What You Will Learn!
- Define "religion" and reflect on why religion matters
- Learn why religion continues to play a significant role in our world today
- Understand why knowledge on religion is important in our daily encounter with other human beings
- Introduction to religious illiteracy
- Understand the dangers of religious illiteracy
- Learn about fields of religious experiences
- Understand why there is a steady rise in those claiming no religious affiliation
- Learn different approaches to the study of world religions
Description
Have you ever wondered why 85% of the global population identifies with some form of a religious tradition? Religion continues to play a significant role in shaping cultures, influencing governments, families, and daily habits worldwide.
This course ventures into understanding and comparing religious patterns found around the world. It involves an appreciative introduction to religion as a phenomenon which has varying spiritual intentions and meanings.
The term “religion” derives its meaning from a Latin word that translates “to tie again” or “to tie back”. An empathetic approach reveals that all religions share the goal of tying people back to something behind the surface of life. Almost all religions of the world hold a belief in a greater reality which lies beyond the world that we can perceive with our human senses. Religion tries to connect people with this greater reality.
Knowledge of religion helps us understand our nationhood and our place in global citizenship. Both contexts are notoriously religious. Religion plays a significant role in both national and international politics as well as culture. We will learn together why “religion” continues to inspire many while repelling others.
The overall goal of this course is to help you see the human person as a spiritual being who seeks ultimate meaning in life and to see religion as providing that meaning.
Objectives:
At the end of this module you should be able to answer confidently:
What is religion?
Why is it that religion has held such a major place in human history?
Why does religion matter?
Do humans inherently have a religious nature independent of any other factor?
Why have people always drawn from religion energy needed to live?
What is religious literacy?
Why is the knowledge of religion important in understanding our world today?
What are the elements that make religion?
Who Should Attend!
- Human beings are spiritual beings who seek ultimate meaning in life. Religion provides that meaning. This class offers a unique opportunity to understand and compare religious patterns found around the world. If you are looking to understand religion and learn more about individual religions of the world, then this course is for you.
