Download Spiritualism

Faith and Religion
What is religion?
Dictionary
Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause,
nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when
considered as the creation of a superhuman agency
or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual
observances, and often containing a moral code
governing the conduct of human affairs.
Foundational Human Questions
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Where do I/we come from?
What is my purpose for living?
How should I act in the world?
What happens when I die?
Where can I find a community that
thinks and feels like I do?
God-isms
• Theism: Belief in some kind of god
• Atheism: god does not exist
• Deism: god exists as creator/designer, but that’s about it
• Monotheism: one god
• Polytheism: multiple gods
• Animism: souls or spirits exists in all things
• Pantheism: the universe or nature and god are identical
• Agnosticism: don’t know if god does or doesn’t exist
• Secularism: of this world, god not involved
Quiz
What’s Your
Religion
Type?
Examples of World Religions
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Bahai
Brahmanism
Buddhism
Christianity
Confucianism
Daoism
Hinduism
Islam
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Jainism
Judaism
Secular Humanism
Shintoism
Scientology
Sikhism
Rastafarianism
Zoroastrianism
Religion and Culture
are sometimes indistinguishable
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Polynesian (e.g., Maori)
African (e.g., Bantu, Bush People)
Latin America (e.g., Inca, Maya, Aztec)
Caribbean (e.g., Voodoo, Yoruba, Shango)
• Hasidic Jews?
• Amish People?
Harris Poll of American Opinions, 2006
Does God Exist?
No, Absolutely Certain
No, Somewhat Certain
Unsure
Yes, Somewhat Certain
Yes, Absolutely Certain
How do We Acquire Religious Knowledge?
How do We Gain Access?
Religious
Knowledge
Faith
Is
Faith
the “key”
to religious
knowledge?
Spiritualism
Spiritualism as Ontology
Recognizes the reality of the non-material,
spirit world, and
Views this spiritual dimension as
integrated and interactive with
the natural and the mental dimensions
Spiritualism as Epistemology
Spiritualism teaches us that we are able to
gain knowledge, insight, and wisdom from
and through our relationship or
connectedness with spiritual beings, forces,
or states of awareness.
Recognizes that we cannot access this insight
or knowledge through reason or sensory
experience/science alone.
Inward Journeys:
Forms and Patterns of College Student Spirituality
From our assigned reading
“We use the term “spirituality” to include all
forms of reflection and introspection in which the
primary goal is to explore one’s relationship to
the transcendent in order to deepen and enrich
personal meaning, purpose, authenticity, and
wholeness.”
Forms of Spiritual Searching
Religious Seekers
Single Faith
Centered
Interfaith
Centered
Secular Seekers
Mindfulness
In Solitude
or
In Social Groups
Holistic
Health
Are college students developmentally most
engaged with these spiritual questions?
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Identity: Who am I?
Destiny or Calling: Where am I Going?
Personal Faith: What Can I Believe in?
Wholeness: How Can I be Happy?
Mattering: Will My Life Make a Difference
Do universities have a responsibility for spiritual/moral development?
– 1. Learning in college is intrinsically connected to students’ inner lives of emotions,
feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Higher education that ignores the connections between
the cognitive and emotional domains of students’ lives will necessarily be less effective.
– 2. The liberal arts tradition in American higher education has always emphasized the
holistic development of college students. Students develop holistically, and concern for
educating the whole student continues to be an important aspect of undergraduate
education in most colleges and universities.
– 3. The majority of undergraduates in most U.S. colleges and universities are in the
traditional age group of 17 – 23 years. Parents and the general public expect that
higher education will help to prepare these young adults in their transition to adult life
and responsibilities in a democratic society.
– 4. The seriousness of student conduct on campus including alcohol abuse, academic
dishonesty, abuses in athletics, racism, sexism, and materialistic values demand that
colleges and universities take more accountability for guiding the ethical development
of college students.
– 5 . College students who report higher levels of spirituality and religiousness also report
higher levels of physical and psychological well being.
– 6 . The moral challenges and pressures of leadership in today’s increasingly complex
and competitive world require college graduates who have developed ethical integrity
as well as intellectual competence.
Spiritualism takes many Forms
Religion
The Occult
Mysticism
Nirvana
Mysticism
An extra-sensory
experience granting
acquaintance of
realities or states of
affairs that are of a
kind not accessible
by way of sense
perception or
standard reasoning.
Nirvana is the supreme state
free from suffering and
individual existence. It is a state
Buddhists refer to as
"Enlightenment". It is the
ultimate goal of all Buddhists.
The attainment of nirvana
breaks the otherwise endless
rebirth cycle of reincarnation.
Buddhists also consider nirvana
as freedom from all worldly
concerns such as greed, hate, and
ignorance. No one can describe
in words what nirvana is. It can
only be experienced directly.
Mystic Practices: Meditation
Hindu meditation can be
defined as a state of relaxed
contemplation on the
present moment, or a state
of reflection where the mind
dissolves and is free of all
thought. The goals of this
method of meditation vary,
including spiritual
enlightenment and the
transformation of attitudes.
Let’s Listen to Some Teachers…
Meditation for Beginners
Let’s Listen to Some Teachers…
Cosmic Energy
Let’s Listen to Some Teachers…
Tai Chi
Let’s Listen to Some Teachers…
Tai Chi
Om Chanting
The vibrations have the effect of
dusting you off. Shaking up
your thoughts and feelings to
give you a clearer perspective.
So, when you are chanting Om,
you are joining your prana,
your life force, with all beings
chanting with you and with the
whole universe. You are
putting energy back into this
eternal system.
Assignment on 2-25