Elements of Religious Traditions

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* Elements of Religious Traditions

* Barbara Brackett

* REL/133

* April 27, 2012

* David Doyle

* Elements of Religious Traditions

All humans beings born eventually will die. As a result, it is human nature to being to question if there is a soul, afterlife, or even life after death. To answer such questions, people look to religion. By doing so, many human needs are met, including the ability to address one’s own mortality. Religion provides a way to cope with death through rituals that offer comfort. Religion also offers a social aspect of belonging to a group that ultimately provides companionship as well as a sense of community and often cares for the less fortunate. This paper will describe basic components of religious traditions and their relationship to the sacred by addressing what a religious tradition says; what a religious tradition does; and how a religious tradition organizes by citing specific examples of the Igbo religion.

Religion is difficult to define. First looking at the word in itself, “which means “to join again” or “to reconnect” the classical Latin term religion meant awe for the gods and concern for proper ritual” (Molloy, 2010, p. 5). It is difficult to identify the specific characteristics that must exist to be considered a religion; however, there are basic components of religious traditions that have a relationship to the sacred. To begin to identify these components, one must look for similar patterns among religions. The first pattern is the focus of beliefs and practices of the religion, which includes three basic orientations in their conception and locations of the sacred: sacramental dealing with rituals and ceremonies, prophetic dealing with beliefs and the adherence to moral rules, and mystical seeking union with a reality greater than oneself (Molloy, 2010). The second pattern is the views of the world and life, which includes: the nature of the sacred reality, the nature of...