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What is Religion? -- Richard Smoley
What is Religion? -- Richard Smoley
Download handouts
Religion
Obviously religion is a formidably large topic. There will not be enough time to read the entire handout during class, so it is recommended that the class participants read through the handout before class, and refer to it for help with individual discussion questions.
Discussion questions
1- Define in your own words the difference between these three terms: spirit, soul, body.
2a- How would you define, in your own words, esoteric spirituality?
3- Religion can be said to have two basic functions:
3a- Share an example of how you have seen religion, organized traditional religion, bring someone closer to God.
4a- One of the key questions to ask oneself in light of a general discussion of religion is:
What for oneself has authority? (Spiritual authority, the ring of authenticity)
5- The earliest definition of religion is from Johnson's Dictionary, which simply calls it "a system of faith and worship."
Do you consider yourself to have “a system of faith and worship”?
6- How would you define the difference between myth and religion?
7- What are the similarities and differences between Theosophy and a religion?
8- Why is Theosophy referred to as a mythology?
9a- Many people today like to define themselves as being more spiritual than religious, implying that they are not bound or attached by dogma or external authority and rules of discipline, etc.
Proposed activities
Design you own religion! Break into small groups. Your task is to design your own religion attempting to be as original and creative as possible.
Take about 30 minutes to create your religion in your small group. This is not nearly enough time, of course, but it should be enough to establish some basics and give everyone a visceral experience of the creation of an organized system of spiritual belief and practice. You will want to cover, briefly, these areas for your created religion:
1) Who is the founder of your religion and what is her or his story?
2) What is your religion’s view on the following:
a- The beginning of creation
b- Individual soul
c- Personal god or universal intelligence
d- Karma
e- Afterlife
f- Spiritual evolution
g- Meditation
h- Prayer
i- Sacred text(s)
j- How does your religion view other religions?
k- A name for your religion
3) Share the details of your group’s created religion with the entire class.
Resources:
Books
- Armstrong, Karen, The Great Transformation : The Beginning of our Religious Traditions, 200.9 ARM GT
- Fuller, Robert C., Spiritual, But Not Religious : Understanding Unchurched America, 200.973 FUL SR
- Kripal, Jeffrey John, Esalen : America and the Religion of No Religion, 200.1 KRI E
- O'Brien, Michael, Religion without God, 204 OBR RWG
- Pearce, Joseph Chilton, The Death of Religion and the Rebirth of Spirit : A Return to the Intelligence of the Heart, 200 PEA DRRS
- Zaretsky, Irving I., Religious Movements in Contemporary America, 200.1 ZAR RMCA
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Duerbeck, Julian von., The Religion of Ancient Egypt, AR 5050-4
- Ellwood, Robert S., Theosophy and World Religions. Chinese Religion, AR 4841
- Ellwood, Robert S., Theosophy and World Religions. Zen & Shinto, CDA 0234
- Krishnamurti, J., Meditation, AR 0400
- Muesse, Mark W., Great World Religions. Hinduism, CDA 0258
- Oden, Robert A., God and Mankind : Comparative Religions, AR 5139-4
Videorecordings
(VR = videocassette)
- Hartley, Elda., World religions. Vol. 2, Wisdoms of India, DVD 0078
- Krishna, P., Right Education for Children, AR 4703
- Smith, Huston, Huston Smith, A Life of Exploring Religious Frontiers, DVD 0252
Download handouts
Religion
Obviously religion is a formidably large topic. There will not be enough time to read the entire handout during class, so it is recommended that the class participants read through the handout before class, and refer to it for help with individual discussion questions.
Discussion questions
1- Define in your own words the difference between these three terms: spirit, soul, body.
2a- How would you define, in your own words, esoteric spirituality?
- 2b- Do you consider yourself to have esoteric spiritual views??
- 2c- Do you think you have always been a practitioner of esoteric spirituality or was it a gradual process you grew into?
3- Religion can be said to have two basic functions:
- A) God—bring one closer to God
- B) Social–maintain a social order
3a- Share an example of how you have seen religion, organized traditional religion, bring someone closer to God.
- 3b- Share an example of how you have seen religion, organized traditional religion, seem to separate someone from a connection to God.
- 3c- How does religion maintain a social order?
4a- One of the key questions to ask oneself in light of a general discussion of religion is:
What for oneself has authority? (Spiritual authority, the ring of authenticity)
- 4b- What, in your life, has spiritual authority?
- 4c- Are there any books or sacred texts that hold spiritual authority for you? If so, why do they have that authority?
- 4d- Are there any persons, historic or contemporary, who have spiritual authority for you? If so, why do they have that authority?
5- The earliest definition of religion is from Johnson's Dictionary, which simply calls it "a system of faith and worship."
Do you consider yourself to have “a system of faith and worship”?
6- How would you define the difference between myth and religion?
7- What are the similarities and differences between Theosophy and a religion?
8- Why is Theosophy referred to as a mythology?
9a- Many people today like to define themselves as being more spiritual than religious, implying that they are not bound or attached by dogma or external authority and rules of discipline, etc.
- 9b- What are the advantages for the practitioner of this sort of seemingly more free spiritual approach?
- 9c- What are the disadvantages for the practitioner of this sort of seemingly more free spiritual approach?
Proposed activities
Design you own religion! Break into small groups. Your task is to design your own religion attempting to be as original and creative as possible.
Take about 30 minutes to create your religion in your small group. This is not nearly enough time, of course, but it should be enough to establish some basics and give everyone a visceral experience of the creation of an organized system of spiritual belief and practice. You will want to cover, briefly, these areas for your created religion:
1) Who is the founder of your religion and what is her or his story?
2) What is your religion’s view on the following:
a- The beginning of creation
b- Individual soul
c- Personal god or universal intelligence
d- Karma
e- Afterlife
f- Spiritual evolution
g- Meditation
h- Prayer
i- Sacred text(s)
j- How does your religion view other religions?
k- A name for your religion
3) Share the details of your group’s created religion with the entire class.
Resources:
Books
- Armstrong, Karen, The Great Transformation : The Beginning of our Religious Traditions, 200.9 ARM GT
- Fuller, Robert C., Spiritual, But Not Religious : Understanding Unchurched America, 200.973 FUL SR
- Kripal, Jeffrey John, Esalen : America and the Religion of No Religion, 200.1 KRI E
- O'Brien, Michael, Religion without God, 204 OBR RWG
- Pearce, Joseph Chilton, The Death of Religion and the Rebirth of Spirit : A Return to the Intelligence of the Heart, 200 PEA DRRS
- Zaretsky, Irving I., Religious Movements in Contemporary America, 200.1 ZAR RMCA
Sound recordings
(AR: audiocassette; CDA: Compact Disc)
- Duerbeck, Julian von., The Religion of Ancient Egypt, AR 5050-4
- Ellwood, Robert S., Theosophy and World Religions. Chinese Religion, AR 4841
- Ellwood, Robert S., Theosophy and World Religions. Zen & Shinto, CDA 0234
- Krishnamurti, J., Meditation, AR 0400
- Muesse, Mark W., Great World Religions. Hinduism, CDA 0258
- Oden, Robert A., God and Mankind : Comparative Religions, AR 5139-4
Videorecordings
(VR = videocassette)
- Hartley, Elda., World religions. Vol. 2, Wisdoms of India, DVD 0078
- Krishna, P., Right Education for Children, AR 4703
- Smith, Huston, Huston Smith, A Life of Exploring Religious Frontiers, DVD 0252
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