Download 1. ICT: create a new WORD - Dialogue Australasia Network

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Designed and written by
Dr Nicholas Coleman
for Wesley College, Melbourne
2008
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Introduction for teachers
1. Changing focus
Long gone are the days when children simply
had to learn a fixed body of knowledge in
order to become adults who could find a
comfortable place in the prevailing monoculture. Following the information revolution,
the World Wide Web provides virtually
instant public access to more information
than any human being can possibly
comprehend. Practically every community is a
microcosm of different cultures, each with
distinct ways of seeing the world and
behaving accordingly. With so much available
information and so many options for action, no
single body of knowledge can hope to qualify
students as informed citizens.
To help our young people find their way to
success and happiness in the option-saturated
global village they inhabit today, education
needs to acquaint them with more than some
set body of information. Students need a Big
Picture world-view within which to make sense
of a range of interpretive value-systems.
They need research skills for evaluating
evidence and finding out what they don’t
know. They need skills of critical and creative
thinking for testing authority and for making
their own sound judgments.
To meet those needs, Religious Education
and Ethics (REE) in the Middle Years
introduces students to three different ways
of looking at religion and shows them how
each perspective relates to a corresponding
view of reality. Students are encouraged to
use ICT authoring and graphics skills to
record their understanding.
Year 7 students are familiarised with the
historical reality of the world’s five major
religions, as well as Aboriginal spirituality in
this country. They reflect on and talk about
conscience, prayer and the spiritual life. In
Year 8, students learn how virtually all faiths
have stories and teachings about Creation,
reality and Salvation. Students consider that
“Big Picture” and discuss how religions might
help them find the meaning of life here-now
and here-after. Year 9 students spend their
lesson time thinking and talking about the
possibility of a universal consciousness. They
wonder what thoughts God’s mind might think
and how to find a way to think those thoughts
themselves.
With diligent effort, good luck and God’s
grace, today’s Middle Years students will
acquire the factual knowledge, thinking skills
and spiritual sensitivities to be tomorrow’s well
informed, successful and happy adults.
2. Living in the spirit
REE has its centre of gravity in “Learning in the
Spirit”, the College philosophy of religion. The
goal of Learning in the Spirit (LITS) is to
educate young people at school for “living in the
spirit” as mature adults in the world. To
implement LITS does not involve teaching
specific curriculum content deemed to be
“spirituality”. Rather, it calls for teaching
spiritually, that is, with an awareness of how
the subject-matter (whatever that happens to
be) relates to other disciplines and to the wider
world and how it serves to advance students
(and teachers) in their journey towards finding
meaning and truth in life and peace beyond
understanding.
The “how” of teaching REE is more
important than the “what”. With permeable
boundaries between all curriculum areas, a
global perspective, openness to new knowledge,
and a bias towards hope, some real connections
can be made between students and the inner
spiritual life of mind. LITS teaching shows
students how to think differently, how to dare
to be wise, how to make links of meaning and
truth across arbitrary boundaries. LITS directs
students (and
staff) towards personal
experience of how all things converge into one
in a spiritual vision of the universe and
themselves.
Essential to LITS and underwriting the
entire REE program is the faith-belief that the
universe, part and whole, owes its existence to
the creative activity of a transcendent spiritual
power. The universe is more than a lucky
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accident of bits of matter in random motion.
It is understood as the intentional creation of
the spirit of God. That spirit is present in all
things and lives and minds as the energy that
drives the universe. The mechanical forces
that bind together the bits of cosmic dust,
the vital energies that power natural
processes
and
the
self-activity
of
consciousness that manifests in human
thought are all expressions of the one divine
spirit that creates and sustains each and
everything in existence.
The teachings of Christianity and the
other religions of the world are treasure
houses of wisdom for the life-journey in
search of truth and meaning here-now and
here-after. The aim of LITS REE is to
encourage students to think critically and
creatively about the history, beliefs and
practices of the World’s religions. The final
goal is to clear away some of the obstacles to
a spiritual perspective on life, or to
strengthen that faith-perspective in those
who already have it.
3. The universe of religions
From earliest times, people have found
themselves in the world and marvelled at the
fact of existence. In every age and every
culture people have wonder about the truth
and meaning of life, the universe and
everything. Who are we? Where are we? Why
are we here? Where have we come from?
Where are we going? How is it best to live?
Religions provide positive answers to such
great questions by relating the constant flux
of life, death and destiny to an enduring,
transcendent reality within and beyond
ordinary human experience. As religions see
it, the perfection of that ultimate spiritual
reality is what gives truth and meaning to life
here-now and here-after.
Religion is the only human activity that
directly addresses issues to do with life after
death. Religious beliefs and practices are
systems of meaning that orient their
followers towards a reality that exists
before, beneath and beyond, the ordinary
human world. Religious adherents have a vision
of the world within which they find a sense of
meaning in life here-now and a way to salvation
in a life hereafter. The essential narrative of
all religions has two parts to it; the first part
of the story deals with how human beings find
themselves estranged from the ultimate origin
of their existence, while the second part
explains how creatures can make their back to
reunion with that original and ultimate reality.
Religions typically include beliefs about the
nature and meaning of existence, and oral or
written codes of behaviour that give their
followers ethical guidance through everyday life
towards the highest goals. The consequences of
religious faith shape understanding of the
world, ethical decision-making and social
interaction.
REE is an academic and sympathetic study
of how religious faith develops in its interaction
with society and the individual. The aim of the
study is to familiarise students with how the
major religions relate the present material
world to a higher spiritual life. For the purposes
of this study, “religion” may be understood as
any form of belief and practice that comes
from and leads to human experience of the
ultimate reality or ‘God’.
Religions differ in many important ways
from one another. Yet, what they have in
common with each other as “religions”
distinguishes them all from other forms of
human activity. What makes religions “religious”
is their devotion to an ultimate reality or
sacred origin of existence that is believed to
operate both within and beyond the world of
ordinary human experience. All religions offer
ways of life and thought that claim to lead to
reunion with that sacred origin.
1—2: Review of REE
Contents
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3: The Nature of Religion
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4: Overview of the Abrahamic faiths
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5: Common origins & beliefs of the Abrahamic faiths
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6: Genesis story of “The Fall” from God’s grace
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7: The nature of God
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8: Images of God
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9: Images of God in the Old and New Testaments
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10: Illuminate a scripture
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11: God in the World
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12: Unity in diversity – the Golden Rule
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13: Commandments in the Old and New Testament
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14—15: Development of the Christian churches
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16: Symbolism of the Uniting Church
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17: The Christian World-view
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18: Beliefs expressed in the “Jesus Prayer”
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19: No God, No Peace – Know God, Know Peace
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20—21: Great Religions of the world
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22—23: The 8 “Aspects” of religion
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24: The Shema
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25: The Five Pillars of Islam
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26—27: Aboriginal spirituality
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28—29: Hinduism
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30—31: Buddhism
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32: text study of two prayers
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33: Turning the mind to God
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34: A lesson on Critical Thinking – student handout
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A lesson on Critical Thinking – teacher’s elaboration
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35: Prayer Pyramid
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36: Summative assessment questions
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Overarching idea:
Religion is the search for meaning here-now and hereafter
Essential questions:
How do religions begin?
Do all religions have the same teachings?
What do religions offer to the individual and society?
What is it that religions alone offer?
What is the goal of religion?
Textbook:
Nicholas Coleman (2006) Studies of Religion Prelim.; Science Press: Sydney
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Lessons 1—2:
To review current knowledge,
Brain-storm: What do “Religion,” “Education” and “Ethics” mean to you?
Brain-storm: What are the names of some religions?
A few minutes will produce various candidates. Write all the names up on
the whiteboard. Single out the religions proper – as distinct from the
denominations, sects, political ideologies and other suggestions.
Discuss: What is “religion” about?
What makes religion “religious”?
What is religion for? What is its goal (spiritual) and its outcome (worldly)?
Can we reconcile the differences between the noblity of religions’ spiritual goals
and the baseness of its worst worldly outcomes?
How do religions communicate themselves from one generation to the next?
Through education in beliefs and customs/behaviour (= ethics)
Mainly carried in stories and rituals
Are religious stories true?
What do we mean by “true”? Scientific truth has proof, is physical, and
objective – Spiritual stories probably aren’t true in that sense. Yet, The Simpsons
is true, although we can recognise truth in it, it is meaningful. Religious stories
have spiritual meaning even if they don’t have scientific truth
TASKS
1. ICT: create a new WORD.doc
Save As “Yr 7 (Name) Journal”
Save in a new FOLDER for REE
Copy notes from the whiteboard onto page one.
2. Ideas: create a second WORD.doc
Save As “Yr 7 (Name) Ideas”
Save in your REE FOLDER
At the end of every lesson, write in ONE NEW IDEA you have thought or heard in class
3. ICT: in your Journal.doc, Insert a page break above the notes
On blank on page 1, use WORDART to write: REE and Your Name.
On page 1, use 2 Square Autoshapes and lines to make a template:
Copy and paste into PAINT and colour a design
Copy and paste the design back into Journal.doc
Add further decorations to front page of Journal.doc
Complete in lesson 2:
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Creation
Class 3: The Nature of Religion
Spiritual people thank God for life.
SPIRIT
The Fall
GOD
The World
Vedas
Abraham
Hinduism
Buddhism
Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Judaism was the first Semitic
religion to thank God for life. From
Judaism arose Christianity and
Islam.
Islam, Christianity and Judaism all
belong to the same family of religion
and worship the one God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Allah,
the Father, ha-Shem).
From the Vedas of India came the
religion of Hinduism which gave rise
to the religion of Buddhism.
In many countries of the world there
are indigenous people who have their
own faiths, and they thanks their
own gods for life.
All religions and spiritualities believe
that the spirit of God powers
creation. God loves life, which is why
God created life on Earth. Religious
people love God and so they love life
too.
Religions teach people in the World
how to reconnect with the Spirit of
God’s Creation and find a better life.
Different people see things
differently. But as long as people
love God they will also love life and
try to do no harm to others or
themselves.
Task: illustrate the cycle of religion.
Religions are like trees that grow out
of the life of the Earth itself.
Task: draw an Earth-ball and put
three trees onto it: one tree for
Judaism, Christianity and Islam –
another tree for Hinduism and
Buddhism – a third tree for all the
Aboriginal religions.
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Class 4: Overview of the Abrahamic faiths
What is the most popular religion in the world? – Christianity
What religion was Jesus? – Jewish
(resource: Coleman (2006) Studies of Religion – p.4 diagram)
Sacred text
Faith
Core story
Divine name
God
Torah
Judaism
Bible
Christianity
Qur’an
Islam
The book of
Genesis is sacred
to the three
faiths and tells
the core story of
Creation
G-d, ha-Shem, Adoni
The Father
Allah, Al-Lah, The God
God created the garden paradise of Eden
Good, happy, best of all possible worlds
Spiritual reality
God created Life (= Eve) and Humanity (= a-Dam, “mud person”)
and told them how to stay in the happy place
People did not follow God’s instructions
and so found themselves in a less than happy place
the Fall into the ordinary world
Ever since, God has been telling people
how to find their way home to paradise
and people have been trying to find and follow that way
The English word ‘religion’
comes from the Latin word religare
which means “to tie back to” God
Religions offer ways of life and thought,
or systems of belief and behaviour,
that lead from suffering to salvation
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Class 5: Common origins & beliefs of the Abrahamic faiths
The religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all share certain close family
resemblances. Three common features are that they:
1) share common historical origins – the story of Abraham
2) worship the same God – ha-Shem, the Father,
Allah – and
3) accept a similar range of Beliefs, Texts,
Stories and Ethics.
Study this diagram – textbook p.4.
Discuss the difference between ‘story’ and
‘history’
Read the “General Beliefs”
Complete the tasks below.
GENERAL BELIEFS
The Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam)
worship the same Biblical God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. With shared roots they have common concepts.
Monotheism There is only one God – transcendent (beyond
everyone and everything) yet personal, the Creator of all.
God is good, acts in human history, and expects human
beings will also live morally good lives
Cosmology Creation Story in Genesis is sacred text. The
natural world is seen as a physical creation and a reality
separate from God, although dependent upon God for its
continued existence. Creation is regarded as good and
real, not evil or illusory.
Revelation God reveals his Will and Law to humanity in
written form (Torah, Gospels, Qur’an). God's revelation
requires human obedience to avoid sin and find true life.
Salvation There is life after death, and divine judgment
will result in eternal reward or punishment depending on
God's mercy and justice. Also, the moral quality of the
individual person's thoughts and actions in life contributes
to the state of life after death.
Tasks: Q.1: Explain the four basic ideas shared by J-C-I
Q.2: Name 2 forms of Islam, 3 of Judaism and 4 of Chr.
Q.3: How would you describe the relation between J-C-I?
Q.4: Use the Internet to research one form of each
faith: How many followers has it? Who started it? Which
countries practice it? What are its sacred texts? What
God does it worship? What is the relation of its God to
the God of the other two traditions?
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Class 6: The Genesis story of “The Fall” from God’s grace
For the three faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, God is the Creator, the Lifegiver and the Redeemer of the World. The story of how God made the world is contained
in the Hebrew Book of Genesis, which is sacred text for the three faiths and is part of
the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible and the Muslim Qur’an.
The Greek word genesis means “in the beginning”. List some English words derived
from the Greek genesis – i.e. genius, generation, etc
The Hebrew Book of Genesis (the first book in the Jewish Torah and Christian Old
Testament) describes how the World and all things were created by the One Good God.
The world of God’s Creation was good; it is described as a garden paradise. As well as
creating the world, God also created human beings. In the Genesis story, the first
people God created were called “Adam” and “Eve” – in ancient Hebrew, Adam means
‘(hu)Man’ and Eve means ‘Life’.
So, God created Eve and Adam (Life and humanity) and they lived in a garden
paradise where they were happy and everything they needed was readily available to
them without any effort. God only asked one thing from them: they were told not to eat
the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Now, though the first people loved God, they disobeyed God's Law by eating the
forbidden fruit (Genesis 3: 1-6). They refused to live within the limits God had set.
Through their wilful curiosity or disobedience, Adam and Eve lost their original
innocence and fell from God's grace in the perfect garden paradise. After the Fall,
Adam and Eve and all their descendants found themselves in a world that was less than
perfect, for it had become riddled with suffering, evil and death, which are the
consequences of alienation from God and self-centred living.
In the fallen world, human beings suffer the effects of being out of kilter with the
love and Will of God. They feel alienated from God, from each other and from
themselves, as well as from the harmony of social order, the harmony of the natural nonhuman world, and the harmony of the universe as a whole.
Since the Fall from God's grace human beings live with uncertainty about their
existence, role and destiny in the world. Instead of living a meaningful life as preservers
of a rich paradise which meets all their daily needs, people in the fallen world are
overwhelmed by meaninglessness, faced with the problem of scarcity, and caught up in
an apparently futile struggle to survive. While overexerting themselves to earn a living
by the sweat of their brows, human beings suffer the pains of childbirth, the hardships
of illness and the eventual fate of death (Genesis 3: 16-19).
All the while, God constantly reaches out to offer the possibility of reconnection.
But people often don’t see the presence of God’s spirit and hand of God’s grace in the
world.
Consider:
How do people try to find their way back to the happiness of God’s world? Do you think
there is only one right way?
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Class 7: The Nature of God
Read the following famous Hindu parable: One day, three blind men came across an
elephant. Each wanted to know what elephants were like, and began to touch the
elephant, The first said the elephant was like a pillar, as he had only found its leg, The
second said it was like a great fan, as he had found its ear. The third said it was like a
wrinkled vine, as he had found its trunk. Each man had a different version of what an
elephant was like. They were all partly right, but none of them had gathered the whole
truth about the elephant.
What is the message of that story? What lesson does it offer?
Look at the pictures on this page. What are they pictures of?
Different religions describe God in different ways. The
fact of those differences does not mean that no religion is
correct in its description of God. It is possible, rather,
that they are all correct in some way, but that no one of
them is entirely correct. In other words, all religions tell
the truth about God, but none tells the whole truth. That
would make sense, because God is far more and greater
than words or images can describe. God is “One without a
second” – nothing apart from God does full justice to God.
Even though no words or images of God are fully correct, religions still need to
use words and images to communicate their ideas and beliefs so that followers
can find their ways to experience of the presence of God. We all have beliefs
which we express in the way we think, speak and act. Religious beliefs are
expressed through behaviour in everyday life, but they are also expressed
through worship. To be able to worship, we need to know what it is that we are
worshipping and therefore it is necessary to be able to describe the thing that
we worship - in this case, God.
So each religion has developed its own way of trying
to describe what God is like. Sometimes God is
described in a personal way, either as he or she, and
given human characteristics. This suggests that God
can be personally involved in the ordinary lives and
experiences of human beings. At other times, God is
described in an impersonal way, suggesting that God is distant and beyond our
understanding, e.g. God created and oversees the world. It is important that we
understand the language that is used in religion, so that we can understand what
it means and how limited it is.
We can begin to do this by thinking for ourselves what God could be like if ‘he’
exists. If there is such a thing as a creator God, what might 'it' be like?
Task: When you hear or use the word “God,” what images come to your mind?
Class 8: Images of God
What does God look like? That question has often fascinated (and frightened) people.
Task: Take a few minutes with the person next to you and discuss your thoughts
on what God looks like. Clarify your reasons for what you imagine.
There is no wholly satisfactory answer to the question. If God exists and really
is the Creator of the universe, then God must have existed before the universe
came into being. If that is the case, then nothing in the universe will actually be
God. Indeed, even the entire universe will not be God. As the Creator of
everything, God must be more than everything put together.
Task: If that is the case, can you explain why no image of God is fully accurate?
Task: Look at these images of God. Write a paragraph describing the idea of
God suggested by each image. What is believable/unbelievable about each?
Task: Write 5—6 lines (or draw a picture) about the idea of God that YOU find
(un)believable.
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Class 9: Images of God in the Old and New Testaments
Since God is without equal, all images and words are really inadequate to
describe the mystery of God. Yet, people do still need to talk about God.
Bible research task
Look up the following Bible references (on the Internet or in hardcopy) then
complete the Table (below) to show the key image used in each Book/
Chapter/verse/s to describe God.
First: why are there alphabet letters in front of the names of the books?
Scripture
Book
Chapter
verse/s
H. Isaiah
46
5
D. Exodus
3
14
J. Psalms
95
3
R. Matthew
6
8-9
F. Numbers
11
12
I. Isaiah
42
14
S. Matthew
23
37—38
O. Proverbs
8
P. Proverbs
9
Q. Wisdom
7
25
K. Psalm
16
5
L. Psalm
17
8
M. Psalm
91
4
E. Exodus
33
9
G. Deuteronomy
32
14
A. Genesis
49
24
N. Psalm
42
1—2
T. Luke
22
69
B. Genesis
1
3
C. Genesis
3
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Tasks:
Key image/s: God is described as…
I) Make a list of the images used to describe God, and
II) What d you think the range of images indicates about God’s
nature?
Class 10: “Illuminate a Scripture”
Use resources from the Internet, Library & ICT, to create an A4 Landscape double-page of spiritual quotes and pictures
that represent your interests
Know yourself
Be kind to other people
Love God
Quiet is the new loud
Silence is a revelation
Life is a joke that not everyone gets
Gandhi
Plotinus
Jesus
Buddha
Dr King
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Class 11: God in the World
God is great
Bend down to smell the smallest flower.
Watch the busy ant carrying his load.
See the flash of jewels on an insect’s back.
This tiny world is there for you to treasure,
right before your eyes –
just as God cares for oceans and mountains
and far away stars.
Task: Look closely at these pictures. For each picture, make a complete list of who (or what)
is looking at who (or what). How many points of view are there in total? What two points of
view are hinted at without being shown? Whereabouts is God? Whereabouts are you?
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Class 12: Unity in diversity
Looking at your lesson notes in your REE Journals so far.
Compare them with several other people.
Notice how your notes are the same yet different to another people’s.
How can that be, since you each note about the same lesson? – individual interpretation
We have looked at how the book of Genesis is sacred text for which three faiths?
Those three faith traditions accept some of the same books as sacred texts, but
each tradition understands them differently to the other two faiths.
They all believe that God created the universe as a spiritual order of existence and
created people to live in happiness with God and harmony with one another and the world.
They also believe that people, generally, have lost their original and best
relationship with God. But, the three faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam each have
different explanations for how people came to loose right relation with God.
For the Jews, Adam and Eve were simply curious to know about evil as well as good. So they
ate the fruit and found out. Afterwards they were sorry they wanted to know because what
they learnt didn’t improve their happiness.
For the Christians, Adam and Eve were sinful because they mistrusted and
disobeyed God.
For the Muslims, people are spiritual souls in the physical world with the opportunity
to follow the “clear path” to a closer relationship with God.
The three religions agree that, for whatever reason, people don’t know as much about God
as they could. Each faith offers ways to know, love and serve God in this life and to be
happy forever with God in the next life. These ways of finding improved relations with God
are called “ethics” – see Textbook p.6. Ethics are principles of good conduct that tune into
the spiritual universe here-now and here-after.
Textbook p.3f: Core beliefs in the Abrahamic faiths
Mono
One
theism
God
One of a kind
So words & images are
only partly true about God
God acts in history
God is beyond the
universe
God expects people to be
good
Cosmology – p.229
Cosmos = happy harmony
Chaos = unhappy disharmony
God creates a good world
because God loves life
So “good” means to affirm life
and “life” means affirming
Goodness
Truth
Wisdom
Beauty
Love
Life spiritualises the material
world by materialising
spiritual ideas
Revelation
Salvation
How do we know about
God?
By using human reason,
and by divine selfdisclosure
Life after death
– after physical death:
resurrection,
reincarnation
– after rebirth of
understanding: selfrealisation, Godrealisation
Spiritual Universe
GOD
Spiritual
realm of
ideas in
mind
Physical realm of
things in world
Secular/Secularism –
p.229
Worldly goals of
Fame
Fortune
Power
Prestige
Pleasure (sex)
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Lesson 13: the Commandments in the Old and New Testament
See Jewish and Christian Ethics in textbook, pp.84—85.
What are “Ethics”? – Ethics are rules for right conduct
What makes conduct “right”? – it moves you towards your goal
What is the goal of religion? – to get back in tune with God
Copy the 10 Jewish Commandments into your Journal on a new page.
Decorate the page with appropriate pictures
Think about each and Commandment and be ready to explain what it means.
Try reversing all 10 of the Commandments so that they recommend a way of life. Do
you imagine that a life lived like that would result in you feeling happy and fulfilled?
Copy into your Journal the 2 Christian Commandments.
Decorate the page with appropriate pictures
Central message of Jesus: Love God, Love Life, Love People, Love yourself – a happy
heart brings joy in life here-now and hereafter, regardless of everything else; while
a sad heart brings sorrow eventually, regardless of how many material possessions
one has.
Research: Use the Internet to find out what the “Golden Rule” is in the religions of the
world. Find references to the Golden Rule in scriptures from different religions. Copy six
quotations, including the source and religion. Paste those quotes onto a special page in your
electronic REE Journal showing the Golden Rule in WordArt and adding lots of decorations.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/reciproc.htm
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Do to other people
What you would
have them
Do to you
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Classes 14—15: The development of the Christian churches
Christianity began with life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus in Galilee.
But St. Paul was the great missionary who spread the word of Jesus
Evangelist = ev/angel/ist = angel = messenger
Wrote Gospels = good news = life story (or biography) of Jesus
Differences in details, same essential story
Paul, Evangelists and sects each have different views of Jesus
Here is a short story of the development of the Christian Church(es)
Jesus was born c. 4 BCE (Before Common Era) and died c. 30 CE. He didn’t leave any
known writings but he taught his message of God’s Love and Law to many people.
They formed communities in the Middle East, Asia and Europe to follow his
teachings. St. Paul, the Evangelists and other disciples also formed communities in
Jesus’ name; some wrote Letters and Gospels.
These Early Church communities were not organised among themselves and they
each had their own understanding of Jesus’ teachings. At the first Church Council
some common basic beliefs were established.
At the Great Schism the Christian Church was split into two factions, Eastern and
Western. Following the Reformation the Western Church split into the Catholic,
Anglican and Protestant Churches. Today the Uniting Church is uniting Christianity.
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A brief history of the Christian Church
Saul of Tarsus/St. Paul
c. 50 CE
Evangelists (65-90 CE):
MARK
MATTHEW
LUKE
JOHN
The
Great Schism
1058 CE
Indian
Arminian
Coptic
Syrian
Greek
Russian
Asia:
EASTERN
ORTHODOX
ROMAN
CATHOLIC
JESUS
Early
Church
(c. 100 – 300)
Europe:
WESTERN
CATHOLIC
Emperor Constantine & the
Council of Nicea – 328 CE
Hildegard of Bingen
(1098-1179 CE)
ANGLICAN-EPISCOPAL
REFORMED PRESBYERTRIAN
LUTHERAN
CALVINIST
PROTESTANT
Martin Luther and
Reformation – 1580 CE
METHODIST
BAPTIST
CONGREGATIONAL
PENTACOSTAL
UNITING CHURCH
Jesus was born c. 4 BCE (Before Common Era) and died c. 30 CE. He didn’t leave any
known writings but he taught his message of God’s Love and Law to many people. They
formed communities in the Middle East, Asia and Europe to follow his teachings. St. Paul,
the Evangelists and other disciples also formed communities in Jesus’ name; some wrote
Letters and Gospels.
These Early Church communities were not organised among themselves and they each
had their own understanding of Jesus’ teachings. At the first Church Council in Nicea
some common basic beliefs were established. At the Great Schism the Christian Church
was split into two factions, Eastern and Western. Following the Reformation the Western
Church split into the Catholic, Anglican and Protestant Churches. Today the Uniting
Church is uniting Christianity.
Tasks
1. Make a list of the terms in bold and explain their meanings.
2. Create a Timeline to show the dates of important people & major events given above
3. Download a world map from Internet & locate, shade and name the 10 countries and areas identified above.
4. Use Internet & books to research the life, art & work of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179 CE) –
www.healingchants.com/hildegardilluminations.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/hildegarde.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen
THIS RESEARCH AND WRITING WILL TAKE TWO CLASSES AND PRODUCE 2 PAGES
22
Lesson 16: Symbolism of the Emblem of the Uniting Church in Australia
Wesley College is a Uniting Church school. The symbol (below) shows many of the
beliefs and values that are treasured by the Uniting Church. Let’s read through and
discuss the meaning of some aspects of the emblem.
The circle is an ancient symbol of
wholeness and completeness.
The emblem of the Uniting Church
shows the cross of Jesus Christ,
in its light and love, standing over
a darkened world – redeeming it
through grace and truth.
By that cross people are bound to
Christ and each other.
The Holy Spirit, symbolised by the
dove with the wings of flame,
empowers and guides us to be witnesses to Jesus Christ.
The wide ‘U’ at the bottom points to the fact that we are uniting; as a semicircle it
also reminds us that the renewing of both church and world are as yet incomplete.
The emblem symbolises something of the vision we have glimpsed and the hopes we
hold for the future.
In particular it reminds us:
 That the gospel message is central in all that we seek to do;
 Of the need for constant reform and renewal;
 Of our commitment to worship, witness and service
Look at the underlined words above. They suggest a movement that begins and ends with
“wholeness and completeness”. Can you detect how the movement goes?
How can Christian beliefs and practices help in seeking the fulfilment of life?
23
Class 17: The Christian World-view
The Christian Trinity
Name and describe the roles the previous lessons attribute to God:
Redeemer – Life-giver – (Creator is implied as originator of world-system)
How does the idea of “our “darkened world” connect with that story?
Something about Beauty
“The heavens and the Earth declare the handiwork of the Lord”. O.T.
“May Beauty be before me
May Beauty be behind me
May Beauty be above me
May Beauty be beneath me
May Beauty be all around me”
Navajo Indian prayer from The Sunchasers
Wonderful review
If a person was standing alone and quietly saying the words above,
1. What would you think they were doing?
2. What do you imagine they would be thinking about?
3. What might be the result of their activity?
4. How does that relate to what we discussed in the last classes?
(4A. What have we been talking about in the last class or two?)
Listen to the opening pages of Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth
Small groups, discuss what you think the following line means:
“Each living thing gives its life to the beauty of all life and that gift is its prayer”
Sharing:
What is “the Beauty of all things”?
What is the Beauty of each thing?
Homework reflection:
What is our Beauty?
How do we give our beauty to the Beauty of all things?
24
Lesson 18: Beliefs expressed in the “Jesus Prayer”
The Prayer of Jesus
“Our Father,
who is in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom
Come
Thy will
be done on Earth
as it is in Heaven.”
Forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive them
Who trespass against us
Lead us not into the time of trial
For the kingdom,
The power
And the glory
Are yours
Now and forever
Consolidation
In light of ideas and material from this and earlier classes,
1. What might we imagine God’s “Kingdom” is like, and
2. How might we help to bring it to Earth?
Our beauty – our sacred space – our happy place
The spirit within us is our soul
Spirit like space
Soul like life/thought
Life and thought are soul in us
Our = everyone’s
Father = Creator, carer
Who = personal
Is = exists
In heaven = somewhere
Hallowed = kept holy = hello
Thy Kingdom = God’s world
come = from there to here
Thy Will = God’s wishes
Be done on Earth = up to us
It is in heaven = God’s paradise
25
26
Tasks:
A. Read, discuss and write explanations of the following sayings.
B. Mark the locations on your World map.
1.
“No God
No Peace
Know God
Know Peace”
Glenhuntly Junction Church, Melbourne
2.
“There will be no peace in the world until there is peace in our hearts”
Nelson Mandela, South Africa
3.
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are"
Anais Nin, USA
4.
“There is no road to peace. Peace is the road.”
Mahatma Gandhi, India
5.
True religion teaches love for oneself, others and God.
Whatever teaches fear, hatred and violence, is not true religion
6.
“The principle of true religion is to spiritualise the material world”
John Smith, Cambridge, England
7.
“We are not absent from God by being other-where than God is, who is everywhere
– but by being other-wise than God is, rather than like-wise
Benjamin Whichcote, Cambridge, England
8.
“The Real is One – although sages call it by various names”
Rig-Veda I, clxiv, 46, India
9.
“There is no God but God” – Islam
27
20—21: Great Religions of the world
There are hundreds of religions in the world. Eight out of ten people in the world
follow one of the four major religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism.
The oldest form of religion is called Animism. Animists believe that everything in
the Universe has a spirit. These spirits are present in the forces and features of
Nature, such as the sky, the rain, rivers, mountains and animals. Animists worship
these nature-spirits. Animists also believe that the spirits of their ancestors watch
over the living from their spirit-world. Animists use religious worship to show
respect for their ancestors and to communicate with them. Many traditional
societies continue to practice forms of animism, often at the same time as following
one of the major world religions.
A central and important figure in a number of the great world religions is Abraham.
He lived about 4000 years ago and was the first patriarch of the biblical faiths,
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Early in his life, Abraham followed a form of
Animism and worshiped many gods. Later, he began to worship only one of those
many gods, el-Shardhi, “the God of the Mountain.” His God once asked him to
sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham showed that he was prepared to obey his God. As
a reward, God blessed Abraham and made him the father of the Israelite nation,
through his son Isaac, as well as the father of the Muslim people, through his son
Ishmael.
Internet research: Locate and copy a map of the world that shows all the
continents. Paste it onto a landscape page in your Workbook.
Circle the area of the Middle East.
28
Watch the “Major Religions” video and take notes to fill in this grid
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Numbers in the
world
Main countries of
practice
Symbol
God or object of
worship
What is the text
basis for the
faith?
Main beliefs
Something
special you learnt
about it
Small group discussion to exchange information to complete grid
Animism
29
Lessons 22—23:
. Assessment questions
the 8 Aspects of religion
Copy and paste these six questions into a new Word document.
Complete the questions and e-mail them to me for your assessment.
1. What are the main beliefs of Animism? (3 marks)
2. Name a founding figure in each of the three Biblical faiths (3 marks)
?
3. What are the three main divisions of the Christian religion? (3 marks)
4. Explain the Hindu belief in reincarnation (2 marks)
5. What is “Nirvana” in Hindu belief? (3 marks)
?
6. Explain three roles that religion can play in the lives of adherents (6 marks)
?
?
The Eight Aspects of Religion
In your REE workbook, draw a pie-chart (or copy this one).
Read pp.6—7 in Studies of Religion
Fill in the names of the missing Aspects in the pie-chart.
From your reading, reflection and experience, give an example of each of the “Aspects”
Fill in what’s missing from the centre of the pie-chart – viz. ‘meaning’
30
See “Characteristics of religion” in Studies of Religion (pp.6—7)
It is commonplace to study religious traditions in terms of their outward forms.
These visible features can be classified into eight observable aspects: beliefs,
rituals, myths, religious experience, ethics, social structures, symbols and texts. In
practice, the boundaries of the aspects overlap and blend into one another.
Beliefs
Beliefs are ideas that are considered to be true and that express the selfunderstanding of the tradition. Earliest attempts to put beliefs into words used
sacred stories and myths to convey deep insights. At a more developed level we find
doctrines and creeds expressing beliefs in a clear form. Many sophisticated
traditions offer the formal study of religious beliefs called theology. All organised
religions have a system of beliefs which offer a comprehensive picture of reality—
the first step in knowing how best to live.
Rituals
Rituals are established ceremonies and customary acts that involve special,
deliberate and repeatable patterns of behaviour. Rituals often provide
opportunities for members of a tradition to enact their beliefs and commemorate
important past events by bringing them into the present.
Religious rituals affirm the values, meanings and purposes that are shared
within a tradition. Ritual can include such activities as worship, meditation,
pilgrimage, sacrifice, sacramental and healing rites, and festivals. Religious festivals
can be solemn occasions to recall sad events or glad celebrations to honour joyous
happenings.
Rituals concentrate one’s mind on the meaning and implications of the events
that surround them. For example, the simple ritual of saying grace before meals is a
thanksgiving that reminds us that the life of an animal or vegetable has been
sacrificed for our food.
Myths and stories
The dimension of myth includes the stories and historical narratives of a tradition
as well as its symbolic and instructive myths. ‘Stories’ and ‘myths’ may be loosely
distinguished from one another on the grounds that the former more or less
respect the conventions of time and space, while the latter have a timeless and
universal quality about them.
Thus, there are stories about historical incarnations (e.g. Krishna, Christ), while
there are myths about Cosmic Creation (e.g. Genesis, Timaeus, the Rainbow
Serpent). The distinction is not hard and fast, because there are often religious
stories such as infancy narratives which have mythic qualities that not all would
take literally (e.g. the star of Bethlehem).
31
Religious experience
The dimension of experience, including associated emotional reactions to the world
and to ritual, is often of central importance in religious history and contemporary
practice. Indeed, religious traditions have their earliest and deepest foundation in
personal experience or revelation of some power or transcendent spiritual reality
greater than oneself.
Ethics
These are ideas about worthy human conduct. Religious traditions spell out the
consequences of beliefs by offering guidance in how one should live. Many have
codes which set standards and give directions for behaviour. For instance, the
Torah, or Law, is the central guide to life for Orthodox Jews; while the Dreamtime
(more properly called ‘The Dreaming’) is a Law equally central to Aboriginal
spirituality.
Social structures
Religious traditions are manifested and perpetuated within society through
institutions and specific leadership groups. These communicate established beliefs
and traditional practices from one generation to the next.
The social structures of religious traditions often take the form of separate
institutions within society (e.g. ‘the Church’). In tribal cultures they commonly occur
as distinctive features of the society (e.g. a priestly caste).
Symbols
These may include material objects and artistic creations,
for example temples, icons and pulpits. Symbols have the
power to represent realities beyond themselves. They focus
beliefs, communicate meanings, promote community identity
and enliven faith experience.
Texts
The notion of ‘text’ has a wide meaning that takes in more
than just written material. In addition to ancient
handwritten manuscripts and modern printed books, texts
are taken to include oral traditions and artistic
representations. Thus, for example, the traditional stories,
paintings and ground-sculptures of Australian Aborigines
are regarded as texts.
These eight aspects make study of the complex world of
religion more manageable. But rightly understood, each of them opens a window into
the inner world of religion, the living heart. And just like the love that remembers
your birthday with a small gift, it is the invisible inner reality that counts most.
32
Lesson 24: The Jewish Shema (pronounced Sh’mah)
The Shema is the most important Jewish prayer. It is one of the first prayers that
Jewish children learn. Religious Jews say the Shema three times each day as part
of their regular prayers, and it is included in almost every synagogue service.
The Shema reminds Jews that:
 There is only one God.
 God is good and loves them and they should love Him.
 God’s rules apply to every part of a person’s life.
 Children should be taught about Torah.
The Hebrew word SHEMA means hear or listen. The three paragraphs of the
prayer are short passages from the Torah. Here is the English translation of the
first paragraph (Deuteronomy 6: 4-9):
.
Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
Blessed is His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might.
These words [i.e. the Torah, or Jewish bible, which tells Jews about God’s rules]
that I command you today shall be upon your heart. Repeat them to your children,
and talk about them when you sit in your home, and when you walk in the street;
when you lie down, and when you rise up. Hold fast to them as a sign upon your hand,
and let them be as reminders before your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of
your home and at your gates.
Jewish people believe that they have made a Covenant with God. The Covenant is an
agreement that the people will love God and follow His rules and in return God will
take care of them. Saying the Shema is a way that Jewish people have of reminding
them of their promises to God.
The second verse of the Shema promises long life and good harvests to those who
keep God’s rules. The third verse tells Jews to wear clothes with Tzitzit (tassels)
at each corner. The Shema says that when people look at the tassels they will
remember their promise to keep God’s rules.
Another way Jewish people have of reminding themselves about the covenant is to
fix a little box called a Mezuzah to each door frame of their homes. Inside the
mezuzah is a piece of parchment with the paragraphs of the Shema written on it.
Questions
What do you think it means when the Shema says “These words…shall be upon your heart”?
Where does the Shema tell Jews to talk about God’s rules?
What does the word “covenant” mean?
Why do you think the Shema says that people should repeat the words to their children?
Could it be boring to keep talking about the rules?
Can you find a picture of a “mezuzah” in the Internet?
What could you use or do to help you to remember promises that you have made?
33
25 –
ISLAM
The Five Pillars of Wisdom –
textbook pp.141—142
Task: match the definitions with the columns and draw an image or symbol for each
SALAT
ZAKAT
SHAHADAH
SAWM
HAJJ
Zakat means "charity".
Almsgiving to the poor and needy
is regarded as an act of worship
by Muslims.
Sawm means "fasting". This is
done during the month of
Ramadan when Muslims abstain
from food and drink during
daylight hours.
Shahadah means "profession of
faith". All Muslims declare,
"There is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his messenger".
Hajj means "pilgrimage". Every
Muslim who can afford it should
travel to Mecca at least once
during his lifetime.
Salat means "prayer". Muslims
must say compulsory prayers
five times each day. prayers are
said facing Mecca.
34
Classes 26—27:
Origins (p.16f)
The word “aborigine” comes from the Latin phrase ab origin which means “from the
beginning.” The Aborigines believe they grew up out of the land when time began.
Each mob or skin-group of Aborigines feels a special relationship with a certain
part of the country. The aborigines believe they are members of the same family
as other features, creatures and plants in their traditional lands.
Sacred Sites (p.19, col.2)
Traditional Aborigines live in a sacred space known as The Dreaming. The Dreaming
is not any time as we know it. The Dreaming is always, everywhere and every-when;
it is before, during and after. The Dreaming is here-now, and visiting special places,
called sacred sites, helps the Aborigines to stay in tune with the Dreaming.
Land and Songlines (p.28, col.2)
The Land includes the earth, all plants and creatures as well as human beings. The
spirit ancestors dream the land into existence. As traditional aborigines grow up
and receive initiation into the wisdom of age and experience, they come to
understand that transcendence is from all around – everything is a doorway into the
spiritual world of true life.
35
36
28.
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions. It began over 5,000 years ago in India.
It has no known founder. There are some 700 million followers, mainly living in India,
but also in communities in other places including Melbourne.
1. Hindus don’t worship or even remember a founding figure who began their
religion. What difference might that make to their religion?
Most Hindus believe in the existence of one supreme soul or spirit of the universe. This
spirit, called Brahman, has no shape or form.
2. How is it possible to think about, worship or pray to something without shape
or form? Can you think of something that you are well familiar with which has no
shape or form? Space
Hinduism has more gods than all the other religions put together. The many gods and
goddesses of Hinduism represent the different aspects of Brahman’s power and
character. The three main jobs of God are represented by the gods Brahma the
Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Hindus may worship one god,
many gods or no gods.
3. What other religions do you know of that have various gods who are each in
charge of some aspect of the world or force of Nature?
4. What are some of the signs of religious worship that are often seen in shops
and restaurants operated by Indian and Asian people?
Most Hindus find it helpful to have a picture or statue of a deity to focus on while they
pray. One of the most popular gods is Vishnu; he regularly appears on Earth, especially
to save the world in times of disaster. The reincarnations of Vishnu are called avatars,
and two of the most famous are Rama and Krishna.
5. What is “reincarnation”? Do you believe in reincarnation?
6. what is resurrection? How is it different to reincarnation?
The Hindu gods and goddesses often have a mixture of characteristics; they can show
both goodness and evil, kindness and cruelty. For example, Paravati, (the wife of Shiva)
is worshipped both as the kindly Mother Goddess and the terrible blood-thirsty
goddess of war, Durga.
7. Why is it, do you think, that the Hindu deities have both positive and
negative qualities?
Another much loved deity is Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Paravati.
Ganesha protects travellers and removes obstacles in people’s lives. He is also the
embodiment of spiritual wisdom.
8. How might “protecting travellers” and “removing obstacles” relate to having
spiritual wisdom?
37
Hindu rites of passage
– pp.116f.
The major events in a Hindu’s life, from conception to death, are celebrated with
special purification rites called samskaras. There are sixteen samskaras and they
may be held in the home or in the temple:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Conception – affirm God in the unborn child’s first moment
Health and proper formation of the foetus (2nd month)
Blessing the Mind of the unborn child (4th month)
Birth – awaken the mind and blessing for long life
Name is given to baby – 11th day
Outing – first time into the outside world
Feeding – first time eating solid food
Adorning – 7th month, ear-lobe is pierced
Hair cut – 1st or 3rd year, head is shaved
Letters – 6th year: start Primary school, introduced to alphabet
Threading – 12th year: beginning of religious studies
Graduation – 20th year: end of religious studies – adulthood
Marriage
Daily puja to honour the rishis, the gods, the ancestors,
humankind, and all created beings
15. Retirement to follow the spiritual life
16. Cremation – funeral rites
TASK: Find photos from home or pictures from magazines or drawings of your own
to represent the above 16 important occasions in life
Soul (Atman)
comes from
and goes to
God (Brahman)
38
The 16 Samskaras: rituals for life in Hinduism
1. Conception – affirm God in the unborn child’s first moment
2. Health and proper formation of the foetus (2nd month)
3. Blessing the Mind of the unborn child (4th month)
4. Birth – awaken the mind and blessing for long life
5. Name is given to baby – 11th day
6. Outing – first time into the outside world
7. Feeding – first time eating solid food
8. Adorning – 7th month, ear-lobe is pierced
9. Hair cut – 1st or 3rd year, head is shaved
10. Letters – 6th year: start Primary school, introduced to alphabet
11. Threading – 12th year: beginning of religious studies
12. Graduation – 20th year: end of religious studies – adulthood
13. Marriage
14. Daily puja to honour the rishis, the gods, the ancestors,
humankind, and all created beings
15. Retirement to follow the spiritual life
16. Cremation – funeral rites
39
Task: Use ICT skills to create a decorative prayer-page for the Hindu “Peace Chant”
40
30—31
Buddhists follow the teachings (Dharma) of the Buddha. Most Buddhists live in South Asia (which
includes India, Nepal and Tibet) and South-East Asia (which includes Japan and China, Burma, Thailand,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra and Java).
The Buddha was a man who lived in India about 2500 years ago. His real name was Siddhartha
Gautama but the people who follow his teachings call him the Buddha. It is not a name. It means the
one who has gained enlightenment. For Buddhists, the word enlightenment means knowing the meaning
of life and understanding how to overcome suffering.
Buddhists believe that the Buddha learned why there is suffering in the world and how to
overcome it. They believe that if they follow his teaching they, too, will be able to overcome suffering.
Story of the Buddha
2500 years ago, in northern India, a little prince called Siddhartha was born. His father the king
rejoiced, for he believed his son would one day be a great ruler. But a fortune-teller predicted that
the child would become a buddha, a good and wise religious education teacher. When the king heard
this, he was unhappy and immediately ordered a great wall to be built around the palace, so the prince
could not see the world outside.
As the years went by, the prince grew bored. He desired more than beautiful clothes and exquisite
jewels. Then one day, he saw three things that he had never seen before - a very old man, bent double
with age, a sick man whose face was racked with pain, and a dead body, lying by the side of the road.
For the first time, the prince realized that even he would grow old and die one day.
Turning round, he saw a fourth man - a monk, whose only possessions were the clothes he stood up
in. I will follow in his footsteps, the prince thought to himself, and I will search for an answer to why
people suffer. So without looking back, he mounted his white horse and rode out of the palace gates,
never to return.
At first, the prince studied sacred books. Then he become a hermit, praying and fasting for six long
gears. But still his quest was not over. So he sat under a fig tree and vowed not to move until he had an
answer to his problem.
Now an evil tempter called Mara decided to seize his chance. He crept up and fired thunderbolts at
Siddhartha, but the prince sat firm, thinking only good and peaceful thoughts. The thunderbolts
turned into flowers and Mara was defeated. Suddenly, light radiated from Siddhartha in multicoloured
streams. At last he had understood that if people are kind in thought and deed and desire nothing,
suffering loses its power. The prince was now Buddha, the Awakened One.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
What is a “fortune teller”?
Why would the king have been unhappy?
Why would the prince have been bored?
What does “bent double with age” mean?
What does “racked with pain” mean?
Why do we not see dead bodies by the road in this country?
What is a “monk”?
What do sacred books contain?
What does a “hermit” do?
How do “good and peaceful thoughts” turn thunderbolts into flowers?
What ‘light’ does understanding provide?
Look up a dictionary and find the original Sanskrit meaning of the word “Buddha”.
41
Illustrate the Story of the Buddha
The young Prince saw four signs that made
him feel sad and he wanted to know why
people suffer.
Siddhartha was a rich prince
He saw…
He saw…
an old Man
He saw…
a sick Man
He saw…
A funeral procession
A wandering monk
42
He searched for an answer
to the causes of suffering
He sat in meditation under a fig tree
He taught the monks in the Deer Park
An 8 spoked wheel is a common symbol for the 8-fold
Path in Buddhism
Enlarge the wheel (at right), insert the steps on the 8fold Path and then colour each segment of the wheel.
43
Lesson 32: text study of two prayers
ISLAM
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds,
The Merciful One, the Compassionate One,
Master of the Day of Doom.
You alone we serve, to You alone we cry for help.
Guide us in the straight path
The Path of those You have blessed.
Not of those with whom You are angry
Nor of those who go astray.
(Qur’an, Sura I, 1-7).
CHRISTIANITY
Our Father, who is in Heaven
Blessed be your name,
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debtors
As we forgive those who are indebeted to us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from the time of trial
For the kingdom, the power and the glory
Are yours, now and forever, Amen
1. Read the two prayers. 2. Identify some similarities and differences.
3.Discuss the pictures and explain their religious meanings.
4. Draw, colour and explain your own symbols for some religions.
44
Lesson 33: Turning the mind to God
Judaism
The Shema, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one."
Islam
The Shahada: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet."
Hinduism
The Real is One, though sages name it variously.
They call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan.
They call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, and Agni,
And also heavenly, beautiful-winged Garutman.
Buddhism
Om Mani Padme Hum
(The Jewel is in the Lotus)
Platonism
“Let each one become godlike and beautiful who would contemplate the divine
and beautiful” Plotinus
Taoism
“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao” Tao-Te-Ching, 1.
Aboriginal Spirituality
“I am the Land”
Brainstorm names of religions
Where are they found
When did they begin?
What do you think each prayer means?
What beliefs are expressed in each prayer?
45
Lesson 34: Critical Thinking in REE – student handout
0. Review: “Religions” are systems of belief and behaviour that come from and
lead to human experience of spiritual reality, or God.
1. Recap: The three spheres of study in REE are:
2. Discuss: What is the skill of “Critical Thinking”?
3. Discuss: What is an “assumption”?
Philosophy of
religion – incl.
Big Questions
& Thinking
Skills
World
religions – incl.
Christianity &
other faiths
Spirituality –
incl. spiritual
experience &
ways to it
4. Explain: the aim of the lesson



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5. Do you know what shape is made by joining the dots?
6. Do you know what the next number is in this series?
1, 2, 3…
7. What might it mean to say: “Knowledge is based on assumptions?”
8. Do you know the total number of objects here?
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9. Do you know what that is?
10. Copy & discuss the maxim: “The map is not the territory.”
11. Copy & discuss the Zen koan: “Do not confuse the finger pointing with the Moon.”
12. In what contexts do we make or find assumptions?
13. Write a paragraph on what have you learnt today about how you think.
46
An REE lesson on “Critical thinking”
– elaboration for teachers
Years 5—9: the practical problem-solving aspects are manageable for middle year
students and older. Depth of discussion of the further theory will vary according to
year level.
Aim: to acquaint students with the nature and impact of assumptions
Outcomes: 1. heightened awareness of the role of assumptions in the formation of knowledge
2. improved skills of meaning-making and communication
3. enhanced ability to think critically and independently
0. Review: “Religions” are systems of belief and behaviour that come from and lead
to human experience of the ultimate spiritual reality, or God.
1. Recap: The three spheres of study in REE are:
2. Discuss: What is the skill of “Critical Thinking”? –
(e.g. being aware of assumptions – one’s own & others)
3. Discuss: What is an “assumption”?
Philosophy of
religion – incl.
Big Questions
& Thinking
Skills
World
religions – incl.
Christianity &
other faiths
Spirituality –
incl. spiritual
experience &
ways to it
(e.g. “ taking for granted”)
4. Explain: the aim of this lesson is to become familiar with the presence and influence of
assumptions in your thinking. Assumptions are crucial for problem solving. They are what
provide the basic framework for shaping information into knowledge. Assumptions make
knowledge possible. Consider the following examples.
5. Do you know what shape is made by joining the dots?
Possibilities include:
(Assuming the dots are joined by straight lines, the most obvious shape is a
square. Other more subtle shapes are also possible while still using straight lines
– see dotted box at right. Students assume straight lines because conventional
education favours discursive reasoning, which is to think in small increments
each directly linked by the shortest distance – i.e. a straight line. Yet, we can also use
intuitive thinking, which is often referred to as “thinking outside the square.”
N Z X
5A. What shape might you get by “thinking outside the square”?
(If teachers neither assist nor prevent them, students usually work out that the dots
can be joined with a circle!!. If a circle is possible, then ANY shape is possible – it
doesn’t need to be regular or symmetrical. Think about it!)
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6. Do you know what the next number is in this series:
1, 2, 3… ?
(Assuming the series is linear (i.e. adding one digit), the next number is ‘4‘. Assuming the
series is Fibonacci (i.e. adding the two previous digits [Cf. The Da Vinci Code]), the answer is
‘5’. Assuming it’s summative (i.e. adding all previous digits), the next number is ‘6’. Not enough
information is given to know the answer without assuming the kind of series.)
7. What might it mean to say: “Knowledge is based on assumptions?”
(Knowledge is gained by interpreting information according to assumptions. We can’t know
anything without assuming something. Different assumptions allow different interpretations
of the same data. Hence, several conclusions may be equally valid, given different
assumptions. In REE (e.g.), the different World religions might all be equally valid ways of
knowing God. Middle Years students can discuss Einstein’s dictum: “Imagination is more
important than knowledge.” More mature students might discuss Anais Nin’s maxim: "We
don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
8. Do you know the total number of objects here?
(Assuming only individual things are objects, we know there are
‘3’ – i.e. the dots. Assuming that relationships are also objects,
the answer is ‘7’ – i.e. 3 dots + three pairs + a three-of-a-kind.
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8A. Explain: to identify relationships as objects involves the skill of abstract
thinking. Abstract thinking is beneficial for grasping principles of connection. To
reflect on connecting principles is to think independently and make
meaning.
9. Do you know what that is?
A) Show the class a map of the world and ask if they know what it
is. The automatic answer is: “A map of the world.”
B) Point to circled area and ask if they know what it is. The
assumed answer is: “Australia.” Often encouragement is needed for the students to
acknowledge the circled area is a map of Australia.
10. Copy and discuss the maxim: “The map is not the territory.”
(Thought and talk about things in the world interprets those things and partially represents
them, but is not the reality of those things themselves.)
11. Copy & discuss the Zen koan: “Do not confuse the finger pointing with the Moon”
(This Zen koan alludes to the error of mistaking representations or indicators for the
things represented or indicated. For example: we may fail to recognise the difference
between what someone else says and means and what we hear and understand.)
11A. Discuss: “Reality does not come to us cut up at the joints.”
(Senior students can discuss how sense-experience does not provide the data for its own
interpretation. Our assumptions determine the meaning we make of our life-experience.)
12. In what contexts do we make or find assumptions?
(e.g. in all contexts of thought, talk and walk)
13. Write a paragraph (50—100 words) on what have you learnt today about how you think
35: Prayer Pyramid
PRAYER PYRAMID
48
To think of praying is a prayer
1. Colour in the pyramid’s words &
symbols
2. Cut out & glue the correct symbols to
each triangle to show the difference
between the religions
3. Decorate each triangle
4. Cut along the dotted outside line
5. Fold along the solid inner lines
6. Glue the edges together to form a
pyramid
7. Save somewhere safe to consider
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50
36: Assessment questions
Task:
Copy and paste the following six questions into a new Word document.
Complete the questions and e-mail them to me for your assessment.
1. What are the main beliefs of Animism? (3 marks)
2. Name a founding figure in each of the three Biblical faiths (3 marks)
3. What are the three main divisions of the Christian religion? (3 marks)
4. Explain the Hindu belief in reincarnation (2 marks)
5. What is “Nirvana” in Hindu belief? (3 marks)
6. Explain three roles that religion can play in the lives of adherents (6 marks)