self is one with ultimate reality

Islam 

Humankind is separate from the rest of creation o Because Allah has given three divine gifts  Intelligence to distinguish truth from false  A will that can freely choose between them  The power of speech to worship

Judaism  

Role of human being to be that of the co-creators with God o Responsibly manage the rest of creation World is a garden o Tending and nurturing by humans

religious perspective on good and evil 

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Good o o

Essence of divine nature Actions seen as  Virtuous worthy and beneficial Nature of god and evil o Central to many religions  Traditions  Understanding of thew world  Characters of humans Religions may connect evil with o The will within one to do a bad thing o Evil spirits o Revenants the souls of the dead who haunt the living unless they are appeased o Alternate creations o An action that destroys and individual’s relationship with god Evil o Base level has bad consequences

Case study Buddhism 

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Good and evil o Not social values o Consequences of it on the self and others  Not abstract rules or ideas o Intrinsic part of a person An individual’s soul o Viewed as ego-attachment to the individual in the physical world

Christianity 

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Goodness bestowed upon humanity o By god  Because humans are made in the image and likeness of god  God is all good People can only be fully human o Following the teachings of God God blessed humans with the gift of free will o Humans can reject god’s love Commandments Matthew (19:17) St Augustine of hippo o 354-430 CE  Original sin  Explain the human tendency to make poor decisions and moral choices o Evil is the absence of God  Evil has no positive nature, but the loss of god gas received the name of evil Through baptism that Christians are united with god o Original sin is washed away Sin is forgiven o Jesus teaches Christians response to sin  Do not judge and you will not be judged, and do not condemn and you will not be condemned pardon and you will be pardons  Luke 6:37 God is good

Hinduism 

Hindu God is believed to be the personification of ultimate reality o Evil is a matter of not fulfilling Varnas law  Evil minded or committing adultery

Islam 

Humans are the creation of an all wise and most merciful creator o Allah gave humans life  Gave free will  Choice to do good or evil

Judaism 

All creation is created good

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Evil is not a separate force o Part of god’s creation Good defined o Acting righteously and following the divine teaching Evil o Humans deciding to do wrong  Deliberately ignoring gods’ teachings Jews do not need a mediator o Confession o They go straight to god

the meaning of life 

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Religions can give answers o To the meaning of life  Inexplicable phenomena If humans merely exist o Is there any meaning to life

Case study Buddhism   

Impermanence of moments that may cause suffering Suffering can come from unfulfilled desires Life’s meaning is to develop a deeper understanding of these moments o Realisation that these may cause suffering  Remove them  End cycle of birth and rebirth

Christianity 

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Meaning of life is found in Jesus o Life, death and resurrection  Framework for answering existential questions  Nature and purpose of life A Christians goal o Become another Christ in this world

Hinduism 

Meaning of life is structured around o Pyracanthas  Encompassing moral obligations  Achievements and pleasures  And moksha/enlighten o Spiritual understanding- assisted by meditation  Connection between soul (atman) and Brahman (the supreme God of Hinduism)

Islam 

Prophet Mohamed o Created the world and humans with a purpose

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Life’s purpos...