THE NATURE OF RELIGION AND ITS MEANING

*Totemism - system of belief in which humans are said to

Religion is a social-cultural system of:
have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being,
Beliefs such as an animal or plant.
Practices
Behaviors TIMELINE:
Worldviews Judaism 2085 BC
Ethics Hinduism 1500 BC
that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or Confucianism 600 BC
spiritual elements. Buddhism 560 BC
Christianity 30 AD
Religion is a powerful institution that connects human Islam 610 AD
beings, both as individuals and collectively, to a transcendent
reality. -Since 18th century, many social and political movement
efforts to eliminate the religion but they come up short.
*transcendent reality- mga bagay na pinaniniwalaan kahit
na hindi natin nakikita physically. -During 20th century, different scholars predicted the
DEMISE of religion because of the unprecedented
Homo religiosus”, Latin word for religious person or
advancement of science and technology.
personality (religious man).
*Nagrely ang mga tao sa Scientific Methods para malaman at
*Ayon sa mga scholar, likas sa mga tao ang pagiging matuklasan ang natural events, phenomenas, so called
relihiyoso. (also called believers, followers) Ex. Atheist- miracles, supernaturals, at iba pa.
People who believes that there is no God.
*paved way for secularization.

Malaki ang epekto nito para sa pag-unlad ng -In the 21st century, religion seems to have grown stronger,
with no signs of abetting
humanity (sangkatauhan)- same to society, greatest version
of society
society(lipunan)- dahil sa religion, it teaches ppl to have a
good morals that can be apply with others. *According to some estimates, there are roughly
4200 religions in the world
kultura- napepreserve dulot ng lipunang nagkakaisa
at bilang indibidwal- pinakaunang nahuhubog sa lahat ang *84 percent ng population sa mundo ay may religion.
pagkatao ng sarili.

*Scholar- taong nagaaral sa isang particular na aspeto ng

bagay. (3)

Substantive Definition VS Functional Definition of Religion

The English word RELIGION is from the Latin verb called
“religare”, which means “to tie” or “to bind fast”.

*it implies that those ppl who tends to believe to their Substantive Definition of Religion
religion is bounded and was being tied to his god.
-Focuses on the content (substantive, think ‘substance’) or
(2) religious belief in God or supernatural.

Palaeolithic Age (Stone Age)- Start of Religion (Max Weber)- Religion as belief in a superior or supernatural
Acc. Archaeologist, they’ve found evidences of stone power.
graves(libingan). Still controversial and continues to be
(Edward Tylor)- Religion as a belief in spiritual beings.
inspects. Ppl practice early forms of totemism or of animal
worshipping.
Functional Definition of Religion

-Defines religion in terms of the social or psychological

functions it performs for individuals or society.

-Religion is anything that provides an individual with the

ultimate meaning that organizes human’s life.

(Milton Yinger)-Religion as a system of beliefs and practices

by means of which a group of people struggles with the
ultimate problems of human life.

(Emile Durkheim)- Defines religion in terms of contributions

it makes to social integration.

*functional definitions: these are definitions which

emphasize the way religion operates in human lives. When
constructing a functional definition is to ask what religion
does — usually psychologically or sociologically.

*From the functionalist perspective, religion doesn’t exist to

explain our world but rather to help us survive in the world,
whether by binding us together socially or by supporting us
psychologically and emotionally.

Rituals, for example, may exist to influence our world, to

bring us all together as a unit, or to preserve our sanity in a
chaotic existence.