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Saint Patrick High School
Curriculum Guide
Department
Class
Religious Studies
Religions of the Book
Required Text
Grade
Junior
PACC
World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery by
Jeffrey Brodd (downloaded from Intel Study)
iPad Apps
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Additional
Materials
Showbie
Good Reader
Mindmeister
Keynote
Haiku
Educreation
Cell Storming
FlowVella
Other
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USCCB Bible (Online)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Class Website:
https://sites.google.com/a/stpatrick.org/religions-of-the-book/
Course Description
The Christian Bible inspires faith for billions of persons worldwide and is a best-seller
every year. In this course the Bible is studied as an example of the world’s Scriptures.
Comparisons and contrasts are drawn between both the content and the use of
Scripture in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim denominations.
This course builds upon the student’s required background of Freshman Year Mass and
Sacraments and Old Testament classes and Sophomore Year New Testament. Using
the prism of their use of Scripture (comparison/contrast of its origin and development, its
meaning and central themes, and its use in prayer and ritual), this course provides a
comparative and ecumenical approach to the exploration of the Christian, Jewish, and
Islamic faiths. These religious traditions will be examined in relation to their
development and influence on the world and as a comparative study from a Christian
religious background.
Course Standards – Chicago
Archdiocese Curriculum
Junior Year
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CREED: Understand, believe and proclaim the Triune God as revealed in the signs
of creation, Sacred Scripture, Catholic Tradition and human experience.
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SACRAMENTS: Understand and participate in the sacraments of the Church as efficacious
signs of God’s grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church.
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CHRISTIAN LIVING: Understand and live the moral teachings of the Church through a life
of discipleship in Jesus Christ expressed in love for God, conversion, the dignity of the
human person, positive self-image, personal integrity, social justice, and love of neighbor
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SACRED SCRIPTURE: Read, comprehend and articulate salvation history as conveyed in
God’s revelation through the signs of scripture.
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LITURGY: Understand and celebrate the liturgical rites of the Church as expressed in the
Church Year and epitomized in the Eucharist the source and summit of Christian life.
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CHRISTIAN PRAYER/ SPIRITUALITY: Understand and express the different forms
of prayer consciously recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit and the meaning
of self-surrender to God.
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CATHOLIC CHURCH: Understand and appreciate the mystery of the Church,
the Body of Christ, the community of believers, as expressed in the Church’s origin,
mission of evangelization, hierarchical structure, marks, charisms, members and
the communion of saints.
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PARISH LIFE: Understand and participate in the life of the Church as lived in the
parish through its community, cultural aspects, worship, sacramental life, service,
missionary endeavors and organization.
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VOCATION: Understand and undertake discipleship in Christ responding in faith
by participating in the mission of the Church through living a specific call in the life
of the Church
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ECUMENISM AND DIOLOGUE: Understand and participate in the call of the Church
to be a sign of unity in the world through knowledge of and collaboration with Christian
churches, Jews, Muslims and all faith traditions.
Unit Themes (Table of Contents)
Theme 1:
Studying the World Religions
Theme 2:
Indigenous Religious Tradition
Theme 3:
Ancestors of the West
Theme 4:
Judaism
Theme 5:
Islam
Theme 6:
Christianity
Theme 7
Religions of the Modern World
Agreed Upon Assessments
Forms of assessments may include but are not limited to….
 Pre-assessments
 Class Discussions
 Small Group Discussions
 Group or Individual Projects
 Quizzes
 Unit Exam
Homework
All homework will be assigned and turned in using the iPad. We will be using a variety
of methods. The Catholic Foundations website
(https://sites.google.com/a/stpatrick.org/religions-of-the-book/)) will serve as the
source of Assignments and Worksheets along with due dates of the required work we
will cover this during the semester.
Introduction to Religions of the Book
Unit Affirmation Statements
Unit 1
Overview
All human beings have the capacity for self-reflection. The world’s religions offer
answers to fundamental questions about the human condition, spiritual reflection,
human destiny the nature of the world and the nature of ultimate reality, or God. Most
religions share some basic elements, including experiential, mythic, doctrinal, ethical,
ritual, social and material dimensions.
Unit 1 – Studying the World Religions
Duration:
4 Weeks
Students will be able to master the following ideas through discussion, projects
and testing:
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Understanding a common element found in the religions of the world as to the
essential nature of the human condition.
Examine of religions differ over the question of final destiny.
Gain an understanding of the theistic and nontheistic approach in studying a
cultures worldview.
Understanding myth as a non-historical and non-rational source of sacred truth.
Passed along from one generation to the next, myths set forth fundamental
knowledge regarding the nature of things and the proper way to live.
Unit 1
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Essential Questions
What common elements can be found all religions that address the human
condition?
How do different religions and culture approach the question of the finality of the
human experience?
In what way is a religions cosmology related to its worldview and other elements
of its religious experience?
What is myth (mythology) and what role does it play in religion?
Unit 2
Overview
Since prehistoric times small groups throughout the world have practiced their own
unique forms of religion. Some of those religions continue to be practiced, especially
among the native inhabitants of Australia, Africa and the Americas. We refer to those as
primal religions because they tend to come before the religious traditions we will study
in the remaining chapters of the book.
Unit 2 – Indigenous Religious Tradition
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Duration
4 Weeks
Students will be able to master the following ideas through discussion, projects
and testing:
 Religion of the Australian Aborigines. The foundation of Aboriginal religion is the
concept of Dreaming, when supernatural beings called Ancestors, roamed the
earth, shaping the landscape and creating various forms of life, including the first
humans. Aboriginal religion is a process of recreating the mythic past of the
Dreaming in order to tap into its sacred power, primarily through rituals reenacting myths.
 The Yoruba religion of Africa tries to maintain a balance between human beings
of earth and the gods and ancestors of heaven, while guarding against evil
sorcerers and witches. The Yoruba believe that their supreme god, Olorun, is the
original source of power, but the lesser gods – the orishas – are most significant
in Yoruba life.
 The religion of the Plains is somewhat representative of Native American religion
in general. The members of one large Plains tribe, the Lakota, call the supreme
reality Wakan Tanka, whose name refers to sixteen separate deities. The vision
quest is common to many primal traditions and helps people purify themselves
and access spiritual power. The Sun Dance is a ceremony is centered on the
axis mundi, which is a link between the earth and heavens and represents the
Supreme Being
 Aztec religion emphasizes the interrelationship between myth and ritual. The
Aztecs built their civilization n the foundation of cultures that had come before
them. They believe that the Toltec god Quetzalcoatl had presided over an age of
prosperity and cultural brilliance, which his earthly devotee, Topiltzin
Quetzalcoatl, had ruled as priest king. The Aztecs also regard the human being
as an axis mundi, with two divine forces – one in the head and one in the heart –
nurturing basic needs.
 In most primal religions, the boundaries between supernatural and the human
world is easily crossed. The sacred and secular are intertwined. Primal religions
are constantly changing to adapt to modern life while retaining the ancient
foundations.
Unit 2
Essential Questions
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What are the key elements of the Aboriginal religion?
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What elements of the Yoruba religion shared by the other indigenous
religions?
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How was the religious experience of the Lakota Indians still alive today?
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What role did the development of calendars play in the Mesoamerican
religious experience?
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What elements of primal religions remains part of the modern religious
experience?
Unit 3
Overview
The region surrounding the western part of the Mediterranean Sea is commonly referred
to as the cradle of the West. The religion of ancient Iran, Zoroastrianism is one of the
world’s oldest living religions. Zoroastrianism began to flourish throughout Iran
(Mesopotamia) during the Persian Empire, which at its height in the fifth and fourth
centuries BC.
The Greek classical period began with the epic poet Homer, around 750 BC and ended
with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. Judaism and later Christianity were
strongly influenced by the Greeks. Homer’s epic poems contain important religious
teachings especially their portrayal of the Greek pantheon.
Roman religion was based on the notion that life is restrained by the numerous divine
powers inhabiting the world.
Unit 3 – Ancestors of the West
Duration
4 Weeks
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Students will be able to master the following ideas through discussion, projects
and testing:
 Religion of Ancient Iran: Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism, likely lived
during the sixth or fifth century BC. He preached the radical message of
monotheism. Zarthustra recognized the one true god as Ahura Mazda, the Wise
Lord, who is eternal and universal goodness. According to Zarathustra, humans
must choose between truth and Lie, and the choice would have eternal
consequences. Few Zoroastrian live in Iran today; most known as Parsis, live in
India.
 Religions of Ancient Greece – Homeric religion is polytheistic. Its gods and
goddesses are anthropomorphic. Lofty theology regarding the pantheon is found
in the work of the Greek dramatist. Worship occurred at festivals such as the
Olympic Games. The gods communicated directly to mortals through their
heroes, through dreams and ominous signs and through sanctuaries called
oracles. The Homeric view afterlife was dark and dreary underworld where souls
remembered their earthly lives with regret and longing.
 Religion in the Roman World: Roman gods and goddesses had counterparts in
the Olympian pantheon. The deities belonged to a larger category known as
numina, which were supernatural powers, each with specific powers. The two
main rivals to Christianity in the later Roman Empire were mystery religions –
Mirthraism and the cult of the goddess Isis. Emperor worship was another facet
in Roman religion. Some emperors chose to be worshipped by declaring divinity;
later emperors encouraged worship of their genius, or guardian spirit, which
actually focused worship on Rome.
Unit 3
Essential Questions
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What elements of Zoroastrianism remain present in the world today?
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What was the relationship between Greek literature, philosophy and religion?
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What are Mystery Religions and why did they pose a threat to early
Christianity?
Unit 4 – Judaism
Unit 4
Duration
4 Weeks
Overview
Judaism is a religious tradition with origins dating back nearly four thousand years,
rooted in the ancient near eastern region of Palestine. Originating as the beliefs and
practices of the people known as "Israel," classical - or rabbinic - Judaism did not
emerge until the 1st century C.E. Judaism traces its heritage to the covenant God made
with Abraham and his lineage that God would make them a sacred people and give
them a holy land. The primary figures of Israelite culture include the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophet Moses, who received God's law at Mt. Sinai.
Judaism is a tradition grounded in the religious, ethical, and SOCIAL laws as they are
articulated in the Torah - the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - what Jews refer to as
the Tanakh, an acronym for the texts of the Torah, Prophets and Writings. Other sacred
texts include the Talmud and Midrash, the rabbinic, legal, and narrative interpretations
of the Torah. The four main movements within Judaism today are Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist, respectively ranging from traditional to
liberal to religiously progressive in their application of Torah. Judaism tends to
emphasize practice over belief. Jewish worship is centered in synagogues, which
completely replaced the Second Temple after its destruction in 70 C.E. Jewish religious
leaders are called rabbis, who oversee the many rituals and ceremonies essential to
Jewish religious practice.
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Students will be able to master the following ideas through
discussion, projects and testing:
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Judaism’s Central Teachings: Judaism can be summarized in several ways. It is
the Covenant between God and the people, in history and in the present. The
basic theological statement of Judaism is the Shema: “Hear O Israel! The Lord is
our God, the Lord alone” (Deut. 6:4) Torah literal means “instruction” and is also
loosely translated as “law”. The term also refers to the first five books of the
Bible, containing a variety of forms of writing. The Mishnah and Talmud
constitute the “oral Torah” transmitted by great rabbis of antiquity.
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The History of the Chosen People: Originally the Jews were the descendants of
the Hebrews. Judaism of the classical period, from the end the first century AD
through the seventh century, remains the standard for Jews down to modern
times. In the medieval period due to the Diaspora, the Jews were scattered and
lived under various political and social conditions. Moses Maimonides represents
the Jewish masters who continued to interpreting the Torah throughout the
medieval period. The three modern divisions of Judaism are Reform Orthodox
and Conservative.
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The Sanctification of Life: According to Judaism, life is sanctified through the
moment to moment observance of the Torah. Judaism is for more concerned
with correct practice than correct belief. The predominant form of worship is
prayer. The home and synagogue are the two centers of Jewish worship. Rules
found in the Torah govern family relationships. The rites of birth and naming of
the child, the coming of age of young people, marriage, and death and mourning
demonstrate how thoroughly Judaism deals with life’s transitions.
Unit 4
Essential Questions
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What are the central teachings of the Jewish faith?
What are the central historical events of the Jewish faith from the time of
Abraham to the origin of the modern state of Israel?
How the Jewish faith is considered a religion of the book?
Unit 5 – Islam
Unit 5
Duration
4 Weeks
Overview
Islam requires submission to the one God, Allah, at every moment in one’s life. Islam is
distinctive among the great religions of the world because of the extent to which it
embraces the totality of life and recognizes no division between religious and secular.
Muslims understand Allah to be transcendent and suprapersonal, while at the same
time seeing Allah as imminent and personal. The general nature of Islam centers on
four basic elements; first, the Qur’an is the primary sacred text and Islam’s earthly
center. Next, is the Prophet Muhammad, who received the contents of the Qur’an from
Allah and whose life provides Muslims with an example of human perfection. The
primary teachings of Islam derived from the Qur’an and from the teachings of
Muhammad comprise the third key element. Finally, the Muslim community or Umma,
bases its laws and lifestyle on those teachings.
Students will be able to master the following ideas through
discussion, projects and testing:
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The Foundation of Islam: According to tradition the archangel Gabriel
commanded Muhammad to recite exactly what was to become the Qur’an.
Rejected by the citizens of Mecca, the prophet and his followers emigrated to
Yahir, later known as Medina. This emigration is known as the Hijra, an event
that becomes the basis of the Islamic calendar.
Muhammad’s own actions and teachings constitute the Sunna. Traditionally there
are 99 names for the one, transcendent, suprapersonal Allah. Prophets provide
the link between Allah and history. Muslims regard Abraham as father of the
Arabs. Muslims also revere Moses and Jesus as great prophets. Islam considers
the natural world good because it is another form of revelation of God’s will. The
Shari’a or divine law unites Muslims into one community known as Umma.
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Basic Practices and Social Teachings: Islam describes in detail the requirements
and rewards for righteous living. The Five Pillars of Islam provides a basic
framework for life. they are (1) confession of faith in one god and
acknowledgment of Muhammad as a unique prophet; (2) prayer; (3) fasting; (4)
sharing of wealth; and (5) pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam has specific teachings on
care of the body, including cleanliness, regulation of the diet, and sexual morality.
Islam regards men and women equals but with different roles. Jihad refers to the
struggle of individuals and society to act in accordance with the divine will. It is a
principle that applies to all aspects of Islamic life and is sometimes counted as
the sixth pillar.
The Expansion of Islam: Within one century of Muhammad’s death, Islamic
civilization spread throughout the Middle East, Persia, North Africa and almost all
of Spain. It flourished until the era European colonization. Currently the greatest
concentration of Muslims is across the northern half of Africa, all of the Middle
East, southwestern and South Asia and the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States. Islam has taken various
forms. While the majority of Muslims practice the form of Islam called Sunnism, a
small minority practice Shi’ism. Shi’ism holds that Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of
Muhammad’s was Muhammad’s true successor.
Sufism is a mystical form of Islam in which individuals strive to experience Allah
as immanent. Islam is distinctive among the world’s religions for its allencompassing nature that does not recognize a division between what is
religious and what is secular.
Unit 5
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Essential Questions
What is the origin of the religion of Islam?
What are the basic tenets of Islam?
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
What distinguishes the Sunni form of Islam from the Shite form?
What is Sufism?
Unit 6 – Christianity
Unit 6
Duration
4 Weeks
Overview
With nearly two billion professed adherents worldwide, Christianity is currently the
largest religion in the world. It has dominated western culture for centuries and remains
the majority religion of Europe and the Americas. Christian belief founded on the
Hebrew Scriptures and on the life of Jesus of Nazareth, a teacher and healer of firstcentury Palestine. The primary source of information about the life of Jesus are the
Gospels, four books written by different authors 30-100 years after Jesus' death. The
Gospels eventually became the first four books of the New Testament.
Students will be able to master the following ideas through
discussion, projects and testing:
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Christ: Christianity is the world’s largest religion. Christians acknowledge Jesus
Christ a Son of God and savior, believes in the doctrine of the Incarnation and
Trinity, and belongs to the Church. Jesus was a Jew living under Roman rule. He
seemed to hold an apocalyptic perspective. During his two-year ministry he
attracted large crowds and disciples. The gospels portrayed Jesus as an
exorcist/healer who often taught in parables. He focused on two linked themes:
the imminent coming of the Kingdom (Reign) of God and the urgent need for
ethical transformation through the love of God and loving all people. Christianity
really began after the Death/Resurrection of Jesus when his followers first
experienced him as the risen Lord.
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Scripture – The Christian tradition accepts the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures
as they are found in the Septuagint and interprets their anticipation and fulfillment
in the Christian Scriptures. The Christian message itself is referred to by the
name Gospel, which means “the good news” or God’s victory over evil. It was
written over a period of 49 AD to 100 AD from the early letters of Saint Paul to
the final letters of John. The Gospel of Mark was the first of the gospels where it
emphasized the humanity and suffering of Jesus while recognizing his divinity.
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the revealer of the New Torah, the
Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as a role model for the perfect way to live, and the
Gospel of John presents him as the Son of God who realized full humanity in
Jesus Christ while remaining fully divine. Paul offers a look at the early Church
while emphasizing that through the Death/Resurrection of Christ, the effects of
Original Sin have been overcome
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Creed - The early Christian community determined the foundational doctrines of
Christianity: the Incarnation and the Trinity. In the early documents of the
Apostles Creed and the Gospel the emphasis of Jesus’ fully divinity and at the
same time full humanity is articulated. The doctrine of the Trinity states the three
Persons of God are distinct from one another while sharing the same essence.
This was confirmed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and Council of
Constantinople in 381 AD. After the Resurrection an organized Church gradually
took shape. The earliest Church initially perceived itself as a branch of Judaism.
Through Saint Paul’s leadership he helped free Gentile Christians from the
requirements of the Torah and broadening the scope of the early Christian
Church. During the early centuries the Christian Church came into conflict with
the Roman Empire but by the end of the fourth century Christianity was the
empire’s only legitimate religion. In the following centuries a split between east
and west developed with a formal separation occurring in 1054 AD.
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The Protestant Reformation, led initially by Martin Luther in the sixteenth century
moved throughout Europe with a number of new Christian denominations
forming. Today Christianity can be divided into three groupings: Roman
Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. One characteristic of the
Catholic tradition is its insistence on both Scripture and Tradition as the complete
source of Revelation referred to as the Deposit of Faith. Eastern Orthodoxy limits
it doctrines to those reached before 787AD. Protestants hold the Bible as primary
source of Revelation.
Unit 4
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Essential Questions
What are the foundational teachings of Jesus?
What is the origin of the New Testament and what is the role of the Gospel in the
lives of Christians?
What are the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith?
When and what created the two great schisms in Christianity?
Unit 7 – Religions of the Modern World
Unit 7
Duration
4 Weeks
Overview
Modernization is the general process by which societies achieve increased literacy and
education, enhanced technologies, self-sustaining economies, and more unified and
participatory government. The changes that accompany modernization affect religious
traditions.
New religions arise to fit the circumstances of the modern situation, and most of the
world’s established religions began as new religious movement. One effect of
globalization has been the importation of religions movement.
Science as both a method for acquiring knowledge and the knowledge itself makes
certain assumptions about reality that general challenge religious worldviews. Scientism
holds that science is the only valid method of discovering truth. Science and religion are
in tension over questions of whether a soul exists independently of from a physical
body.
Students will be able to master the following ideas through
discussion, projects and testing:
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Major Concepts – Capitalism encourages a materialistic view of wealth, which is
pervasive in the modern world. Because capitalism relies on a large workforce’s
amass near manufacturing centers, as populations embraced it, they shift from
rural settings to cities in a process known as urbanization. Technology advances
in communication and transportation contributed to globalization – the linking and
intermixing of cultures.
Globalization has challenged the traditional forms on inequality by producing an
egalitarian view of equality and overtime religious traditions have tended to
accommodate that view. In reaction to this, Fundamentalism, an extreme form of
traditionalism has taken two forms: it can insist on a literal interpretation of a
religious text and teaching, or it can support a more general reaction against
modern forces and reform.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, liberalism advocates adapting religious
traditions to respond to the modern world. Postmodernism is a late-twentiethcentury worldview that reflects a critical reaction the trends of modernization and
globalization.
New Religious Movements – The Vedanta Society was established in the
nineteenth century, and bases it approach on the Hindu path to knowledge. The
Hare Krishna movement established in 1965 is another Hindu import,
emphasizing the ritual dimension of the path of devotion. New religions also
result from the mixing of two or more established traditions.
Mormonism began when its founder, Joseph Smith Jr., experienced a vision that
led him to recover the lost prophecies that were eventually published in the Book
of Mormons.
The Jehovah Witnesses was founded during the mid-nineteenth-century
predictions of the end of world. Adherents discouraged many aspects of
contemporary life as being counter to their religious understanding.
The New Age Movement focuses on a rejuvenated future characterized by peace
and harmony and derives its doctrine, ritual, experimental and other dimensions
from a variety of sources.
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Neopaganism teaches that nature in its entirety is permeated by the divine, and
thus emphasizes a basic ethic of doing no harm to others. Wicca also reveres
nature and involves practices and techniques that cause natural energy to
conform to a witch’s will.
Pentecostalism is a form of Christianity that began in the twentieth century, in
which the dominant feature is glossolalia – speaking in tongues. Partly because
of the exposure through television, Pentecostalism is a fast-growing form of
Christianity. Religion and Science – Evolutionary theory known as Darwinism is
opposed by some religious views and is accepted by others as part of the divine
will. Neurotheology is a new scientific that attempts to examine how the brain
responds to religious experiences. Scientist and others acknowledge that brain
activity may not reflect the entire phenomenon of religious experience. The big
bang theory is the accepted cosmology of science, although new theories
suggest an alternative. Scientific and religious worldviews may not agree, but
they can be complementary. Both science and religion are permeated by mystery
and the inability to answer certain questions through a scientific method suggests
that there is an essential place for religion.
Unit 7
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Essential Questions
How has capitalism and globalization influenced the modern religious experience
in the United States?
What are some of the New Religious Movements that have developed during the
twentieth century?
What is Pentecostalism and how has it impacted the world today?