Beliefs, Symbols and Rituals

• These notes are based on questions from the 2018 and 2020 papers

Types of Belief

• Polytheism is the belief in many gods, as practiced by the ancient Greeks
• Monotheism is the belief in one god
• Deism is the belief in a God, but one that doesn't intervene in the universe
• Theism is the belief in the existence of a god or gods

Religious Symbols

• The menorah and the six-pointed star are symbols associated with Judaism
• The crescent moon and star symbol are associated with Islam

Religious Rituals

• Puja, recitation, Yajna, and yoga are rituals associated with Hinduism
• The Five Pillars of Islam and the Christian Sacraments are examples of rituals
• The Bar Mitzvah is an example of a Jewish rite of passage

Ethics and Principles

• A common theme of religions is a set of principles one should live by, which is referred to as ethics

Aboriginal Spirituality

• Aboriginal spirituality is an oral tradition addressing creation, the land, and living things, encompassing past, present, and future
• The Rainbow Serpent story emphasises the diversity of Aboriginal spirituality
• Within Aboriginal spirituality, Ancestor Beings are responsible for the creation of the sacred world and the landscape
• The Dreaming laid down the patterns of life for Aboriginal people
• Aboriginal spirituality was diverse and differed according to different groups before European arrival

Supernatural Dimension

• The belief that powers exist outside or beyond nature acknowledges the supernatural dimension
• Perceiving a supernatural dimension contributed to the development of early religions

Divine Presence

• A divine presence manifested in the material world is characteristic of immanence
• God exists outside the physical world is characteristic of a transcendent worldview
• The presence of the supernatural or divine within the world and as part of the world is known as immanence

Sacred Texts

• The Torah is a Jewish sacred text
• The Vedas and the Pali Canon are examples of sacred texts

Dynamic Religion

• For a religion to be dynamic and living, it must be versatile and relevant