Philosophy of Religion
What is Religion?
Is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices,
morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophesies, ethics, or organizations
that generally relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements;
however, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion
According to Cicero
o Religio comes from (latin) relegere:
Re (meaning “again”) +
Lego (meaning “read”), where lego is in the sense of the “go over”,
“choose”, or “consider carefully”
The study of Religion comprises a wide variety of academic disciplines, including
Theology, Philosophy of Religion, comparative Religion, and social scientific studies
Theories of Religion offer various explanations for the origins and workings of religion,
including the ontological foundations of religious being and belief
Why is religion?
Religion is among the greatest of human efforts to answer these questions.
o It helps unite is in communities that bring meaning to our lives
o It offers answers to our deepest questions
o It helps give us a sense of out place in the Universe
Why does Religion Exist?
An evident answer is that is serves many human needs
One of our primary needs is having a means to deal with our mortality
o Because we and our loved ones must die, we have to face the pain of death and
the inevitable questions it brings about whether there is any soul, afterlife, or
rebirth
People often look at religion for the answers
o Religion can help us cope with death and religious rituals can offer us comfort
Human beings also desire good health, a regular supply of food, and the conditions
necessary to ensure these things
Before the development of science, human beings look to religion to bring about these
practical benefits, and they often still do
Human beings are also social by nature, and religion offers companionship and the
fulfillment that can come from belonging to a group
o Religion often provides a way to care for the needy
Human beings have a need to seek out and create artistic forms of expression
o Religion Stimulates art, music, and dance
o It has been the inspirational source of some of the most imaginative buildings in
the world
What is Religion?
Is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices,
morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophesies, ethics, or organizations
that generally relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements;
however, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion
According to Cicero
o Religio comes from (latin) relegere:
Re (meaning “again”) +
Lego (meaning “read”), where lego is in the sense of the “go over”,
“choose”, or “consider carefully”
The study of Religion comprises a wide variety of academic disciplines, including
Theology, Philosophy of Religion, comparative Religion, and social scientific studies
Theories of Religion offer various explanations for the origins and workings of religion,
including the ontological foundations of religious being and belief
Why is religion?
Religion is among the greatest of human efforts to answer these questions.
o It helps unite is in communities that bring meaning to our lives
o It offers answers to our deepest questions
o It helps give us a sense of out place in the Universe
Why does Religion Exist?
An evident answer is that is serves many human needs
One of our primary needs is having a means to deal with our mortality
o Because we and our loved ones must die, we have to face the pain of death and
the inevitable questions it brings about whether there is any soul, afterlife, or
rebirth
People often look at religion for the answers
o Religion can help us cope with death and religious rituals can offer us comfort
Human beings also desire good health, a regular supply of food, and the conditions
necessary to ensure these things
Before the development of science, human beings look to religion to bring about these
practical benefits, and they often still do
Human beings are also social by nature, and religion offers companionship and the
fulfillment that can come from belonging to a group
o Religion often provides a way to care for the needy
Human beings have a need to seek out and create artistic forms of expression
o Religion Stimulates art, music, and dance
o It has been the inspirational source of some of the most imaginative buildings in
the world
