What is religion?
What is the purpose of religion?
What is the difference between religion and spirituality?
introduction_to_ancient___indigenous_religions.pptx | |
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FAITH AND COMMUNITY
· The object of faith is the search for truth; both the nature of truth and the necessity for truth to be accessible to all.
· When faith has been communicated in the form of public beliefs, it tends towards the formation of a community of faith and beliefs as well as a tradition.
· Beliefs alone are not the sole expressions of faith a more basic yet necessary aspect of faith is action. Both the ritual action of the community and the action of everyday life, bears witness to the faith of a community.
THE SEARCH FOR MEANING AND GOD
1. PRIMARY NEEDS: Food, shelter and clothing.
2. DERIVED NEEDS: Education, social groups, clubs.
3. INTEGRATIVE NEEDS: Those which integrate our lives to make sense of them and to give them meaning. For example; poetry, literature, song, art, philosophy, religion and theology. (We use these methods to help give us meaning or understanding of life’s complexities these may include, love, birth, betrayal, death and happiness).
· How do they relate to one another?
· What roles do they play in our lives?
BELIEFS ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
ATHEIST: One who denies the existence of God.
AGNOSTIC: One who questions whether God exists.
· The object of faith is the search for truth; both the nature of truth and the necessity for truth to be accessible to all.
· When faith has been communicated in the form of public beliefs, it tends towards the formation of a community of faith and beliefs as well as a tradition.
· Beliefs alone are not the sole expressions of faith a more basic yet necessary aspect of faith is action. Both the ritual action of the community and the action of everyday life, bears witness to the faith of a community.
THE SEARCH FOR MEANING AND GOD
1. PRIMARY NEEDS: Food, shelter and clothing.
2. DERIVED NEEDS: Education, social groups, clubs.
3. INTEGRATIVE NEEDS: Those which integrate our lives to make sense of them and to give them meaning. For example; poetry, literature, song, art, philosophy, religion and theology. (We use these methods to help give us meaning or understanding of life’s complexities these may include, love, birth, betrayal, death and happiness).
· How do they relate to one another?
· What roles do they play in our lives?
BELIEFS ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
ATHEIST: One who denies the existence of God.
AGNOSTIC: One who questions whether God exists.
What can we learn from other religions?
· From Muslims the Church can learn about prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
· From Hindus the Church can learn about meditation and contemplation.
· From Buddhists the Church can learn about detachment from material goods and respect for life.
· From Confucianism the Church can learn about piety and respect for elders.
· From Taoism the Church can learn about simplicity and humility.
· From Animists the Church can learn about reverence and respect for nature and gratitude for harvests.
· The Church can learn from rich symbolism and rites existing in other religions diversity of worship.
· The Church can learn to be more open, respective, tolerant and forgiving ion the midst of a plurality of religions.
· From Hindus the Church can learn about meditation and contemplation.
· From Buddhists the Church can learn about detachment from material goods and respect for life.
· From Confucianism the Church can learn about piety and respect for elders.
· From Taoism the Church can learn about simplicity and humility.
· From Animists the Church can learn about reverence and respect for nature and gratitude for harvests.
· The Church can learn from rich symbolism and rites existing in other religions diversity of worship.
· The Church can learn to be more open, respective, tolerant and forgiving ion the midst of a plurality of religions.
The Components of Religion
A religion involves an integration of various components which together form a unified whole. One method of studying a religion is to break it into these separate components, and study it in an objective manner. This type of study does not give the full experience of a particular religion: students do not take part in the faith element of the believer. Rather, they examine the beliefs and practices which together form the overall structure of the religion.
In learning about the religious responses of ancient or indigenous peoples, the following components can be studied:
Ø belief in deities and spirits, Gods and Goddesses
Ø sacred stories and writings
Ø ritual, prayers, festivals and sacrifices
Ø sacred space
Ø sacred signs and symbols
Ø sacred people and social structures
Ø sacred time
In learning about the religious responses of ancient or indigenous peoples, the following components can be studied:
Ø belief in deities and spirits, Gods and Goddesses
Ø sacred stories and writings
Ø ritual, prayers, festivals and sacrifices
Ø sacred space
Ø sacred signs and symbols
Ø sacred people and social structures
Ø sacred time
Research Activity
- Choose one ancient religion and research the role of a priest or priestess, an oracle or a god-king. What were their duties and responsibilities? What did the people expect of them? What rules did they have to keep?
- Choose an image/painting from an ancient religion. Analyse the image to explain the components of religion it shows.
- In pairs, choose an indigenous religion and create a presentation explaining each of the following points:
- a myth explaining the origins of the world or an important aspect of life
- a significant religious ceremony and its meaning
- beliefs about life after death
- evidence of a sacred site or sacred object and its importance to the spiritual expression of the group
- What does a study of Indigenous beliefs teach us about the spiritual dimension of humanity?
Indigenous Religions
- In general, indigenous cultures do not make a distinction between a religious and an everyday experience, because religion is completely integrated with daily life.
- In primal religions there is usually a belief in spirit forces, which are invisible or intangible but which control different aspects of the visible world.
- The beliefs of primal religions are expressed in their myths, and acted out in their rituals.
ancient_religions_components_table.doc | |
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religion_definitions.doc | |
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Aboriginal Spirituality
origins_of_aboriginal_people.doc | |
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australian_aboriginal_beliefs_and_spiritualitie1.doc | |
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dreaming_stories.doc | |
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Activities
1. Kinship
NOTES
- at a community level, where kinship laws govern social/cultural relationships, eg where relationships which are not necessarily blood relationships are defined.
Research kinship and Discuss the kinship laws governing the relationships within Aboriginal communities or an Aboriginal community.
2. Dreaming Stories
Using ONE (1) Aboriginal Dreaming Story (see 'Dreaming Stories' document above)
1. Describe the main themes of the story
2. Identify and Explain some of the components of this Indigenous Religion represented in the story.
Components include:
Central Beliefs Sacred Stories & Writings
Sacred Rituals - Prayers & Festivals, Sacrifices Sacred Space
Sacred Signs & Symbols Sacred Time
Sacred People & Social Structures
3. Definitions – worksheet (collect from teacher)
4. Explain the Dreaming and its importance for Aboriginal spirituality SAMPLE ANSWER
The dreaming is the concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal communities, and thus is important because it defines all relationships and responsibilities for all Aboriginal people. The Dreaming explains why land is critical to the expression of Aboriginal spirituality, as it is through the land that the Dreaming is activated. In other words, the land is where the dreaming and its stories take place, and is the resting place for the ancestral spirit beings, and hence is like a mother for the people. A person's identity is inextricably linked to the land, because an understanding of the land enables them to understand their totemic responsibilities. The Dreaming is also important because it explains the Aboriginal notion of time which is metatemporal, a concept which presents the past, present and future as a complete and present reality. The fact that for Aboriginal communities the telling and learning of the Dreaming stories is a life long process is a reflection of its centrality to Aboriginal spirituality. Similarly, the fact that the Dreaming is frequently communicated through art, song, dance, story and ritual shows that despite the enormously diverse nature of Aboriginal spirituality the Dreaming is the concept that underpins them all. (202 words)
5. Explain how the Dreaming is lived out in the different aspects of life in Aboriginal society. SAMPLE ANSWER
The Dreaming is the concept which underpins and defines the different aspects of life in aboriginal society. Firstly and most importantly, because the Dreaming represents all that is known and understood by Aboriginal societies it determines all relationships and responsibilities between Aboriginal people. Kinship ties for example are derived from the Dreaming and identify a complex system of responsibilities and relationships towards all others in a clan. Art and symbolism is one way the Dreaming is lived out. The multifaceted nature of Aboriginal art explains how the Dreaming describes the origins and the beginnings of the universe. Story telling is another way the Dreaming is lived out particularly as a way of explaining right and wrongful actions to children. With the Dreaming come totemic responsibilities attached to sacred sites. This is because it is through the land that the stories of ancestral beings flow. Totems are the representation of an Aboriginal person in his or her primordia l state. And subsequently prescribed rituals such as balance rites are undertaken to increase the reproduction of that animal. (175 words)
1. Kinship
NOTES
- The kinship system is an intrinsic part of Aboriginal spirituality. Kinship laws govern the relationships which exist in the Aboriginal community: - at a personal level: an Aborigine's identity depends on kinship laws, as do those of the family/clan; there are individual dreamings defining people's ancestors and identity; and
- at a community level, where kinship laws govern social/cultural relationships, eg where relationships which are not necessarily blood relationships are defined.
- Thus the Dreaming surrounding kinship laws give rules on how each member of the group relates to any other member, and how they should be treated.
Research kinship and Discuss the kinship laws governing the relationships within Aboriginal communities or an Aboriginal community.
2. Dreaming Stories
Using ONE (1) Aboriginal Dreaming Story (see 'Dreaming Stories' document above)
1. Describe the main themes of the story
2. Identify and Explain some of the components of this Indigenous Religion represented in the story.
Components include:
Central Beliefs Sacred Stories & Writings
Sacred Rituals - Prayers & Festivals, Sacrifices Sacred Space
Sacred Signs & Symbols Sacred Time
Sacred People & Social Structures
3. Definitions – worksheet (collect from teacher)
4. Explain the Dreaming and its importance for Aboriginal spirituality SAMPLE ANSWER
The dreaming is the concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal communities, and thus is important because it defines all relationships and responsibilities for all Aboriginal people. The Dreaming explains why land is critical to the expression of Aboriginal spirituality, as it is through the land that the Dreaming is activated. In other words, the land is where the dreaming and its stories take place, and is the resting place for the ancestral spirit beings, and hence is like a mother for the people. A person's identity is inextricably linked to the land, because an understanding of the land enables them to understand their totemic responsibilities. The Dreaming is also important because it explains the Aboriginal notion of time which is metatemporal, a concept which presents the past, present and future as a complete and present reality. The fact that for Aboriginal communities the telling and learning of the Dreaming stories is a life long process is a reflection of its centrality to Aboriginal spirituality. Similarly, the fact that the Dreaming is frequently communicated through art, song, dance, story and ritual shows that despite the enormously diverse nature of Aboriginal spirituality the Dreaming is the concept that underpins them all. (202 words)
5. Explain how the Dreaming is lived out in the different aspects of life in Aboriginal society. SAMPLE ANSWER
The Dreaming is the concept which underpins and defines the different aspects of life in aboriginal society. Firstly and most importantly, because the Dreaming represents all that is known and understood by Aboriginal societies it determines all relationships and responsibilities between Aboriginal people. Kinship ties for example are derived from the Dreaming and identify a complex system of responsibilities and relationships towards all others in a clan. Art and symbolism is one way the Dreaming is lived out. The multifaceted nature of Aboriginal art explains how the Dreaming describes the origins and the beginnings of the universe. Story telling is another way the Dreaming is lived out particularly as a way of explaining right and wrongful actions to children. With the Dreaming come totemic responsibilities attached to sacred sites. This is because it is through the land that the stories of ancestral beings flow. Totems are the representation of an Aboriginal person in his or her primordia l state. And subsequently prescribed rituals such as balance rites are undertaken to increase the reproduction of that animal. (175 words)