RELI 1000 Lecture 2 Current Lecture Why study religion 1 To understand Homoreligiosus a To understand ourselves b Religious study adds to our knowledge that we acquire in subjects like biology political science and health sciences c Studying religion helps complete this knowledge of life 2 To overcome ignorance a Humans are often ethnocentric prejudiced about life the world other humans b To appreciate other peoples world views we must think outside the box beyond our own comfort zones 3 To comprehend our culture a Our own history and culture informs or is informed by other cultures i E g American culture is informed by 1 European Puritanism 2 Native American culture religion 3 African culture and religion ii Asian culture is informed by Buddhist Daoist Confucianist culture iii African culture is informed by European indigenous cultures religions 4 To achieve a Global Perspective a We live in a global world where humans are interdependent by way of their cultures and religions b To understand actions and general attitudes of those we relate with c Religion helps us understand sources of global conflict peace and how to negotiate lasting peace Helps formulate beliefs or Philosophies of life o By studying religion you get an opportunity to reflect upon ultimate human questions of life and death power and powerlessness of humans and to formulate informed principles of life o Socrates The Greek Philosopher once said The unexamined life is not worth living Approaches to the study of Religion These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o Theology Latin for study about a God gods Often considered prejudicial apologetic biased Religion preferred in academic because it connotes objectivity o Literary criticism Analysis of scriptures examines fact of events beliefs and authority in teaching In literary criticism of sacred texts the following questions are asked e g Who is the author of the Gospels When was it composed What was the author s purpose
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