12

INTRODUCTION TO
WORLD RELIGION AND
BELIEF SYSTEM
Religion and Spirituality

3rd Quarter: Module 1

Rogelio DG. Burce

Mary Ann C. Doctor
Module Writer
HUMSS – Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 – Module 1
First Edition, 2020

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 12
Introduction to
World Religion and
Belief System
Quarter 3 – Module 1
Religion and Spirituality

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities.
We encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their
feedback, comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education
at [email protected].

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

Content Standard
The learner demonstrates understanding of belief system or worldview*,
Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy of Religion, and Theology.
Performance Standard
The learner prepares character sketches of a person who is spiritual but not
religious and a person who is religious but not spiritual.
Most Essential Learning (Week 1)

Differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system, world

view, religion, and spirituality.

Learning Competency

 Differentiates the concepts, elements and characteristics of belief system.

 Compare spirituality and religion.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module the students will be able to;

Understand the interconnectedness of religion to other concepts.
Appreciate the spirituality and religion in one‟s life.

EXPECTATION

 This module is intended to you learners of Grade 12 Humanities and Social

Science Strand classes specifically in your course subject Introduction to World
Religion and Belief System.
 The lesson included in your module teaches you to differentiate the concept,
elements and characteristics of belief system, world view, religion, and
spirituality.
 It also helps you to compare spirituality from religion. In this module there are
activities that will guide you to better understand your lesson.

Are you ready and excited? Let‟s start…

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

 PRE-TEST

Multiple Choice: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of your correct answer on the
space provided.
1. It is simply a handbook of religious teachings, or doctrine and beliefs.
a. worldview b. religion c. Philosophy d. Theology
2. This refers to any ideology or system of thoughts that provides an overarching approach to
understand man‟s relations to God and the world.
a. worldview b. religion c. Philosophy d. Theology
3. A belief in divine (superhuman or spiritual beings and the practices (rituals) and moral
code (ethics) that result from that belief.
a. worldview b. religion c. Philosophy d. Theology
4. It has primarily use reason to figure out what is true,
a. worldview b. religion c. Philosophy d. Theology
5. Religion is the human attempt to answer certain basic questions and challenges.
a. subjective b. evolutionary c. revelatory d. objective
6. Religion especially belief in one God began with a revelation from God but was only
deteriorated because of man‟s rebellion and inclinations to idolatry.
a. subjective b. evolutionary c. revelatory d. objective
7. The religious impulses are found in our subconscious and are more basic to us than to
believe.
a. subjective b. evolutionary c. revelatory d. objective
8. A belief in a chief god and other, lesser, gods and goddesses.
a. polytheistic b. monotheistic c. agnostic d. henotheistic
9. A belief in the existence of many gods.
a. polytheistic b. monotheistic c. agnostic d. henotheistic
10. A belief in the existence of one supreme God.
a. polytheistic b. monotheistic c. agnostic d. henotheisti

LOOKING BACK

Rehearse for religion!

List a thing, place, person and idea every time you read or hear the word
religion. Put it in each circle below.

RELIGION

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

 INTRODUCTION OF THE LESSON
Ideas depend upon the idea-holder
Next to politics, religion is considered as one of the most divisive topic to be discussed
even by the most intimate people including friends and couples. However, only small
percentage of people in the world belongs to a group with no religious affiliation. Religion is a
significant part of our human existence. What is religion? And what is its connection with
other ideas which surely affects every day life in society?
Understanding religion helps you understand what it means to be human.

Understanding Religion!

Lesson: Interconnectedness of religious terms and ideas

I. Definition of Terms
a. Worldview or Belief system
The term „worldview‟ as Rabbi M. Gellman and Monsignor T. Hartmann
said, refers to any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that
provides an overarching approach to understand God, the world and man‟s
relations to God and the world. Every religion has a belief system. Through belief
system, religions teach their truth about life and death, suffering and hope, and
whatever comes after death.

b. Religion
Basically according to authors of “Religion for Dummies” religion includes all
of these definitions: a belief in divine (superhuman or spiritual beings and the
practices (rituals) and moral code (ethics) that result from that belief. Beliefs give
religion its mind, rituals give religion its shape, and ethics give religion its heart.
c. Theology
Theology is simply a handbook of religious teachings, or doctrine and beliefs. It
puts religion‟s belief in an order that people can understand. The narrow definition
of religion is simply belief in one God (Monotheistic), or many gods (polytheistic)
and belief in a chief god and other, lesser, gods and goddesses (henotheistic)
emphasized in Egyptian, Greek and Roman mythology.
d. Philosophy
Philosophies use reason to figure out what is true, and religions use both
reason and revelation. Reason depends solely upon the use of unaided human
rational thinking and doesn‟t appeal to the authority of God or tradition to
establish truth as we have with religion.
II. Origins of religion
Critics of religions always say that religions are just human inventions. Let‟s
look at how religions developed. In his book Ajith Fernando gives us at least three
major approaches in the origins of religion.
Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce
 1. Subjective Approach
Religion is essentially a human phenomenon. The religious impulses are
found in our subconscious and are more basic to us than to believe. So what we
believe is an expression of this more basic subconscious religious sense in us.
2. Evolutionary Approach
Religion is the human attempt to answer certain basic questions and
challenges. People felt insecure because of inability to control nature, so they began
to look someone bigger than themselves to whom they could go for protection and
blessing.
3. Revelatory Approach
Religion especially belief in one God began with a revelation from God but was
only deteriorated because of man‟s rebellion and inclinations to idolatry.
Anthropological studies revealed that primitive cultures held the idea of a supreme
God, good God.

III. Elements of religion

The authors of “Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems”
give us four major elements of religion.
1. Collective phenomenon
It is typically associated with a particular religious‟ organization usually with
formal membership guided by a written agreement and constitutions.
2. Sacred and/or the supernatural
Emile Durkheim makes this distinctions, the sacred is often associated with
entities, events, figures, objects, and sites that are treated with reverence as
opposed to those that are taken for granted in everyday life.
3. Body of beliefs and moral prescriptions
These are something to be highly expected mainly because they are guided by
texts rendered sacred by special events or figures. The „Koran‟ for Muslims,
„Torah‟ for Judaism, Bible for Christians and „Tao Te Ching‟ for Confucianism.
4. Set of practices
These practices are typically in the form of prayer, worship, baptism, sacrifice
and other related activities. Some have more detailed and unusual practices like
not eating pork, blood, wearing particular outfits and others.
IV. Religion and spirituality
Burcenian’s Comparative
Summary on Spirituality and Religion
Areas Religion Spirituality
1. Experience communal/relational personal/individual
2. Basis rules-based reflective-based
3. Activity calculated and systematized spontaneous experience
actions
4. Venue/time time and place bound at any place and time
5. Direction outward (rituals and ceremonies) Inward

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

 (resolutions and character
6. Action institutional and organizational initiatives and opportunity

What’s More?
Activity 1: Profile of Your Religion
List of some of the most important information regarding your religion by identifying
its „Four Major Elements.‟

Ex. name of your religion, or Ex. Jehovah as God

leaders ____________________

______________________ ____________________

______________________ ____________________

Ex. Cite verses from Bible ex. Time of services, or

or Koran restrictions

____________________ ____________________

____________________ ____________________

__

Guide Questions;

1. Among the elements of your religion which do you think is most significant? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

2. Among the elements of your religion which do you think is least significant? Why?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Move on!

Activity 2- Write your Testimony

Narrate how you have converted to your religion or experience of spirituality. Share
your life before and after your experience to show the important benefits of it to others. (or if
you do not have any religious experience, just share your personal understanding about
spirituality)

My life before;

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

My life after;

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Rubrics:
Content (topic related, complete thoughts) ---- 5 points
Presentations (grammar, punctuations, etc.) ---- 5 points

Activity 3: Convinced an atheist

How can you properly respond or answer the following statement from an atheist
(those who never believe in God)?
Atheist Statement Your response
1. If there is God, why there are
sicknesses and diseases?
2. If there is God, why I can‟t see
him?
3. If there is God, why there are
evils in this world?

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce

 CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

What I CAN Do?

Write S if it refers to Spirituality and R, if to Religion. Write the correct answer in the
space provided below.

_____ 1. It is reflective-based

_____ 2. It is communal and relational

_____ 3. It is calculated and systematized actions

_____ 4. It is time and place-bound

_____ 5. It is personal/individual

_____ 6. It is outward (rituals and ceremonies)

_____ 7. It is institutional and organizational

_____ 8. It is initiatives and opportunity

_____ 9. It is spontaneous experience

_____ 10. It is essentially inward done with resolutions and character

B. Identify the following Elements of Religion.
____ 11. These are something to be highly expected mainly because they are guided by texts
rendered sacred by special events or figures.
____ 12. It is typically associated with a particular religious organization usually with formal
membership guided by a written agreement and constitutions.
____ 13. The „Koran‟ for Muslims, „Torah‟ for Judaism, Bible for Christians and „Tao Te
Ching‟ for Confucianism.
____ 14. These practices are typically in the form of prayer, worship, baptism, sacrifice and
other related activities.
____ 15. The sacred is often associated with entities, events, figures, objects, and sites that
are treated with reverence as opposed to those that are taken for granted in everyday life.

ENRICHMENT

Good job! You are almost done becoming a spiritual more than merely religious
person. Kindly answer the following questions based in your own personal understanding.

1. How people can become spiritual but not religious?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

2. In what ways can a person would become religious but not spiritual?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce
3. Do you agree with the major accusations by Atheist Karl Marx long time ago that religion is
just opium (a kind of relief or medicine) of the people? Explain.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Inihanda ni;

Mr. Rogelio D.G Burce

Bagong Barrio Senior High School
Teacher 1

Referrences:

Mga Sanggunian:
King, Jenny, “World’s Religions,” Worldlink Books. Phillipines.2002
Corduan, Winfried. “Guide to World Religions,” Intervarsity Press.USA.2006
Mcdermott, Gerald R. “World Religion- An indispensible Introduction, Thomas Nelson.USA.2011
Gaer, Joseph. “What the Great Religions Believe,”A Signet Book.USA1963
Fernando, Ajith.”Sharing the Truth in Love,”Discovery House.Philippines.2001
Gellman, Marc; Hartman Thomas, “Religion for Dummies,” Wiley Publishing, USA. 2002
Goldwag, Arthur. “Isms and Ologies,” Madison Park Press. USA.2007
Cornelio, J.S.,Calano M.J.T, Sapitula M.V.J, “Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems” Rex Bookstore. Philipines.2016
Decker, Ed and Carlson, Ron. “Fast Facts on False Teachings,” CGM. Philippines.1994

Intro.to World Religion, Q3-Wk-1 Rogelio DG. Burce