12 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction to World
Religions and Belief
Systems
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Understanding the Nature of Religion
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems – Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Understanding the Nature of Religion
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of

Education Secretary: Leonor Magtolis
Briones Undersecretary: Diosdado M.
San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Jiosel C. Tuballa
Editor: Laurice Kathe T. Inso
Reviewers: Gemma F. Depositario,Ed.D.
Illustrator: Typesetter
Layout Artist: Vanesa R. Deleña
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V Rosela R.
Abiera Fay C. Luarez, TM, Ed.D., Ph.D. Maricel S.
Rasid Adolf P. Aguilar, Ed.D. Elmar L.
Cabrera Nilita L. Ragay, Ed.D.
Carmelita A. Alcala, Ed.D.

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Office Address: Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros

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E-mail Address: [email protected]
 12

Introduction to
World Religions
and Belief
Systems
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Understanding the Nature of
Religion
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems – 12

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Understanding the Nature of
Religion!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher
or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore,
this also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while
taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to
encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

ii
For the learner:

Welcome to the Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems - 12

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Understanding the Nature of
Religion!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time.
You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while
being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

competencies you are expected to learn in the
What I Need to Know module.

This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
What I Know lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
the current lesson with the previous one.
What’s In

In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways; a story, a
What’s New song, a poem, a problem opener, an activity
or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
lesson. This aims to help you discover and
What is It understand new concepts and skills.
This comprises activities for independent
practice to solidify your understanding and
What’s More skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
What I Have Learned
what you learned from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will
help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
What I Can Do into real life situations or concerns.

iii
 This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
Assessment
competency.
In this portion, another activity will be given
to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
Additional Activities lesson learned.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part
of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the
exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other
activities included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through
with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that
you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful

learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You
can do it!

iv
 What I Need to Know

Why is there a need to study religion? Perhaps, you, along with other
Senior High School learners, ask this question upon learning the K to 12
SHS Curriculum. Religion has been in existence since the earliest time of
humankind. Possibly, some asks the difference between religious and
spiritual and why is religion linked to humankind’s quest to search for the
real meaning of life and death. This module will introduce you to several
concepts related to religion.

Understanding the nature of religion enlightens learners about the

common grounds that bind believers into examining the questions of life
and death and how persons yearn for spiritual inspirations. Recognizing
the inherent characteristics of religion provides the opportunity to deeply
grasp the many beliefs and practices that molds humankind’s spiritual
needs.

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY:

Differentiate the concept, elements and

characteristics of belief system, world view,
religion, and spirituality

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

K: Identify the concept, elements and characteristics

of belief system, world view, religion, and spirituality;

S: Differentiate the concept, elements and

characteristics of belief system, world view,
religion, and spirituality; and

A: Appreciate each differences of different belief systems.

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 What I Know

Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answers.

A. Match Column A with Column B. Read each item carefully and use your
notebook to write your answers.

Column A Column B

1. a belief in the existence of one God a.

theology viewed as the creative source of the
human race and the world
2. relating or affecting the human spirit b.
agnosticism or soul that is one’s personal integrative
view on
3. the belief that there is only one God c.
polytheism who could have designed and created
the universe
4. the belief in many principal gods d.
theism among whom no one is supreme
5. the belief that there is no genuine e.
worldview distinction between God and the universe
6. denial of the existence of God f. monism
7. the belief that God's existence is g.
monotheism unknown and unknowable
8. an organized system of beliefs, h.
atheism ceremonies, and rules used to worship a
god or a group of gods
9. a collection of beliefs about life and i.
religion the universe held by people
10. the systematic study of the existence j.
spirituality and nature of the divine

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 What’s In

It should be noted that the world’s greatest religions originated from

Asia, a fact that we Asians should be proud of. Judaism, Christianity and
Islam emerged in the arid western frontier. South Asia’s Hinduism,
Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism started in the vast Indian
subcontinent. Meanwhile, in the east, came Confucianism, Daoism and
Shintoism.

The study of world religions is both a challenging and worthwhile

endeavor. However, the learning activities contained in the different
learning modules you will be studying will help you learn not only about
the core teachings and practices but also the historical background,
geographical context and cultural milieu of these profound Asian
religions/belief systems.

What’s New

Bible Graphics. Answer the following questions. Draw a Bible, Quran or

any related text/material used in your religion (just like below). Place it in
your notebook, together with your answers to the questions below.

1. How do religions come about?

2. How does religion differ from spirituality?

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http://clipart-library.com/clipart/374822.htm

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 What is It

Understanding the Nature of Religion

What does it mean to be religious and spiritual? Why is religion

linked to humankind’s quest to search for the real meaning of life and
death? As we all know, when one prays, he or she actively seeks an
affinity to divine beings or supernatural entitles that are beyond the
purely natural world. Majority of world religions follow a set of prayers in
the form of chants, mantras, or creed. Whether you pray or not, you may
have witnessed the influential roles being played by religions all over the
world.

Understanding the nature of religion enlightens learners about

common grounds that bind believers into examining the questions of life
and death and why or how persons yearn for spiritual inspiration.
Recognizing the inherent characteristics of religion provides the
opportunity to deeply grasp the many beliefs and practices that mold
humankind’s spiritual needs.

CONCEPT MAP

RELIGION

Monistic Monotheistic Polytheistic Agnostic Atheistic

Understanding Beliefs and Worldviews

Every individual sees and interprets the world quite differently from
one another. This overall perspective is also termed worldview which is a
collection of beliefs about life and the universe being held by people (The
Free Dictionary 2014). For a certain individual, social environment and
upbringing are critical in the development of a religious life. All these
factors have an effect on how people organize their beliefs and ideas while

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eventually creating a comprehensive narrative through which they look at
the world and interrelate with it.
Belief in god or gods is found in almost all religions. There is a good
reason to presuppose that religion had existed during prehistoric times
and this has continued

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to the modern day. Human life may have produced hundreds of religious
and belief systems. There could be more unknown than known religions in
the world since recorded history covers only several thousand years of
human existence.
Likewise, many may have lived and died within just a short period of time. Table
1.1 enumerates the different kinds of beliefs systems or worldviews.

Kinds Description
Monism there is no real distinction between god and the
universe
Polytheism the belief and worship of many gods
Monotheism the doctrine or belief in one supreme god
Atheism disbelief in or denial of the existence of a personal
god
Agnosticism God cannot be known

Theism, often used as a synonym to monotheism, is defined as a

“belief in the existence of one god viewed as the creative source of the
human race and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world”
(Merriam – Webster Dictionary 2014). Monotheistic religions claim that there
is only one God who could have designed and created the universe or may
have directed all events that led to the creation of everything. There is
one supreme God who is both personal and moral, and who seeks a total
and unqualified response from humans (Hick 1990). Modern – day
examples of monotheistic religions include Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam. On the other hand, polytheistic religions that are common among
early people recognize many principal gods among whom no one is
supreme. These include the ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome
wherein people worship a multitude of personal gods.

Meanwhile, monism asserts that there is no genuine distinction

between God and the universe. Two implications arise from this belief.
Firstly, it contends that God is dwelling in the universe as part of it.
Secondly, the universe does not exist at all as a reality but only as a
manifestation of God.

Furthermore, while atheists deny the existence of God, agnostics deny

the possibility for man to acquire knowledge of the existence of God.

DEFINITION AND NATURE OF RELIGION

Religion may be defined as “an organized system of beliefs,
ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods” (Merriam
Dictionary 2014). The Latin word religio refers to “something done with
overanxious or scrupulous attention to detail” (Browker 1997). This term
may have probably been derived from Latin verb religare which means “to
tie together, to bind fast.”
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 In its original sense, the word refers to expressions of proper piety,
that is, binding to god (Grassie 2010). Quite later, religion was eventually
applied to what we now call as religion because of the manner in which
people performed rituals during those days. While religion may be
universal in all stages of human history, it does not

8
follow that all individuals are religious or even religious to some degree.
(Parrinder 1971).

ORIGINS OF RELIGIONS
Since the nineteenth century, people began to show great interest
in explaining the origins of religion. In fact, numerous theories have been
postulated to explain the origin of religion while looking at primitive
societies for ideas concerning the development of belief systems (Hendry
1999).

Archaeologists believe that they have discovered elements of

religious belief practised by Homo sapiens almost 60,000 years ago. A
part from burying the dead, various items such as foods, tools, and other
objects were placed inside the site. All these rituals imply reverence to
their loved ones and perhaps the thought that the dead will utilize these
materials in the afterlife. While they believe in the presence of
supernatural entities, they also try to communicate with them (Ember &
Ember 1996).

Various explanations have surfaced that somehow tend to simplify

or even denigrate primitive religions. Others maintain that since early
humans are weak and ignorant of the different forces of nature, they had
to invent religion to explain the seemingly unexplainable mystery and fury
of nature. In the process, they had to create a scheme of deities and
spirits. Still others contend that religion was conceived by few to stifle and
repress the ideals of the masses (Hopfe 1983).

The nineteenth century witnessed the development of the fields of

the social sciences that enabled scholars to apply a more scientific way of
explaining phenomena rather than speculate on matters concerning the
origin of religion. Through field research, observations, and analysis of
historical documents, scholars formulated a number of theories that have
endured well into the present time.

The table below summarizes the different theories on the origin of

religion and the major proponents of these theories.

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EXPLORING SPIRITUALITY
A comparative analysis of major religious reveals that an important
characteristic of their belief system focuses on the longing for a value in
life (Parrinder 1971). For thousands of years, people have been searching
and yearning to understand the mystery of life and the universe. There
may come a point in time when an individual realizes that life is not
entirely accidental and meaningless (Parrinder 1971). This is where the
concept of spirituality comes in with the term “spiritual” being defined as
“relating or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or
physical things” (Oxford Dictionarues 2014). One author points out that it
is quite common for people to say that they are “spiritual, not religious”
(Grassie 2010). Spirituality may be manifested in quite a number of ways.
For example, a person can also have a feeling of oneness or a bond with
other living beings.

While spirituality is derived from the Latin word spiritus, its verb root is
spirare which means to “to breathe” literally. There is an impression that
people are surrounded by a “divine reality as pervasive, intimate,
necessary, and invisible as the air we breathe” which is similar to Hindu
prana and Chinese chi. (Grassie 2010).
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 While religions are frequently viewed as set of ideals practiced and
followed by organized groups, “spirituality is something an individual
can have without being

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implicated in the ambivalent complexity of human societies and
institutions” (Grassie 2010). Although traditional spirituality is frequently
associated with religiosity, many people assert that personal spirituality
can grow separately from religion. One may find inner peace, satisfaction,
and contentment in life that are truly independent of religious dogmas
and tenets.

In the study of religion, there are basic concepts that need to be

understand such as theology, philosophy of religion, and spirituality. While
religion refers to any sets of attitudes, beliefs, and practices concerning a
supernatural power---theology involves the systematic study of the
existence and nature of the divine. It deals with the study of the nature
and purpose of god that may be undertaken using a particular
perspective. Theology is a study, not a formulation of religious beliefs. On
the other hand, philosophy of religion deals primarily with issues
concerning religion, which includes analysis on the existence of a divine
being or on sacred texts. It may involve studying the "concepts and beliefs
systems of the religions as well as the prior phenomena of religious
experience and the activities of worship and meditation on which these
beliefs systems rest and out of which they have arisen" (Hick 1990). It
seeks to analyze various concepts such as god, spirit, karma, creation,
immortality, heaven, hell, and purgatory among others. Philosophy of
religion is not a branch of theology but a branch of philosophy. It is said
that this particular study need not be undertaken from a religious
perspective at all because atheists, agnostics, and the person of faith can
and do philosophize about religion (Hick 1990).

Meanwhile, spirituality is something an individual can have without

being implicated in the ambivalent complexity of human societies and
institutions (Grassie 2010). Thus, spirituality can be described as one’s
integrative view of life and involves a quest for the meaning and ultimate
value of life as opposed to an instrumentalist or materialistic attitude to
life. Hence, one can be spiritual without being religious.

What’s More
Task 1: Answer the following questions. Write your answer in the activity notebook.

1. How did religion originate? Cite key theories to support your answer.
2.Do you agree that the universe is designed and created by a single
divine being or God? Explain your answer.
3. How can an individual lead a spiritual life? Cite some examples.

Task 2: Write a two-page essay on your activity notebook on the topic

12
 "Religion: What does it Mean to Me?" guided by the following
questions:
a. Write different values have your religion instilled in you?
b. What various guiding principles which may have been
influenced by your religion do you adhere to in your life?

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 RUBRIC FOR ESSAY

CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS OBTAINED

Content The content was well – thought
of guide questions were 7
thoroughly
answered
Organization The paper was well – written with 7
ideas easily conveyed to readers.
Development Points are thoroughly developed 6
Total: 20

What I Have Learned

Instruction: Make journal to manifest your understanding about the topic. You
can start it by following the format below. Write it in your notebook.

14
 What I Can Do

Task 3: In the context of religion, list down 10 things that you believe in by
completing the following statements. What have you observed in your
own belief systems? Write it in your activity notebook.

1. I believe in/that
2. I believe in/that
3. I believe in/that
4. I believe in/that
5. I believe in/that
6. I believe in/that
7. I believe in/that
8. I believe in/that
9. I believe in/that
10.I believe in/that

Task 4: Say something about the two pictures below. Use your activity
notebook.

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15
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Assessment

A. Match Column A with Column B. Read each item carefully and use
your notebook to write your answers.

Column A Column B

1. a belief in the existence of one God a.

theology viewed as the creative source of the
human race and the world
2. relating or affecting the human spirit b.
agnosticism or soul that is one’s personal integrative
view on
3. the belief that there is only one God c.
polytheism who could have designed and created
the universe
4. the belief in many principal gods d.
theism among whom no one is supreme
5. the belief that there is no genuine e.
worldview distinction between God and the universe
6. denial of the existence of God f. monism
7. the belief that God's existence is g. monotheism
16
 unknown and unknowable
8. an organized system of beliefs, h.
atheism ceremonies, and rules used to worship
a god or a group of gods
9. a collection of beliefs about life and i.
religion the universe held by people
10. the systematic study of the existence j.
spirituality and nature of the divine

17
 Answer Key

a 10.
e 9.
i 8.
b 7.
h 6.
f 5.
c 4.
g 3.
j 2.
d
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18
References

BOOK
Ong, Jerome, A., and dL. Jose, Mary Dorothy., Introduction to World Religions
and Belief Systems

TEACHERS GUIDE
Most Essential Learning Competencies

INTERNET SOURCES/PICTURES

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png-tqlyt
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22.htm
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19
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros

Oriental Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City,
Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: [email protected]
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net