UNIT 3:
Purposes of religion:
Here are some reasons, you don’t have to write them all
Religion provides society with ethical and moral guidelines and principles with what
and what not to do
It helps us make sense of the world around us
It helps the existential questions (questions about our existence) such as: origin
(where do we come from?), identity (who are we?), purpose (why are we here?) and
destiny (where are we going?)
It often gives its believers hope and comforts the soul. It offers a metanarrative that
ends in hope.
It gives a way for living and appreciating spiritual experiences as something
meaningful
Religion provides symbolic understanding of mystery and unexplainable miracles
through the assumption of an ultimate reality/role of ultimate reality.
It provides a place to belong through social structures such as communities (e.g.
churches)
It encourages its adherents to participate in rituals and symbols to designate
significant moments in life.
It uses sacred objects/artefacts to inspire community through art, singing, sculptures,
buildings and relics.
Foundational beliefs: Beliefs that were foundational to the inception of a tradition/religion.
These beliefs help establish the identity of a particular religion.
Fundamental beliefs: Beliefs that are the nucleus of a religion, which cannot change without
endangering its identity, integrity and continued existence.
Subsequent beliefs: Beliefs that expand on and complement fundamental beliefs.
Subsequent belief can be reviewed and amended without posing a threat to the surival of a
religious tradition.
Distinctive beliefs: Beliefs that are arrived at through a particular interpretation of a religion
or denomination. For example: the Sabbath for the SDA church.
,A+ response: Sacred stories refer to accounts told through various literary forms, such as
poems, myths, parables, epics, and folklore, in which, through imaginative detail, a believed
truth is conveyed so that it can be remembered and understood. They are usually within
sacred texts and are often used in rituals as a way of keeping beliefs alive for adherents so
they can live by those beliefs.
● Places are locations that are set aside for the purpose of worship, whereas spaces
are a particular location or spot within the place.
● Time:- These are periods that are set repeatedly (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly etc)
for the participation of a particular spiritual experience within a tradition.
● Artefacts—Human-made objects and works that vary in significance to/within a
religion.
● Texts - are compilations of oral and written literature in which the essential
components of a religious tradition are recorded.
● Rituals - A prescribed set of actions that have a symbolic meaning and are considered
to be sacred. They are also ceremonies with a prescribed set of actions and words
with a symbolic meaning and are considered sacred. performing rituals expresses the
belief of a religion.
● Symbols - are means used to stand for or represent something else, and also that is
of significance in a religion.
● Social structure - The arrangement of institutions in which human beings in a society
interact and live together in a religious context. These are ways a religion organises
itself for membership, participation, exclusion, decision-making for various roles
including leadership and for how the religion interacts with society
● Ethics - Is the study of decision-making about subjective or objective right and wrong
in a culture
● Spiritual experience - An experience that one has/had within a religion that either
makes them want more or less participation within it.
Spaces/ Places/ Times/ Artefacts
,Spaces: Religions of the world use varied places and settings for rituals, worship, burial, and
other activities. Some of these spaces become more universal in use, as a church or
synagogue or mosque might become, in many ways, a community centre.
Places: refers to a location for worship or spiritual engagement
Differentiation between the two: Spaces are also focus areas for worship or spiritual
experience, and are within those places. They may also be where particular rituals are
performed or individuals worship. There may be many such spaces within a place.
NOTES FROM THE BOOKLET: 3.1
NATURE OF ULTIMATE REALITY
The Ultimate Reality is sometimes called God but is not always the case. For some reason,
VCAA wants us to call it this so well I dunno.
REMEMBER THIS: JUST LIKE MRS KELSO SAYS, EVEN JUST A FEW WORDS CAN BE SUPER
USEFUL IF YOU QUOTE THEM RIGHT. WORSE CASE SCENARIO, AT LEAST YOU CAN
REMEMBER REFERENCES AND JUST PUT THEM IN BRACKETS AFTER YOU MAKE A
STATEMENT. The Trinity
, The Trinity is the idea that there are three Persons (Divine Beings) that are so similar to each
other that they act, speak and think like one Being - which we call God.
Each member of the Trinity performs a certain function. The Father is the Judge of the
Universe, Jesus is our Creator, Redeemer and Lawyer (Advocate) and the Holy Spirit is our
moral guide for life.
It is extremely hard to fully explain the Trinity (Godhead) since we as humans can’t really
understand a Being as powerful as God.
Verses (Evidence): Numbers are there to indicate multiple persons in the Trinity
Luke 1:35 - “.....The Holy Spirit [1] will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High [The Father - 2] will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he
will be called the Son of God [Jesus - 3].”
Matthew 28:19 - “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them
in the name of the Father [1] and the Son [2] and the Holy Spirit [3].
Matthew 3:16-17 - After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens
were opened and he saw the Spirit of God [1] descending like a dove and settling on
him. 17 And a voice from heaven [The Father - 2] said, “This is my dearly loved Son
[Jesus - 3], who brings me great joy.”
Genesis 1:26 - “Let US make man in OUR image after OUR likeness.”
God’s Omnipotence (God’s three omnis):
Omnipotence is described as being all-powerful. This means that God can do anything that's
logically possible. He can create things out of nothing, make a universe with His words and
create life with His hands. Of course, he can’t do the wrong things such as lying (Titus 1:2).
In other words, omnipotence can mean that God has total and complete control over all
existence. He decides anything and everything from the tiniest things like the birds to the
biggest things in the Universe.
Verses (Evidence): Underlined bits can be used in exams; remember the reference
Genesis 18:14 - “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Job 42:2 - “I know that you can do anything,and no one can stop you.”
Isaiah 44:24 - …..“I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the
heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?”
Mark 10:27 - “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is
impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Isaiah 40:28 - “Creator of ends of the earth who will not grow tired or weary”
Genesis 17:1 - “I am God almighty”
Exodus 14:14 - “ The Lord with fight for you”
Purposes of religion:
Here are some reasons, you don’t have to write them all
Religion provides society with ethical and moral guidelines and principles with what
and what not to do
It helps us make sense of the world around us
It helps the existential questions (questions about our existence) such as: origin
(where do we come from?), identity (who are we?), purpose (why are we here?) and
destiny (where are we going?)
It often gives its believers hope and comforts the soul. It offers a metanarrative that
ends in hope.
It gives a way for living and appreciating spiritual experiences as something
meaningful
Religion provides symbolic understanding of mystery and unexplainable miracles
through the assumption of an ultimate reality/role of ultimate reality.
It provides a place to belong through social structures such as communities (e.g.
churches)
It encourages its adherents to participate in rituals and symbols to designate
significant moments in life.
It uses sacred objects/artefacts to inspire community through art, singing, sculptures,
buildings and relics.
Foundational beliefs: Beliefs that were foundational to the inception of a tradition/religion.
These beliefs help establish the identity of a particular religion.
Fundamental beliefs: Beliefs that are the nucleus of a religion, which cannot change without
endangering its identity, integrity and continued existence.
Subsequent beliefs: Beliefs that expand on and complement fundamental beliefs.
Subsequent belief can be reviewed and amended without posing a threat to the surival of a
religious tradition.
Distinctive beliefs: Beliefs that are arrived at through a particular interpretation of a religion
or denomination. For example: the Sabbath for the SDA church.
,A+ response: Sacred stories refer to accounts told through various literary forms, such as
poems, myths, parables, epics, and folklore, in which, through imaginative detail, a believed
truth is conveyed so that it can be remembered and understood. They are usually within
sacred texts and are often used in rituals as a way of keeping beliefs alive for adherents so
they can live by those beliefs.
● Places are locations that are set aside for the purpose of worship, whereas spaces
are a particular location or spot within the place.
● Time:- These are periods that are set repeatedly (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly etc)
for the participation of a particular spiritual experience within a tradition.
● Artefacts—Human-made objects and works that vary in significance to/within a
religion.
● Texts - are compilations of oral and written literature in which the essential
components of a religious tradition are recorded.
● Rituals - A prescribed set of actions that have a symbolic meaning and are considered
to be sacred. They are also ceremonies with a prescribed set of actions and words
with a symbolic meaning and are considered sacred. performing rituals expresses the
belief of a religion.
● Symbols - are means used to stand for or represent something else, and also that is
of significance in a religion.
● Social structure - The arrangement of institutions in which human beings in a society
interact and live together in a religious context. These are ways a religion organises
itself for membership, participation, exclusion, decision-making for various roles
including leadership and for how the religion interacts with society
● Ethics - Is the study of decision-making about subjective or objective right and wrong
in a culture
● Spiritual experience - An experience that one has/had within a religion that either
makes them want more or less participation within it.
Spaces/ Places/ Times/ Artefacts
,Spaces: Religions of the world use varied places and settings for rituals, worship, burial, and
other activities. Some of these spaces become more universal in use, as a church or
synagogue or mosque might become, in many ways, a community centre.
Places: refers to a location for worship or spiritual engagement
Differentiation between the two: Spaces are also focus areas for worship or spiritual
experience, and are within those places. They may also be where particular rituals are
performed or individuals worship. There may be many such spaces within a place.
NOTES FROM THE BOOKLET: 3.1
NATURE OF ULTIMATE REALITY
The Ultimate Reality is sometimes called God but is not always the case. For some reason,
VCAA wants us to call it this so well I dunno.
REMEMBER THIS: JUST LIKE MRS KELSO SAYS, EVEN JUST A FEW WORDS CAN BE SUPER
USEFUL IF YOU QUOTE THEM RIGHT. WORSE CASE SCENARIO, AT LEAST YOU CAN
REMEMBER REFERENCES AND JUST PUT THEM IN BRACKETS AFTER YOU MAKE A
STATEMENT. The Trinity
, The Trinity is the idea that there are three Persons (Divine Beings) that are so similar to each
other that they act, speak and think like one Being - which we call God.
Each member of the Trinity performs a certain function. The Father is the Judge of the
Universe, Jesus is our Creator, Redeemer and Lawyer (Advocate) and the Holy Spirit is our
moral guide for life.
It is extremely hard to fully explain the Trinity (Godhead) since we as humans can’t really
understand a Being as powerful as God.
Verses (Evidence): Numbers are there to indicate multiple persons in the Trinity
Luke 1:35 - “.....The Holy Spirit [1] will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High [The Father - 2] will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he
will be called the Son of God [Jesus - 3].”
Matthew 28:19 - “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them
in the name of the Father [1] and the Son [2] and the Holy Spirit [3].
Matthew 3:16-17 - After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens
were opened and he saw the Spirit of God [1] descending like a dove and settling on
him. 17 And a voice from heaven [The Father - 2] said, “This is my dearly loved Son
[Jesus - 3], who brings me great joy.”
Genesis 1:26 - “Let US make man in OUR image after OUR likeness.”
God’s Omnipotence (God’s three omnis):
Omnipotence is described as being all-powerful. This means that God can do anything that's
logically possible. He can create things out of nothing, make a universe with His words and
create life with His hands. Of course, he can’t do the wrong things such as lying (Titus 1:2).
In other words, omnipotence can mean that God has total and complete control over all
existence. He decides anything and everything from the tiniest things like the birds to the
biggest things in the Universe.
Verses (Evidence): Underlined bits can be used in exams; remember the reference
Genesis 18:14 - “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Job 42:2 - “I know that you can do anything,and no one can stop you.”
Isaiah 44:24 - …..“I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the
heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?”
Mark 10:27 - “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is
impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Isaiah 40:28 - “Creator of ends of the earth who will not grow tired or weary”
Genesis 17:1 - “I am God almighty”
Exodus 14:14 - “ The Lord with fight for you”
