...In an attempt at analyzing born-again Christians, Harding focuses on the usage of religious rhetoric in the conversions of fundamentalist American Baptists. Harding analyzes a non-socialized link to converted adults, which is distinctly different than that of children. Harding emphasizes on the conversion process and the persuasive and interpersonal language that convinces susceptible people to convert. However, it is debatable if Harding was objective in her analysis. Her use of religious language, the structure of the essay, and the definitional usage of “disbelief” in comparison to “belief”, discredits Harding’s analysis. In order to be converted as a born-again Christian as an adult who wasn’t initially socialized into Baptist Christianity,...
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...What is Religion? What is religion? Personally religion is defined as believing in a higher power. This gives us an identity and relationships. Religion has two categories and seven dimensions. One category is Dualism. Dualism posits a cosmos or universe in which the Creator, God, is separate and distinct from the creation. The in-world experience is a threat or stumbling block to real experience - be it in Heaven or some other transcendent realm - will thrust believers into a pattern of using force to remake that world (http://faculty.deanza.edu/burkesusan/stories/storyReader$39). The other category is Monism Sacred power was diffused throughout the natural world (http://faculty.deanza.edu/burkesusan/stories/storyReader$39). This first dimension is The Practical and Ritual Dimension. Both Dualism and Monism have practices, prayers, and rituals. Christianity practices prayers, churches, and hymns. This happens every Sundays, Sunday evenings, and with personal experiences even on Wednesdays. As the Hindu and Buddhist Religion focus on meditation to focus on love and so on (Philosophy of Religion, Gary E. Kessel). The Second Dimension to religion is Experiential and Emotional Dimensions. This means religions with its rituals give us a sense of peace and satisfaction. No matter what type of religion we are. If it wasn’t for the sense of peace or satisfaction we probably wouldn’t believe in our religions. One of the main reason music is so potent in religions...
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...Earth Religion 212 April 29, 2012 I was asked by my superiors to visit the planet Earth and ascertain if people and the planet are religious and what they practice in the aspects of religion. First, it is important, for you to understand my opinion of religion and supporting aspects or views of religion. Religion is not only a way of living but also considered artifacts, practices and traditions of a belief that one worships a deity. People should not only have a belief but also contribute, participate, relinquish and devote their lives in living and having faith in their deity. I observed and researched what and how the people of Earth worship, how often they praise or worship their deity and what they do while practicing these traditions of beliefs. People long to make sense of life; to find the key that will unlock its mysteries and enable them to understand themselves and their place within the universe. Each religion presents us with a particular view of life, expressed in its teachings, scriptures, and traditions. But is it necessary to be committed to that religion in order to understand and appreciate what it teaches. In this human journey for finding sense, some turn to philosophy, the creative arts, and others- in fact the majority of humankind-take to some form of religion. Almost every aspect of life can become the raw material out of which a religious interpretation of life may be built. The word religion has many different meanings. Religion is a...
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...beginning to say that instead of religion declining, it is changing, in terms of changing to reflect a new era of diversity and choice. Sociologists such as Davie argue that religion isn't declining but the need to publicise it is reducing, religion is taking a more privatised form. This can explain the decline in churchgoers; they no longer feel like they have to go to church to be religious, now attending church is a matter of choice rather than society frowning upon those who chose not to go. This has brought around ‘believing without belonging’, thus the decline of traditional religion is matched by the growth of a new form of it. Proving that modern society is not becoming increasing secular but forming new religions through choice and diversity. However, Voas and Crockett reject the claims Davie puts forward, explaining that if her thesis was to be true the British Social Attitudes survey from 1983 to 200 would show that belief in God is increasing, although it shows that not only is church attendance declining but also peoples belief in God. If Davie were right with new religions forming the surveys would've shown higher levels of belief. Bruce also interjects the view that if those who are religious are not willing to invest time into attending church, this must reflect the declining strength of their beliefs, thus the secularisation thesis must be somewhat accurate. Hervieu-Léger supports the theme of personal choice and believing without belonging. She believes...
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...Secularisation is where religious belief, practiced and institutions loose social significance. There has been evidence to suggest that church attendance and the number of baptisms and church weddings are declining. However some sociologists reject secularisation theory and argue that religion is simply changing, rather than declining. They believe it is changing as a result of changes in wider society, such as, greater individualism and consumerism, or a shift from modern to late modern or postmodern society. Davie is one of these sociologists; in her view religion is taking a different, more privatised form. She explains this by giving the example of that people no longer go to church because they feel they have to or because it is respectable to do so. She says that although churchgoing has declined it is simply because attendance is now a matter of personal choice rather than the obligation it used to be. As a result there is believing without belonging, where by people hold religious beliefs but don’t go to church. Therefore the decline of traditional religion is matched by the growth of the new form of religion. Davie also notes a trend towards vicarious religion, whereby people are experiencing religion second hand. This is a typical pattern in Britain and northern Europe. In these societies people still use the church for rites of passage, rituals that make a change of status such as baptisms, weddings and funerals. Similarly Bibby’s findings show that only 25% attended church...
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...The book, “Night” by Elie Wiesel is a first person person narrative of Wiesel’s time in Auschwitz, the obstacles he has to surpass and the sacrifices he has to make in order to stay alive and how his faith waivers as his desperation to survive increases. As one of the millions of Jew-ish survivors of the Holocaust, Wiesel shares his personal story from his point of view bringing the themes of faith and desperation to surface. The desperation to survive changes Wiesel’s be-lief in God from one of unquestioning faith to a cynical more callous view. As the book unfolds these two themes present themselves and are tied to the storyline and Wiesel’s disposition and mental state. Throughout the book, Wiesel often talks about his faith and how...
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...anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices * Reasons why people join NRMs, NAMs and other organisations * Gender and religion: women: women’s greater participation, women in religious organisations including NRMs; men’s participation and organisational roles in religions; sexuality and religion; images of gender in religions * Ethnicity and religion: religion and ethnic identity; religion in migrant...
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...anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices * Reasons why people join NRMs, NAMs and other organisations * Gender and religion: women: women’s greater participation, women in religious organisations including NRMs; men’s participation and organisational roles in religions; sexuality and religion; images of gender in religions * Ethnicity and religion: religion and ethnic...
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...Tamika Harrison Doug Dorman Comparative Religion March 20, 2013 Buddhism Buddhism, one of the fastest growing religions in the world, is also one of the oldest and has influenced many cultures of Asia and followers in the west (Alldritt 4). Buddhism is the fourth largest religion following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, and has over 376 million followers (Robinson). In Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Taiwan, Buddhism is the majority religion. China, which is primarily atheist, has many people that adhere to the Buddhist beliefs (Wangu, O’Brien, and Palmer 8). The percentage of Buddhism’s practice is quickly increasing in the United States population. Some estimate that up to 3 million are practicing in the US. But India, around 500 B.C.E., is where it all began and flourished (Alldritt 5). During this time, India was in a state of religious ferment which led people to experiment with meditation, deep breathing and to study with gurus (Molloy 125). Buddhism emphasizes on personal enlightenment as opposed to an eternal salvation from a higher being. The Buddha is not a god, but a human being that was acknowledged and respected for providing the knowledge on happiness within one self and concern for all living things (Robinson). In this report, I will discuss how Buddhism originated, its major forms, beliefs and teachings and the question of it being a true religion or philosophy of life. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, or the awakened one,...
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...Running Head: COUNSELING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Stepping up Counseling Responsibilities in a Socially Unjust Society Abstract Social Justice has been an emerging issue over the last century in today’s service environment of helping professionals. I reviewed several articles where the main theme is; we live in a world of systems that allow for injustice and oppression. The Professional Counselor’s work deals with many of the symptoms that permit for this injustice and oppression. The articles had similar recurring traits that are stressed as important practices that need to be adopted by Professionals in the helping field to increase awareness of social justice and implement actions for change in a socially unjust society. I will explain the four main attributes: knowledge, awareness, research and advocacy and explain how education and focus in each area will contribute to the social justice inequities in the communities we practice. If professional counselors want to promote social justice, to be effective, there has to be a movement to take action on the burdensome stigmatisms and unfortunate inequities that human beings bring to professionals about the communities they live in. Social justice and the counseling profession have roots that goes back to the 1900’s. It has always been understood from a social work point of view that problems such as depression, anxiety, and abuse often derive from economic...
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...Introduction The Gospel of John is portrayed as a very theological book. It is written from a historical and narrative perspective. The Christology in the Gospel of John is high even though I question some of the things Jesus does. One thing I question is Jesus turning water into wine. The Scripture I will be discussing will be John 2:1-11. Is there Christology in giving wine that can make one that drunk especially when drunkenness can cause one to do dangerous things? However, the Christology is not in the drunkenness. My objective is to prove that there is humanistic side to making the water into wine and a Christological side of turning the water into wine. My rationale in accomplishing this objective is if Jesus does something, does it make it right for us to do the same thing. My plan on addressing this is to research wine physically and spiritually. Social Location I am a married African American southeastern United States of American, Pentecostal female. I also consider myself reasonably educated. I look at things also based on a small town and small city background. My social location causes me to question things and not accept everything at face value. Methodology The Methodology to argue my thesis statement is Reader Response Method and the method of Reader Response Criticism I will use is individualistic criticism. Background/History/Theological Foundation The Gospel of John has 21 chapters in the state it is in now. According to An Introduction to The New...
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...“Evaluate the view that religion is an important source of moral values in contemporary societies” The debate as to whether religion is a vital source of moral values in contemporary society is continuous. Sociologists aim to know and understand exactly how and if religion plays any role in current society. This leads us to ask what exactly religion is. According to sociologists, there are three main ways of defining religion: substantive, functional and social constructionist. Max Weber (1905) describes substantive religion as a belief in a superior or supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically. Substantive definitions are exclusive – they draw a clear line between religious and non-religious beliefs. To be a religion, a set of beliefs must include beliefs in God or the supernatural. Functional definitions, however, are inclusive – allowing sociologists to include a wide range of beliefs and practices. Emile Durkheim (1915) defines it in terms of contribution it makes to social integration rather than specific belief in a higher being. Milton Yinger (1970) identifies functions that religion performs for individuals, such as answering ‘ultimate questions’. Whereas, the final definition is social constructionist takes an interpretivist approach focusing how religion is defined by the individual. This definition believes that it is impossible to produce a single universal definition of religion to cover all cases since in reality different individuals...
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...political theory and philosophy and poses acute questions about the basic moral foundations of liberal societies. Lord Plant focuses on the role that religious belief can and ought to play in argument about public policy in a pluralistic society. He examines the potential political implications of Christian belief and the ways in which it may be deployed in political debate. The book is a contribution to the modern debate about the moral pluralism of western liberal societies, discussing the place of religious belief in the formation of policy and asking what sorts of issues in modern society might be the legitimate objects of a Christian social and political concern. Raymond Plant has written an important study of the relationship between religion and politics which will be of value to students, academics, politicians, church professionals, policy makers and all concerned with the moral fabric of contemporary life. r ay m on d pl an t is Professor of European Political Thought at the University of Southampton and a Member of the House of Lords. He was a Home affairs spokesperson for the Labour Party from 1992 to 1996, and Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford, from 1994 to 2000. Lord Plant's main publications are Social and Moral Theory in Casework (1970), Community and Ideology: An Essay in Applied Moral Philosophy (1974), Hegel (1974), Political Philosophy and Social Welfare (with H. Lesser and P. TaylorGooby, 1979), Philosophy, Politics and Citizenship (with A. Vincent, 1983)...
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...World religion Final Paper Buddhism The teachings of dharma and the four noble truths were to become the essence of Buddhism. Buddha taught that the supreme good of life is nirvana,” the extinction” or “blowing out” of suffering and desire and awakening to what is most real. A Sanskrit term, “Buddha” means “awakened” or “enlighten one.” Buddhism also teaches pacifism and nonviolence. (The Everything World Religion Book) | | Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born some 2,500 years ago as a prince in what is now called Lumbini in Nepal. When Gautama was 29 years old, he discovered there was much suffering in the world around him. Traditionally it is explained that he suddenly recognized the problems of sickness, old age and death when visiting the city. Being shocked by the suffering of all living beings, he decided to search for way to end it. He left his wife and child, the palace and even his royal clothes, and started out on a spiritual quest. Gautama studied under various teachers and followed their practices until he mastered them all. After about six years of searching, he realized that just wearing down his body did not generate new insights, but rather leads to weakness and self-destruction. | | | | | | | | He then sat down in a place now called Bodhgaya (North India) under a Bodhi-tree and decided not to get up anymore until he discovered the truth. Just a short time later, he became a fully enlightened Buddha. With this, he realized the true nature...
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...ISBN-13: 978–0–312–44705–2 Instructors who have adopted Rereading America, Seventh Edition, as a textbook for a course are authorized to duplicate portions of this manual for their students. Preface This isn’t really a teacher’s manual, not, at least, in the sense of a catechism of questions and correct answers and interpretations. Because the questions provided after each selection in Rereading America are meant to stimulate dialogue and debate — to generate rather than terminate discourse — they rarely lend themselves to a single appropriate response. So, while we’ll try to clarify what we had in mind when framing a few of the knottier questions, we won’t be offering you a list of “right” answers. Instead, regard this manual as your personal support group. Since the publication of the first edition, we’ve had the chance to learn from the experiences of hundreds of instructors nationwide, and we’d like to use this manual as a forum where we can share some of their concerns, suggestions, experiments, and hints. We’ll begin with a roundtable on issues you’ll probably want to address before you meet your class. In the first section of this manual, we’ll discuss approaches to Rereading America and help you to think through your class goals. We’ll examine some options for tailoring the book to fit your interests and the time constraints of your term. We’ll also take up some pedagogical issues. We’ll offer advice on how to broach particularly hot topics in your class. We’ll explore...
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