Related Essays
Religion, in whichever form of it, has over the centuries been upheld by various groups as the ultimate guide to good living, harmonious coexistence and the sole source of spiritual nourishment. Virtually all religions uphold their beliefs as the truest path to a purpose driven life and a fulfilling existence on earth and even beyond. The religious writing have situations, case scenarios and story of individuals that are geared towards teaching the readers the purpose for which they are alive and how to overcome various challenges like the religious sages… Continue Reading...
religion that would have been his main milieu (Scholz, 2013, p. 22). While it has previously been assumed Paul developed his theology as an oppositional one, a sort of polemic against Judaism, the truth is far more nuanced (Zetterholm, 2009). By critiquing Judaism, Paul hoped just as much to revitalize the old faith, as he did to present a new one based on faith in Christ. Paul’s main beliefs centered around faith in Christ being essential to salvation, and to developing a more personal relationship with the divine than Judaism… Continue Reading...
a dominating authority, magistrates built many temples in honor of a deity who they depended on to guarantee success in the war (Religion in ancient Rome) (Roman mythology).
How Ancient Rome Practiced Religion
Ancient Romans recognized and offered prayer too many gods and goddesses. Some of the gods were of Roman origin but many more were imported. Worship was conducted in both public occasions and in the privacy of their homes (Carlos). Sacrifice and prayer was the main form of worship. They made sacrifices to both personal gods and those dedicated to public wellness by offering sacrifices at altars or in hearth. The sacrifices mainly constituted drink and food. They shared every… Continue Reading...
roots in Minoan culture, West Asian beliefs, and Central Asian gods, religion permeated virtually every aspect of Greeks' life -- from politics and culture to family, morals, agriculture, festivals, games, as well as beliefs about nature and the origin of life (Carr). The Greeks strongly believed that there were invisible, all-powerful gods and goddesses that controlled every occurrence. As a society, therefore, it was important to maintain a good relationship with the gods through prayer, sacrifice, and leading a good (morally upright) life. The prayers and sacrifices were made in sacred sites and temples where the gods were erected in their… Continue Reading...
undergird social norms and laws, preventing recourse to superstition and religion as excuses for human rights abuses. As modern society shifts towards a new moral order based on secular values rather than on religious doctrine, the concept of piety as it is elucidated in Plato’s Euthyphro is the most important concept to be integrated into the Socratic Citizenship Initiative.
In Plato’s Euthyphro, both Socrates and Euthyphro exemplify the need for a universal moral order, one that transcends either church or state. At one point in Euthyphro, Socrates cryptically questions, “is it that where there is piety, there is also justice,… Continue Reading...
that can be meaningfully applied one’s career. For example, an Interdisciplinary Studies degree that focuses on Religion and Christian counseling provides a suitable foundation for a counselor seeking to specialize in a work area that incorporates aspects of religion into the fundamentals of counseling. It is similar to a chef who has an understanding of a variety of menus and meals and how to prepare them applying for job as a opposed to a chef who has only practiced preparing one menu item over a course of four years applying for the same job. The chef who shows greater breadth within the type of cuisine that… Continue Reading...
Universal religions have grandiose political and social schemes. Unlike smaller-scale spiritual faiths, universal religions are those that seek to expand their locus of power and control over larger areas, such as through proselytizing or linking with political rulers. Universal religions also extended deeper into more areas of individual, family and community lives. For example, universal religions propagated specific social norms, morals, and ethics, and became one of the fundamental means of establishing laws. Universal religions also became linked with culture and ethnicity, providing a means by which people forged collective and… Continue Reading...
Is there a clear relationship between reading, family, and religion? Most people might not see it immediately. However, there is actually a definite relationship between these three aspects of life. This fact becomes all the more clear when they are considered in an academic context. Reading, family and religion are all things that I can become passionate about. The truth is that when one such as myself is passionate about reading texts for religion, one will inevitably read about the value of family. Therefore, passion about reading about religion actually reinforces family values.
One of the best examples of… Continue Reading...
The Social Function of Religion
Religion is assuredly one of the more tangible markers of both culture and civilization. This fact is particularly true when one considers the role of religion in contemporary American life. Anyone doing so would find it difficult to divest the notion of religion from its sociological functions, especially if they were familiar with Durkheim’s theory of religion and the emphasis the author places on its social origins. Albeit from a slightly less specific viewpoint, Marx’s conception of ideology is also applicable to the role of religion in 21st century… Continue Reading...
Religion and Spirituality in a Broad Sense
Spirituality and religion are two terms that have rather unstable, historically changing definitions, characterized by numerous implied and explicit theological considerations. Further, the general contention is that these definitions are either overly specific or overly generic. A more astonishing fact is, possibly, these researches' level of concurrence that spirituality represents a private, budding, personal and emotional sphere, whilst religion is more public, group-based and fairly stable. Interviews and questionnaire tools arising out of these definitions characteristically undertake measurements of the spirituality element by… Continue Reading...
Rodney L. Taylor, 'The Religious Character of the Confucian Traditions'
• Confucianism calls into question the definition of religion.
• Confucianism is commonly treated differently from other religious traditions, because it is more about social harmony, ethics, and comportment than about theology.
• All religions address ethics, morality, and social codes, and so does Confucianism. Then why is Confucianism not called a religion?
• The main reason is that Confucianism "lacks a concept of the transcendent," (p. 80)
• Is a concept of the transcendent a necessary part of the definition of a religion? No.
• It is a "western" assumption that a religion is defined by an… Continue Reading...
Race, class, gender, ethnicity, and religion are all variables that impact a person’s identity, worldview, communication style, and behaviors. Applying the sociological imagination to the workplace environment enables a greater understanding of how these factors impact daily interactions and events, with the goals of promoting harmony and resolving conflict. Being aware of race, gender, and religion has helped me function better in teams. The times that I neglected to recognize race, religion, and gender taught me valuable lessons and helped me to become more emotionally and socially intelligent. Race, gender, and religion are all socially… Continue Reading...
Judaism Religion
Rabbinic Judaism is the main form of Judaism that has existed from the 6th Century to date. From this form of Judaism, three different forms of Judaism have been established which are conservative, Orthodox and reform.
Covenant -- Torahic teachings defines it as an agreement that the people had with God. An Arch of Covenant as highlighted in the books of Samuel and Kings symbolized the agreement between God and the people before heading to Canaan.
Halakhah defines the entire structure of the Jewish Laws as they are taught… Continue Reading...
clear that not even everyone under the Abrahamic religion envelope was in lockstep behind Jesus when he merged just after the CE years that we remain within (Tabor, James) (STR).
Next up in term of chronological order is the time and orders of Mohammed. Coming to prominence in the 600's CE, it was clear that while Mohammed did not reject the words and beliefs of the Jews and the Christians outright, he clearly wanted to take a different… Continue Reading...
accommodate many difference ideologies.
Federalism and Religious Freedoms
A Federalist design works to protect religion and religious leaders by allowing them to operate freely without any state intervention.
Main Point
• Although religions receive many protections, there are many issues that put the church and state at odds when the religious ideology conflicts with the secular freedoms which have been present since the founding in varying forms and degrees; obvious examples in today's society could be illustrated by abortion and stem-cell research.
• Contrary to a general misconception, however, the Puritans also made lasting contributions to America's tradition of religious liberty by disapproving of… Continue Reading...
Religion and the teaching of evolution
It has been argued by some factions that teaching of evolution theory of existence of the universe contravenes the religious belief of some people as well as the ethnic beliefs of some people. It is argued by these groups that the teaching of the evolution theory is tantamount to demeaning their religious beliefs and their ethnic upbringing hence a breach on their freedom of religion. They say, that each religion or ethic group needs to be left alone with their belief unadulterated so that… Continue Reading...
The personal is the political. Spiritual values undergird secular norms. It is impossible to totally segregate religion from social engagement. At the same time, fusing religion and politics can be dangerous business. As Massaro (2012) points out, the two most obvious perils associated with the improper blending of Church and State include sectarianism and theocracy. Sectarianism, denounced by the Vatican, refers to deliberate isolation from the world, in self-sustaining and cohesive communities. As attractive as it may be to form religiously minded societies apart from the world, the real work—the hard work of creating the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth—cannot be done in those types of… Continue Reading...
the whole story or the whole picture of why suffering (evil) exists. Religion, on the other hand, does provide that whole story—and depending on the religion, the story will be a little different. Christianity teaches that evil is a result of sin—that it is not something that came of its own into the world or that God created but rather something that His creatures chose of their own free will. The choice to pursue evil (defined as an absence of the good) altered God’s world—or at least man’s perception of it. Prior to man’s fall, he lived in happiness in the Garden… Continue Reading...
Religion and Irreligion in Victorian Society, pp. 126-141. Routledge, 2013.]
The Apostles were the same way. When Christ said “follow me,” they followed Him, without even knowing who or what this Man was (Matthew 9:9). Why should a tax collector stop what he is doing and throw all of it away to follow a Nazarene? There is no rhyme or reason to it other than that he was touched, like the other Apostles, by the spirit of the Holy Ghost. And yet this was not a total conversion because the… Continue Reading...
religion. Christ is at the heart of the answer—as Lewis points out again and again. Without a sense of Christ, one cannot ever obtain a satisfactory answer to the problem or question of… Continue Reading...
