THE ROAR LEARNING GUIDE SERIES

Sto. Niño Academy of Bamban, Inc.

Rizal Ave., San Nicolas, Bamban, Tarlac

Learning Guide No. 1 Lesson Title: Defining Religion

Subject: Introduction to World Religions and Grade Level: 12
Belief System_ Coverage: Week one

Name: _________________________________________ Section: ____________________________

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world
and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others” - Tonny Robbins

1. Prayer
Loving Father,
Come be with us today
Fill our hearts with joy
Fill our minds with learning
Fill our lessons with fun
Fill our friendships with kindness
Fill our school with love
Help us grow in love and kindness more like Jesus every day. Amen.

2. Objectives
a. Content
 Demonstrates understanding of belief system or worldview, Religion,
Spirituality, Philosophy of Religion, and Theology
b. Performance
 Prepares character sketches of a person who is spiritual but not religious and
a person who is religious but not spiritual.
c. Formation
 Give an example of a belief system or a worldview communicate his
understanding of his religion
 Differentiate religion from spirituality, Theology, and Philosophy or
Religion
 Infer that A belief system or worldview is a particular way of ordering the
realities of one’s world.
 Infer that Religion is the pursuit of transformation guided by a sacred belief
system.
 Infer that Spirituality is one’s integrative view of life. It involves a quest for
the meaning and ultimate value of life as opposed to an instrumentalist or
materialistic attitude to life.
 Classify the worldview of each of the world’s major religions is critical in
appreciating their rituals and practices.
3. Meaning-making / Method
Worldviews and belief systems are necessary for religions in order to protect and
spread their own particular belief as a way of “keeping the faith” through generations.
Worldviews are not all about God, but these are also about our views about reality, man,
truth and values. There are also economic, political and social worldviews.

4. Most Essential Learning Competencies

 Differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system,
world view, religion, and spirituality
 Proclaim God’s greatness for creating us a respectful people and inspired by
St. Dominic’s passion for truth and compassion for humanity through
prayers of gratitude to God and affirmation of oneself

5. Activities / To-do list

Lesson 1: Worldview, Belief Systems and Religion
Activity #1
1. Interview your parents/guardians and write their answers on the space provided.
2. Ask them the following questions:
a. What is the most important thing in your life? Let them explain briefly.
Person #1
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Person #2
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________

b. What values (ex. Honesty, simplicity, God-fearing, etc) you would like to follow?
Why?
Person #1
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Person #2
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
 c. What is your idea of God?
Person #1
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
Person #2
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________

Discussions (refer to pages 1-12)

Why do we need to study this

subject?

Going on a pilgrimage to sacred spaces is a special kind of journey. It is not simply traveling
for sightseeing, but entering into a religious belief system and encountering its unique
elements.
Remember that we are doing this in order to increase our capacity to respect our differences our
differences and practice mutual tolerance. We also desire to correct erroneous perceptions and
to develop appreciation of our ow n faith tradition and that of others. Hence, this humbly
opening our minds and hearts to one another.
 Point for Reflection:
Answer the question minimum of 2 sentences
1. Is being religious enough for a person to sustain a healthy spiritual life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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________________________________

Defining Religion
Religion has always been and remains a powerful dimension of human experience. “Being
human”
Homo Religiosus is one way of describing the human being. It is the nature of human beings to
be religious, to go beyond oneself in the service of something or someone usually perceived as
greater than oneself and as a source of meaning and well-being.
Religious beliefs, expressions, and worldviews have inspired and influenced humanity’s
artistic, philosophical, ethical, political, scientific, and economic endeavors. Consequently,
ignorance about religion itself and the world’s religious traditions promotes misunderstanding
that weakens respect for diversity

If the practice of religion is characteristic of

being human, what then is religion? For one,
religion may be understood as an
institutionalized system or beliefs and
practices from which an individual or
community derives meaning and significance and to which community formally adheres in
response to ultimate questions and the struggles of everyday life in the light of transcendent
reality.
Religion is therefore, one among a significant variety of ways through which human
beings seek and fulfillment
Common Characteristics of Religious Worldviews
1. Ways of dealing with people’s relationship to an unseen and transcendent realm of
existence, usually inhabited by spirits, deities, demons, and ancestors
2. A set of myths or stories about this unseen world and rituals to commune with it or
appease it
3. A system of organized rituals celebrated in holy places by consecrated persons and
embodied in sacred texts
4. Statements about life beyond death, either as survival in some shadowy world of the
dead, in some version of heaven and hell, or through reincarnation
5. A code of ethical behavior or moral order
 6. Large followings, either currently or at some time in the past

Activity #1 (refer to page 7)

Bring a religious item or a picture that shows a part of a religious
activity/ritual. Describe the item or activity/ritual guided by the questions
below.
For a religious item:
1. What is this item?
_________________________________________________
2. What is it used for? What is the meaning or importance?
________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
3. How does it connect you (or the person that possess that item) to
God?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
__________________________________
4. What does it say about God?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
___________________________________
5. How it supposed to guide the believer on how to behave and relate
with others?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Activity #2 (refer to page 7)

Bring a religious item or a picture that shows a part of a religious
activity/ritual. Describe the item or activity/ritual guided by the questions
below.
For an activity or ritual:
6. What is this activity/ritual?
_________________________________________________
7. Describe how it is performed.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
______________________________________
8. How does it connect you to God?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
______________________________________
9. What does it say about God?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
______________________________________
10. How it supposed to guide the believer on how to behave and relate
with others?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The Study of Religion

Theology is one way of engaging in a formal study of a particular religious tradition. The
term theology originated from the Christian tradition and is rotted in two Greek words, Theos
meaning “God” and logos, “word” – the verbal expression of the human experience of
transcendent reality. Theology is the formal, systematic attempt to give a rational explanation of
the beliefs and practices of a religious institution and of the religious experiences of its
adherents.
Religious studies are another way of engaging in academic study of religion and differ from
theology in a number of ways. Theology assumes certain shared beliefs, attitudes, or practices,
the audience of religious studies is assumed to be open to the logical persuasion of evidence, but
is not ultimately expected to make a religious commitment.
Philosophy of religion, as the philosophical study of the nature and meaning of religion,
consists in analyzing religious concepts, beliefs, and practices of religious adherents
Psychology of religion attempts to explain religious behavior by making use of current
theories in psychology.
Sociology of religion describes religious phenomena in terms of their function in human
societies.
Religious anthropology studies the cultural significance of religious experiences, ideas, and
institutions.

Activity #3 (refer to page 9)

Find two adult believers in your community. These can be your parent, relative, or
godparent. Interview them separately using the guide questions below
Interviewee 1
1. What is your religion? What is one core belief in your religion? What is
its relevance to your daily life?
_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

2. What is the highest form of worship in your religion? Why is it

considered so?
____________________________________________________________
F
________________________________________
F _______________________________________________________
F
Interviewee
F 2
1. Name one important law observed by a follower of your religion. What
does it bring about in the individual and community?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
________________________
2. Identify one story that the community of believers read from your
religion’s sacred writings. What truth does it convey about life or
relationships?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
 Religion and Spirituality
Spirituality and phenomenon related to religion. Religion and spirituality were formerly
linked, as can be seen in one dictionary definition of the term spirituality as “the quality or
state of being concerned with religion or religious matters”. However, nowadays, it is more
common for people to consider religion and spirituality as being distinct and separate from
each other. Some people describe themselves as being spiritual but not necessarily religious.
Conversely, there are those who are religious but not spiritual.

How then does one define spirituality? Like a religion, spirituality is a complex human
experience, and no single definition can accommodate all its diverse expressions. An
understanding of what is meant by spirit is implied in spirituality.
Spirituality can thus be understood as the human being’s “capacity for self-transcendence in
relation to the Absolute”.
There are basic components of spirituality that must be practice in order to keep a healthy
life of the spirit. Prayer or attending to his/her interior life keeps an adherent centered on the
essentials of the religious tradition and facilitates the development of his/her personal moral
integrity.
While it is possible to be spiritual without being religious and vice versa, the practice of a
religious faith helps a person to better express his/her experience of the Sacred/Transcendent in
both words and action

The Major World Religion

Hindu Dharma – the oldest of the known religions- and Buddhism originated in the South
Asian subcontinent of India. India remains the home of Hindu Dharma, while Buddhism spread
other Asian Nations, like Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Daoism and Confucianism emerged in China. While, Shintoism comes from Japan. There is
some dispute whether Daoism and Confucianism may be considered religions, they are usually
counted as such because they have at times, developed certain religious aspects.

Judaism was the first to evolve among the religions that began in the Middle East. Along
with Christianity and Islam, it prides itself with a view of God who has revealed himself so that
humanity can come to know him. These religions believe that God has spoken and his words
contained in their sacred texts.

It should also be noted that one way of describing religions is through their respective
understanding of deity. Monotheistic religions, that is, believing in the existence of only one
supreme God. Other religions, acknowledging the existence of multiplicity of deities, are
polytheistic. Still others are nontheistic in that they do not explicit mention of any personal
deity.

Activity #4 (refer to page 12)

Based on the discussion in the preceding sections, formulate some brief
descriptions of a person who is religious but devoid of spirituality [left
column]. Do the same for a person who is both faithful to the religious
tradition and its spirituality [right column]

Faithful to Religious Tradition

Religious Devoid of Spirituality
And Its Spirituality

6. Suggested Resources
McKinney, Laurence O. (1994). Neuroethology: Virtual Religion in the 21st
Century retrieved from https://www. Amazon.com>Nuerotheology-Virtual-2

Ramos, Christine Carmela R. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human

Person.Rex Bookstore.2016

Cornejo, Nigel L., et al. Fundamentals of World Religions. MaxCor Publishing

House, Inc., 2019

Serapio, Maria Perpetua Arcilla. Introduction to World Religions for Senior

High School. Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2016

Vega, Violeta A. et al. Social Dimensions of Education. Lorimar Publishing

Inc., 2009

Ramos, Christine Carmela, PhD. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human

Person. Rex Bookstore.2016
 Newberg, Andrew (2010). Principles of Neurotheology. Retrieved
from www.npr.org>2010/12/15>neurotheology-where-religi...

7. Parent / Adult Support

Kindly write YES or NO before the statement.

_______ Did you access the Genyo E-learning system to see the activities done or to be
done by your child/children?
 _______ Did you participate in any performance task that may include your presence?
_______Did you track the progress of the lessons through the Supplementary Manuscript
given?
_______ Are the supplementary manuscripts helpful to you?
_______Did you listen or watch an online (synchronous/asynchronous) class attended by
your child?
What are your comments or suggestions?
Please specify___________________________________
Did you experience any difficulty within the whole duration of the online class?
Please specify___________________________________

If you provided any other assistance/ support to your child unstated above, kindly specify.
_________________________________________________________________________
________
8. Teacher Validation Strategies
 The teacher validates the assessment using Genyo E-learning.
 The teacher checks the students’ notebooks which include their notes during the
content delivery, other activities and responses.

Prepared by: Noted by:

_____________________________ __________________________
LUIGI CHRISTIAN R. BRACAMONTE RONALD D. DAVID
Subject Teacher OIC – Office of the Principal