Elements of Religion

Running Head: ELEMENTS OF RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS PAPER​4

Elements of Religious Traditions Paper

Ramon Camacho

REL 133

Rev. Veronica Slater

August 19, 2013

Elements of Religious Traditions Paper

​Every religion has their religious traditions. Traditions are what people believe, what they find sacred, and are often sacred to those who believe and practice their faith. Catholics and Christians worship God and believe Jesus is their Savior. Sacred Catholic tradition “comes from Christ…to the Apostles, faithfully handed down through each generation” (Beginning Catholic, 2006). Jewish people worship God, but do not worship Jesus Christ as Christians and Catholics do. Jewish people worship “the Torah (Jewish Holy Scripture)” and use it as a “guide to correct living” (Diversiton, 2013). When it comes to religious traditions, it is important to understand what exactly makes a religious tradition a tradition. In the following we will discuss the basic components of religious traditions and their relationship to the sacred; what a religious tradition says, what a religious tradition does, and how a religious tradition is organized, identify key critical issues in the study of religion, along with examples from various religious groups.

Basic Components of Religious Traditions

​There are several basic components that surround religious traditions that help make them what they are today. When religion is taught, it is usually taught by following a sacred doctrine, and by readings out of a sacred religious book. For example, the Bible teaches us about Christianity; about God, Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, apostles, saints; about resurrection, and the afterlife, amongst many other things. The Torah teaches us about Judaism. In the Judaism religion, it is considered the “most important text…which is composed of the Five Books of Moses and also contains 613 commandments and the Ten Commandments”...