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Page 1 of 12
Name: Mrs Melisha Schultz Student number: 45578656
PO Box: No 13 Logbro by the sea – William brown road- Illovo Beach 4126
Mod: EDT303Q Ass:02 Unique no: 258187 Date: 30 March 2012
Table of content:
1) Table of content...................................................................Pg 1 of 12
2) Question 1: Fill in information
African Religion..................................................................Pg 2 of 12
Buddhism............................................................................Pg 3 of 12
Buddhism- continued ......................................................Pg 4 of 12
Christianity..........................................................................Pg 5 of 12
Hinduism.............................................................................Pg 6 of 12
Hinduism- continued .........................................................Pg 7 of 12
Islam....................................................................................Pg 8 of 12
Judaism................................................................................Pg 9 of 12
Judaism................................................................................Pg 10 of 12
Contemporary Religion.......................................................Pg 11 of 12
3) Bibliography........................................................................Pg 12 of 12
Page 2 of 12
African religion:
Founder figure None
Concept of God The San believe in a greater God and a lesser God, as well as spirits
of the dead. The Batswana also believe in demigods. The Batswana
believe that Modimo is the source of every thing. The Amazulu
believe in the supreme creator ―uMvelinqangi‖. The Shona believe
in Mwari the creator. To the Yoruba it is known as olorum or
Olodumare.
Main belief They believe in the ―circle of life‖, both life and death bring
balance. They way they live and their religious beliefs work hand in
hand. All life is sacred.
The Batswana Ancestors are not restricted by the rules enforced on
the living.
Maintaining the order in the university is the key principal of their
religious practices.
The Amazulu also have both male and female elements and they
also hold in high esteem their ancestors.
The Shona also believe in spirits.
Scripture No scriptures – oral tradition and some recorded their information
by drawings done on rocks. Rituals and symbolism is very
prominent.
Major festivals The ―Medicine Dance‖ is the most important ritual practice for the
San. Mostly as with other types rituals were directed by spiritual
leaders, a select few who are said to have a direct line of
communication with the divine. In general communication with the
Gods, demigods and higher sprits can only be done through their
spiritual leaders or councellors.
Origin in time More than 4000 years old.
Origin in place Africa
Major types The San, the Batswana, the Amazulu, the Shona, and the Yoruba.
Page 3 of 12
Buddhism
Founder figure Shakyamuni Buddha - Prince Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) was born
in India in 563 BCE. At age 29, Guatama left his wife and children to
seek spiritual enlightenment. In 535 BCE, he believed himself to have
reached enlightenment, assumed the title Buddha, and soon after
began teaching about the pathway to enlightenment.
Concept of God Theravada: The concept of a supreme Creator God is rejected or at
least considered irrelevant to Theravada Buddhism. Buddha, "the
Awakened One," is revered above all--not as "God" but as supreme
sage, model of a fully enlightened person.
Mahayana: Buddhists view Buddha as a manifestation of a divine
being, instead of a supremely enlightened man
Main belief The Four Noble Truths, forming the essence of Buddhism, are:
The Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha)
The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering (Samudaya)
The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha)
The Noble Truth that leads to the Extinction of Suffering (Magga)
Scripture Theravada: Main scriptures: Tipitaka
Popular: Dhammapada- Sayings of Buddha
Mahayana :Main scriptures: Sutras (sacred texts)- 2184 sacred
writings.
Popular:Lotus Sutra- A sermon by the Buddha on Bodhisattva,
buddha-nature, etc.
Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Prajna-paramita)- Describes emptiness
and others.
Popular: Heart Sutra- Describes nirvana, emptiness, and Ultimate
Reality.
"Land of Bliss" Sutra- Describes the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.
Major festivals Buddhist New Year
The Buddhist New Year is celebrated on different days throughout the
world..
Vesak (Buddha Day)
Vesak is the birthday of the Buddha and the most important festival in
Buddhism..
Sangha Day (Magha Puja Day or Fourfold Assembly Day)
Sangha Day commemorates the Buddha's visit to Veruvana Monastery
in the city of Rajagaha
Dhamma Day (Asalha Puja Day)
It commemorates the "turning of the wheel of the Dharma" - the
Buddha's first sermon - at the Sarnath Deer Park.
Observance Day (Uposatha)
Observance Day refers to each of the four traditional monthly holy
days that continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new
moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. It is known in Sri Lanka as
Poya Day.
Kathina Ceremony (Robe Offering Ceremony)
The Kathina Ceremony is held on any convenient date within one
month of the conclusion of the three month rains retreat season
(Vassa).
Festival of Floating Bowls (Loy Krathong)
. The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was originally meant to pay
homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the
Namada River in India.
Elephant Festival
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The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant that is harnessed to a
tame one to train to teach that a person new to Buddhism should be
helped by an older Buddhist.
The Festival of the Tooth
On a small hill in Sri Lanka is a great temple that was built to house a
relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is
kept deep inside many caskets. But once a year in August, on the night
of the full moon, there is a special procession for it.
Ancestor Day (Ulambana)
In Mahayana countries, it is believed that the gates of hell are opened
on the first day of the eighth lunar month and ghosts may visit the
world for 15 days.
Origin in time Buddhism started in India over 2,500 years ago
Origin in place India
Major types Theravada Buddhism – this is the first and the southern Buddhism that
the word comes from Pali language which means that ―the Doctrine of
the Elders‖. Their biggest aim is to use the meditation to train mind,
and to encourage freedom of the mind from suffering. This kind or
freedom suffering will allow you to reach the greatest spiritual goal
the Nirvana. Theravada Buddhism is the only surviving school from
the earliest years of Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism – This is Buddhism in eastern Buddhism. This
section only teaches the Pali Canon, this is the religious text in
Theravada Buddhism but it also includes additional texts beliefs. This
type of Buddhism believes that the person must practice universal
compassion, and that is the altruistic quest of the Bodhisattva to attain
the ―Awakened Mind‖ of Buddha hood. This has also the level of
mysticism involved
Tibetan Buddhism – This is the third type of Buddhism that was
located in the Northern. This type of Buddhism is also considered to
be a type of Mahayana Buddhism, but this was also embraces other
teachings, texts, and practices that some are not seen in the eastern
type. This is also sometimes called Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana
and this was uses both Mahayana and Theraveda scriptures.
Page 5 of 12
Christianity
Founder figure Christianity arose from Judaism.
Concept of God Just as the Jewish believed in one ultimate God so to do the
Christians believe in there being only one supreme being,
creator and destroyer.
Main belief Christians believe in the ―Father‖ being God, the ―Son‖ being
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirits. They have a strong belief in
Heaven and Hell and that forgiveness from God is given to all
Christian followers. They faith is built on the ―Second
Coming‖ of Jesus Christ and the ―Day of Judgement‖
Scripture The Bible. The ―Old Testament‖ also known as the ―Jewish
Bible is made up of a set of thirty nine books. The ―New
Testament‖ which contains material pertaining to the new way
of ―Christian‖ thinking, is made up of a set twenty seven
books.
Major festivals Christmas is celebrated on the 25th
of December to celebrate
the birth of Jesus Christ. Easter celebrates Jesus Christ awaking
after being crucified. These two festivals are celebrated by all
sects of Christianity, but there are several that celebrated or
performed by specific sects, such as ―Lent‖.
Origin in time 1st Century CE
Origin in place Christianity originated in the eastern Mediterranean coast of
the Middle East near what is known as modern Israel and
Palestine.
Major types Protestants and Catholics are the main or major types of
Christianity. There are various others such as Baptists
Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholics. Many of these
have been branched out to create new types with distinct views
and practices.
Page 6 of 12
Hinduism
Founder figure None
Concept of God Hindus all worship a one Supreme Being, though by different
names. This is because the peoples of India with different
languages and cultures have understood the one God in their
own distinct way. Through history there arose four principal
Hindu denominations—Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and
Smartism. For Sai-vites, God is Siva. For Shaktas, Goddess
Shakti is supreme. For Vaishnavites, Lord Vishnu is God. For
Smartas—who see all Deities as reflections of the One God—
the choice of Deity is left to the devotee.
Main belief 1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being
who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator
and Unmanifest Reality.
2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the
world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the
Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns
are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma,
the eternal religion.
3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless
cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by
which each individual creates his own destiny by his
thoughts, words and deeds.
5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving
through many births until all karmas have been
resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of
rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of
this destiny.
6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen
worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and
personal devotionals create a communion with these
devas and Gods.
7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is
essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are
personal discipline, good conduct, purification,
pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in
God.
8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and
revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in
thought, word and deed.
9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to
salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are
facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and
understanding.
Page 7 of 12
Scripture The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus
The Veda is divided into four great books:
1. The Rig-Veda
2. The Yajur-Veda
3. The Sama-Veda
4. The Atharva-Veda
The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts:
1. The Sukla Yajur-Veda
2. The Krishna Yajur-Veda.
The Krishna or the Tattiriya is the older book and the Sukla or
Vajasaneya is a later revelation to Sage Yajnavalkya from the
resplendent Sun-God.
The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the
Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine sections, the Sama-Veda
into one thousand sections and Atharva-Veda into fifty
sections. In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one
thousand one hundred and eighty recensions.
Each Veda consists of four parts:
1. The Mantra-Samhitas or hymns.
2. The Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals.
3. The Aranyakas (philosophical interpretations of the
rituals).
4. The Upanishads (The essence or the knowledge portion
of the Vedas).
The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four
stages in a man‘s life.
Major festivals Diwali - Festival of Lights
Deepawali or Diwali is the biggest of all Hindu festivals
Holi - Festival of Colors
Holi is a celebration of life – a boisterous occasion when
Hindus smear each other with the colors of joy.
Other Major Festivals
There are a number of other major festivals that are celebrated by
Hindus in different regions of India and around the world. These
mainly include celebrations around the ‗birthdays‘ of popular deities,
as well as some ritual fasts followed by feast and festivity.
Durga Puja, Dusshera & Navaratri
In this autumn festival, Hindus observe 10 days of ceremonies,
rituals, fasts, feasts, song and dance in honor of the supreme mother
goddess Durga. After 9 divine nights of Navaratri comes Dusshera or
Vijayadashami that celebrates goddess Durga's victory of good over
evil.
Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi
Rakhi is a special occasion to celebrate the chaste bond of love
between brothers and sisters, by tying a sacred thread around the
wrist.
Winter Festivals
January is harvest time in India. It's time for Thanksgiving rituals and
celebration of the bounties of nature
Origin in time The exact beginnings of Hinduism are impossible to determine,
since they evolved as time and culture impacted the religious
ideas of early India. Some scholars believed Hinduism started
with the invasion of India by lighter skinned Aryans around
1500 BCE.
Origin in place India
Major types Many different forms often depending on the god who is
worshipped
Page 8 of 12
Islam
Founder figure Mohammed who was born between A.D. 569 and 571, to
Abdullah and his wife Aminah, of the Arab tribe of Koreish
Concept of God Key to the Islamic concept of God is that Muhammad's
prophesy cleaned away all false associations people had made
with God and established finally the pure religion of
monotheism. The first thing Islam asserts and the last is that
there is no god except Allah. Allah being the primary name of
God in Arabic and meaning 'the god'.
Main belief 1. Belief in Allah - There is only one God, Allah and
Muhammad is the final prophet of Allah.
2. Belief in The Angels - Muslims belive that Angels act like 'a
liason officer' between God and The Prophets.
3. Belief in The Prophets - Muslims belive in 28 prophets
(including Jesus) Muhammand is the last and final prophets.
He is the seal of the prophets.
4. Belief in The Holy Books - Muslims belive the Qur'an are
the actual words of Allah that were passed on to Muhammad
by The Angel Gabriel.
5. Belief in The Day of Judgement - Muslims believe that when
you die there will be a final day of Judgement. Allah will
decide if you were a good Muslim throughout your life. If you
were you would be rewarded and sent to Paradise. If you
weren't, you would be punished and sent to hell.
6. Belief in Pre-destinbation - Muslims belive that God has
already decided how you will live your life.
Scripture The Qur‘an
Major festivals There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic
law: Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha ("Eid" or "Id" means
festival).
There are also several other special days which Muslims
celebrate
Eid al-Fitr The Celebration concluding Ramadan
Ramadan, the month of fasting, ends with the festival of Eid al-
Fitr. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast
Eid al-Adha The celebration concluding the Hajj
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, commemorates the
prophet Abraham's willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his
son Ishmael.
Muharram The Islamic New Year
The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic
liturgical year
Mawlid al-Nabi Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
This holiday celebrates the birthday of Muhammad, the
founder of Islam.
Origin in time 610 AD
Origin in place Saudi Arabia
Major types Sunni and Shia
Page 9 of 12
Judaism
Founder figure The specifically Hebrew element of biblical history begins with
Abraham, who is considered the founder of the Jewish religion.
However, he does not discover God but is rather called by the
God who is already known into a covenant, in which God
promises to many descendents and the land of Canaan.
Concept of God Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe
there is only One God
God is one.
God is almighty - controls all domains.
God has no form
Main belief God
Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe
there is only One God
Humankind Was Created In the Divine Image
Community
Judaism believes that Jews are uniquely connected with each
other
The Ten Commandments:
1. I am the Lord your God
2. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence
3. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain
4. Remember the day of shabbat to keep it holy
5. Honor your father and your mother
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. Do not give false testimony against your neighbor
10. You shall not covet your fellow's possessions
Scripture The Torah
Page 10 of 12
Major festivals Purim (Festival of Lots)
It recalls the story of Esther, a Queen who foiled a plot
by one of her advisors, Haman, to kill all the Jews
Pesach (Passover)
Commemorates Moses freeing the Israelites from their
enslavement under the Pharaoh in Egypt
Shavuot (Pentecost)
Commemorates Moses being given the Ten
Commandments by God following the Exodus from
Egypt
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
Yom Kippur (Day Of Atonement)
Succot (Tabernacles)
Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
Origin in time More than 4000 years old
Origin in place Israel
Major types The three main types are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.
Conservative Jews follow most traditional practices, but less
strictly than the Orthodox. Reform Jews are the least
traditional.
Page 11 of 12
Contemporary Religion
Theorists on religion Karl Marx-Maintained that religion is an illusion made by man.
Sigmund Freud-Religion can not withstand reason and
experience.
Erich Fromm-Radical humanism that stresses the unity of the
human race.
Secularisation thesis Peter Berger used the term ‗secularisation‘ to describe a
process ‗by which sectors of society and culture are removed
from the domination of religious institutions and symbols.
The term, secularisation, is used to describe the restraint in the
control of religion due to changes within modern society, as
well as the adaptation of religion to the changing values of
society.
Thomas Luckman referred to the increasing individualism of
persons in society and thus looking at themselves for meaning
3 Reactions to
modernisation
Christian Fundamentalism:
Belief that the Bible is God‘s word and has final authority. It
does not contain errors. A literal interpretation is required of
the Bible.
Universalism:
Wilfred C Smith postulates that the Christian Religion should
allow for interfaith dialogue and universalism. He claims that
the various religions of humanity are historically interlinked.
Religion should be viewed in its historical context.
New Age:
Believes that we are at the beginning of a new age. Every
aspect of modern life is addressed by this movement. From
ecological conservation , medicine, education, psychology
business administration and physical science.
Page 12 of 12
Bibliography:
1) EDT303Q Tutorial letter 101/3/2012
2) EDT303Q Study guide
3) The Human Search For Meaning: JS Kruger, GJA Lubbe, HC STEYN
1st edition, 4
th impression 2005, Via Afrika
4) The Project Gutenberg eBook, How to Teach Religion, by George Herbert Betts
5) The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Idea of God in Early Religions, by F. B.
Jevons
6) The Project Gutenberg EBook of Modern Religious Cults and Movements, by
Gaius Glenn Atkins
7) Project Gutenberg's The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William James
8) Websites used
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15800/pg15800.txt
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/621/pg621.html
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19051/19051-h/19051-h.htm
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25338/25338-h/25338-h.htm
http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=HoS7sshyXoQ%3D&ta
bid=533&mid=1499
http://www.eccurriculum.co.za/ReligionStudies/32.45-
Religion%20studies%20P2%20memo.pdf
http://www.jewishyouth.ca/templates/youth/article_cdo/aid/286729/jewish/Diffe
rent-Types-of-Jews.htm
www.religionfacts.com
www.infoplease.com
www.zindagee.co.uk
buddhismgroup.blogspot.com
www.religioustolerance.org
www.buddhist-temples.com
www.buddhanet.net
theeternalmoment.com
www.hinduwebsite.com
www.wisegeek.com
www.edepot.com
www.dalailamajuly2008.com
www.shaivam.org
www.islam101.com
www.himalayanacademy.com
www.indiaparenting.com
www.hinduism.co.za
www.contenderministries.org