Transcript Seven Dimensions of Religion

Seven Dimensions of Religion
Experiential
• Have you ever had an experience in which you
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realized that there was more to life than meets
the eye – a sacred moment ?
Experiential begins with the religious
experiences of the individual e.g. the Buddha
Theistic – God experienced as a holy presence
Non-theistic – mysticism – become one with the
divine
Faith generally belongs to the category of
Religious Experience
Mythic
Sources of sacred truth - take the form
of sacred stories
• They do not necessarily conflict with
history and science, nor are they
necessarily false or irrational
• Express Sacred Truth
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=tcxgzMwcqN8
Doctrinal
• The belief aspect of a religion – creeds,
doctrines or teachings of the religion
• come from experiential
• come from myths
• What is the difference between the beliefs
of a religion and faith?
Ethical
• How we are to act while living in the world
e.g. the “Golden Rule”
Ritual
• Worship, taking a variety of forms and
occupying much of an individual’s religious
life
• many reenact a sacred story or myth e.g.
• Hajj
• Eucharist
• Seder
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awl1KCo_oZ0
Social
• communal aspect of religion
• Belonging to a group – such as a tribe,
parish or congregation
• hierarchy of leadership
• Embodiment of spiritual
perfection
Material
• Sacred architecture
• structures of worship,
• art within them,
• sacred books of scripture
• sacred entities (mountains, cities, rivers
etc.)
Golden Temple of Amritsar, India – sacred to Sikhs
Summarizer
• Identify the examples of the 7
dimensions from the religion with which
you are most familiar
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Experiential
Mythic
Doctrinal
Ethical
- Ritual
- Social
- Material