- "Religion is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements."
The beliefs, practices, and traditions associated with the worship of a higher power or powers.
Definition of Religion: Learn about various definitions of religion and how it is defined by different people, cultures, and traditions worldwide.
Epic Literature Definition: Understand the characteristics and elements of Epic literature, such as its length, grandeur, and extensive scope.
Ancient Epics: Learn about ancient religious epics such as the Gilgamesh Epic, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.
Mythology: Understand the relationship between myth and religion, including the significance of mythological characters like gods and goddesses.
Religious Symbolism: Investigate the symbolism inherent in religious literature, including the meaning behind religious epics' various symbols and icons.
Themes in Epic Literature: Study the various themes that emerge in epic literature, including themes of heroism, godliness, morality, and sacrifice.
Theology: Learn about the various theological perspectives within religious epics, including their views on the divine, salvation, and human nature.
Historical Context: Explore the historical and cultural contexts that influenced the writing of religious epics, including their place in the development of religious traditions.
Literary Analysis: Develop the critical skills necessary to analyze the literary aspects of religious epics, including their use of imagery, metaphor, and other rhetorical devices.
Comparative Religion: Compare and contrast the religious epics of different cultures to gain a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences between major world religions.
Interpretations: Study the various interpretations of religious epics, including how contemporary scholars and individuals understand their meaning and significance.
Theological Symbolism: Investigate the theological and philosophical significance of various symbols used in religious epics, including symbols of the afterlife, heaven, and hell.
Christianity: Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It follows the Holy Bible as the central religious text.
Islam: Islam is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. The central text of Islam is the Quran.
Judaism: Judaism is a monotheistic religion based on the religious and cultural traditions of the Jewish people. The central text of Judaism is the Hebrew Bible.
Hinduism: Hinduism is a polytheistic religion based on various beliefs and practices of ancient India. It includes diverse traditions, scriptures, and philosophies.
Buddhism: Buddhism is a non-theistic religion based on the teachings of Buddha, focusing on achieving enlightenment through meditation and following the eightfold path.
Sikhism: Sikhism is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the equality of all people and following the teachings of the ten gurus. The central scripture of Sikhism is the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Taoism: Taoism is a philosophical and religious tradition that originated in China, emphasizing harmony with nature, simplicity, and personal inner peace.
Confucianism: Confucianism is a philosophical and ethical system originating in China, emphasizing moral values, respect for authority, and human relationships.
Shintoism: Shintoism is a polytheistic religion originating in Japan, emphasizing nature worship, ancestor worship, and a belief in spirits and deities.
Wicca: Wicca is a modern, nature-based, polytheistic religion that revolves around pagan worship and spiritual rituals.
- "Although there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion."
- "Religious practices may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of deities or saints), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, matrimonial and funerary services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, or public service."
- "Religions have sacred histories and narratives, which may be preserved in sacred texts, symbols, and holy places, that primarily aim to give life meaning."
- "Religions may contain symbolic tales that may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, and other phenomena; some followers believe these to be true stories."
- "Four religions—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—account for over 77% of the world's population."
- "92% of the world either follows one of those four religions or identifies as nonreligious."
- "The religiously unaffiliated demographic includes those who do not identify with any particular religion, atheists, and agnostics, although many in the demographic still have various religious beliefs."
- "A portion of the world's population, mostly located in Africa and Asia, are members of new religious movements."
- "The study of religion comprises a wide variety of academic disciplines, including theology, philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and social scientific studies."
- "Most definitively including the Abrahamic religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism."
- "Nearly all of them have regionally based, relatively small followings."
- "Traditionally, both faith and reason have been considered sources of religious beliefs."
- "Scholars have indicated that global religiosity may be increasing due to religious countries having generally higher birth rates."
- "Both faith and reason have been considered sources of religious beliefs."
- "Religious practices may include rituals, commemorations or veneration (of deities or saints), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, matrimonial and funerary services..."
- "Although there is an estimated 10,000 distinct religions worldwide, nearly all of them have regionally based, relatively small followings."
- "Religion is a range of social-cultural systems that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements."
- "Different religions may or may not contain various elements ranging from the divine, sacredness, faith, and a supernatural being or beings."
- "Religions have sacred histories and narratives, which may be preserved in sacred texts, symbols, and holy places."