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SHS IWRB M1 - Understanding Belief System
SHS IWRB M1 - Understanding Belief System
Introduction to
World Religions and
Belief Systems
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Understanding Belief System,
Religion and Spirituality
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
understand the concepts and ideas related to Belief System, Religion and Spirituality. The
scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language
used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged
to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be
changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
What I Know
DIRECTIONS:the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. This is the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine.
religion
worldview
spirituality
theology
2. Relating or affecting the human spirit or one’s personal integrative view of life
spirituality
theology
religion
worldview
3. This refers to any set of attitudes, beliefs and practices concerning a supernatural power.
spirituality
theism
religion
theology
Why is there a need to study religion? What does it mean to be religious and spiritual?
Religion has played a crucial role in anyone’s life around the world that we can say it has been
liked to one’s life and even death, one’s meaning for existence. But what is there to know and
understand about religion? This module will introduce you to the various elements, concepts
and characteristics of belief system, worldview, religion and spirituality.
What’s
In the context of religion, list down 5 things that you believe in by completing the following
statement:
Lesson
1

Understanding
Belief System, Worldview, Religion and
Spirituality
What’s
Answer the following questions with YES or NO based on your belief systems.
Your answers to the statement above reflect your belief system, as well as your religiosity and
spirituality. What is your belief system? Are you a religious or spiritual person?
What is It
Image 1 (Concept Map) on previous page shows the different worldviews or belief system.
Table 1 below describes each of these worldviews or belief system.
Theism is defined as “a belief in the existence of one god viewed as the creative source of the
human race and the world who transcend yet is immanent in the world” (Merriam-Webster,
2014). Monotheism is the belief that there is only one (mono) Supreme God who created
everything, while polytheism recognize many (poly) gods. Examples of modern-day monotheistic
religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam, while Hinduism is considered to be a
polytheistic religion.
Monism, another belief system contends that God and the universe exist as one. There is no
distinction between god and the universe.
Atheists do not believe in any god or divine being, while agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve
in god for they deny the possibility for man to completely acknowledge the existence of God.
What’s More
What I Can Do
(A character sketch describes a person and his/her personality. Write your character
sketch beside the blank image of the human person below. You may design the person’s
image as you wish.)
Assessment
Match Column A with Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate paper.
Additional Activities
Written below is a statement related to the topic. Encircle whether you agree or not agree
with the statement. Explain your answer.

8. I pray everyday.
What’s More
What is It
Explaining Religion
Religion may be defined as “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to
worship a god or group of gods” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2014). It takes its origin from the
Latin word religare which means “to tie together, to bind fast,” which originally was an
expression of piety that is, binding to god. Now, the term was used to express the manner in
which people come together to perform rituals as part of the belief in the supernatural beings.
Across the globe, with the existence of the different world religions, some of the common
characteristics among religions are as follows: it involves belief in a god or deity, their
relationship with the world and the ways to worship them, it comprises holy and sacred places
and people, and encompasses a set of rules to follow in line with the transcendental beliefs.
Other basic concepts that need to be understood in the study of religion, are theology and
philosophy of religion.
Theology involves the systematic study of the existence, nature and purpose of god. When
religion is man’s way to God, theology may be explained as understaning God’s
way to man.
Philosophy of religion, on the other hand, involves studying the “concepts and belief systems of
the religions as well as the prior phenomena of religious experience and the activities
of worship and meditation on which these belief systems rest and out of which they have
arisen” (Hick, 1990 as cited by Ong, 2016). It is not a branch of theology but a branch of
philosophy, hence the study and analysis of concepts like god, spirit, karma, creation,
immortality, heaven, hell, and purgatory among others, need not to be taken in a religious
perspective.
Exploring Spirituality
What is spirituality and how does it differ from religion?
Derived from the Latin word spiritus, with its verb root spirare, which literaly means “to
breathe”, spirituality may be linked to a person’s longing for the value of life. While religion is
viewed as set of ideals practiced and followed by organized groups, “spirituality is something an
individual can have without being implicated in the ambivalent complexity of human societies
and institutions” (Grassie 2010) as cited by Ong, 2016. Some may associate spirituality with
religiosity but many asserts that spirituality—inner peace, satisfaction and
contentment—may be found independent of any religious beliefs or doctrines. Thus, spirituality
can be described as one’s holistic and integrative view of life and involves a quest for meaning
and ultimate value of life. Hence, one can be spiritual without being religious.
Belief
Systems/Worldviews
Monism Agnosticism
Polytheism
One God Atheism
Many gods
Monotheism Doubt in god
One Reality No
God
RELIGION
SPIRITUALITY
WORLDVIEW
THEOLOGY
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
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Column A Column B