Elements Of Religious Tradition
March 11, 2012
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Elements of Religious Tradition
Religious traditions influence people and even more important cultures across the world on a daily basis. The paragraphs to follow will show how religious traditions describe and show how relationships are encouraged and established with the divine, sacred time and space, natural world and relationships with one another. This will ensure a more thorough understanding of different religions. Additionally, using several examples from various religious traditions will go one step farther in enhancing that understanding. The foundation to any successful religious belief is to establish a relationship with the divine.
Since the dawn of time spiritual relationships with …show more content…
the Divine have been prevalent as part of the human existence in the natural world. Different religions refer to the sacred by various names such as Great Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Great Mother, the Ultimate, and the Absolute. One of the most globally known references to an originating holiness is God. Religions differ in the perspectives from a God, multiple gods, spirits, and even see nature as the Divine. Key to any religion is establishing a relationship with and obligating personal time to share with the Divine.
Several methods of accomplishing this is praying, studying the Bible, the Veda, the Quran, or spending time with nature.
Specifically, praying is prominent with Christians and is a way to communicate to God on a daily basis. Praying by Christians is just one example of various methods religions can use to foster a relationship with the Divine.
Daily lives are seen as moving forward into the future through what is known as ordinary time. Conversely, according to Malloy (2010), an example of sacred time is the sacraments of the Roman-Catholicism religion. As the Patheos, Seek, Understand (2008-2011) website states, that by celebrating the Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick Roman-Catholicism creates a space of sacred time in everyday life. The important thing to remember about sacred time is not how long it is, but instead making effective use of time while spending time with the Divine.
There is sacred time and space, the natural world exists within religions. Sacred space is a place of worship where holiness is strongest and religions can reinvigorate spiritual strength. Some of these sacred spaces as Malloy (2010) highlights may be in the natural world such as a great mountain, a volcano, a valley, a lake, a forest, a single tree, or another other natural site. A specific example according to Malloy (2010), is the sacred center of Uluru (Ayers Rock) it belongs to the Australian aboriginal …show more content…
religion.
In many religions constructing sacred spaces specifically for the purpose of worship is normal. “Sacred spaces are often constructed in a symbolic shape such as a circle, or square, and defined by a special building or by a boundary made of rope or rocks, such as Stonehenge in England” (Malloy, 2010, p. 44). Sacred spaces, whether natural or constructed, are places where religions can go to pay respect to the Devine.
Traditional religious rituals carry from one generation to the next and they act as a conduit for relationships with each other.
As Malloy (2010) shows, rituals are the basic way people can ensure they are living in harmony with one another and also with nature. Rituals are ceremonies involving rites of passage, sacrifices, and even taboos. According to Malloy (2010) in some religions a woman about to give birth goes off by herself to bear her child at a sacred site or in a house built for that purpose. “A taboo is rule that forbids specific behavior with regard to certain objects, people, animals, days, or phases of life” (Malloy, 2010, p. 52). Specifically, taboos can relate to death, birth, blood, sex, and even the spirit of the dead in some religions. Taboos can even extend to positions of power, such as chiefs and priests, and offer protection from inappropriate activity toward their positions. Whether a rite of passage or taboo spiritual relationships with each other tend to foster the traditions of rituals within a given
religion.
In conclusion, religious beliefs and practices come in many forms and fashions; however, no matter what the religion each type encourages a relationship with the Divine. The Divine can be a person, place, or object within nature. In addition to relationships with the Divine, the investigation has shown religious traditions encourage relationships with sacred time, sacred space or natural world and even with each other. The culminations of these religious relationships comprise the body of a given religion and consequently establish a robust foundation to carry on traditions relative to a specific following or belief.
References
Molloy, M.(2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change
(5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Patheos, Seek, Understand. (2008-2011). Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/library/Roman-Catholicism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion- Symbolism/Sacred-Time.html
REL/134
Elements of Religious Tradition
Religious traditions influence people and even more important cultures across the world on a daily basis. The paragraphs to follow will show how religious traditions describe and show how relationships are encouraged and established with the divine, sacred time and space, natural world and relationships with one another. This will ensure a more thorough understanding of different religions. Additionally, using several examples from various religious traditions will go one step farther in enhancing that understanding. The foundation to any successful religious belief is to establish a relationship with the divine.
Since the dawn of time spiritual relationships with …show more content…
the Divine have been prevalent as part of the human existence in the natural world. Different religions refer to the sacred by various names such as Great Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Great Mother, the Ultimate, and the Absolute. One of the most globally known references to an originating holiness is God. Religions differ in the perspectives from a God, multiple gods, spirits, and even see nature as the Divine. Key to any religion is establishing a relationship with and obligating personal time to share with the Divine.
Several methods of accomplishing this is praying, studying the Bible, the Veda, the Quran, or spending time with nature.
Specifically, praying is prominent with Christians and is a way to communicate to God on a daily basis. Praying by Christians is just one example of various methods religions can use to foster a relationship with the Divine.
Daily lives are seen as moving forward into the future through what is known as ordinary time. Conversely, according to Malloy (2010), an example of sacred time is the sacraments of the Roman-Catholicism religion. As the Patheos, Seek, Understand (2008-2011) website states, that by celebrating the Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick Roman-Catholicism creates a space of sacred time in everyday life. The important thing to remember about sacred time is not how long it is, but instead making effective use of time while spending time with the Divine.
There is sacred time and space, the natural world exists within religions. Sacred space is a place of worship where holiness is strongest and religions can reinvigorate spiritual strength. Some of these sacred spaces as Malloy (2010) highlights may be in the natural world such as a great mountain, a volcano, a valley, a lake, a forest, a single tree, or another other natural site. A specific example according to Malloy (2010), is the sacred center of Uluru (Ayers Rock) it belongs to the Australian aboriginal …show more content…
religion.
In many religions constructing sacred spaces specifically for the purpose of worship is normal. “Sacred spaces are often constructed in a symbolic shape such as a circle, or square, and defined by a special building or by a boundary made of rope or rocks, such as Stonehenge in England” (Malloy, 2010, p. 44). Sacred spaces, whether natural or constructed, are places where religions can go to pay respect to the Devine.
Traditional religious rituals carry from one generation to the next and they act as a conduit for relationships with each other.
As Malloy (2010) shows, rituals are the basic way people can ensure they are living in harmony with one another and also with nature. Rituals are ceremonies involving rites of passage, sacrifices, and even taboos. According to Malloy (2010) in some religions a woman about to give birth goes off by herself to bear her child at a sacred site or in a house built for that purpose. “A taboo is rule that forbids specific behavior with regard to certain objects, people, animals, days, or phases of life” (Malloy, 2010, p. 52). Specifically, taboos can relate to death, birth, blood, sex, and even the spirit of the dead in some religions. Taboos can even extend to positions of power, such as chiefs and priests, and offer protection from inappropriate activity toward their positions. Whether a rite of passage or taboo spiritual relationships with each other tend to foster the traditions of rituals within a given
religion.
In conclusion, religious beliefs and practices come in many forms and fashions; however, no matter what the religion each type encourages a relationship with the Divine. The Divine can be a person, place, or object within nature. In addition to relationships with the Divine, the investigation has shown religious traditions encourage relationships with sacred time, sacred space or natural world and even with each other. The culminations of these religious relationships comprise the body of a given religion and consequently establish a robust foundation to carry on traditions relative to a specific following or belief.
References
Molloy, M.(2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change
(5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Patheos, Seek, Understand. (2008-2011). Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/library/Roman-Catholicism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion- Symbolism/Sacred-Time.html