HUMSS1 - Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 1 – Week 1
Lesson 1

Religion in a Different Light

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ differentiate the concept, elements and characteristics of belief system, world
view, religion, and spirituality. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIa-1.2, HUMSS_WRB12-
I/IIIa-1.3

INTRODUCTION

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Similar to social institutions such as family and education, religion pervades many
aspects of our everyday lives. Many of us were born in a particular religion such as
Christianity or Islam and so participating in religious activities or believing in a particular
view of God may have become unquestioned habits. That religion has become part of
one’s identity renders it not just as a sacred character but personal too. Laying the
foundation for the rest of this subject, this module will present a different way of
approaching religion as a social phenomenon. This module also make ready to
understand the importance of (a) understanding the differences and similarities between
nations and cultures both political and philosophical, (b) appreciating our own beliefs by
seeing them alongside those of others, and (c) the work for Ecumenism through a
meaningful exchange of ideas between religious groups.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics, let us first have these exercises

Take a look at the images below

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 1. Are you familiar with the symbols? What are these symbols trying to emphasize?

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2. In relation to the symbols, do you practice a particular belief system or religion?

Cite 2 or more practices of your religion.

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INSTRUCTION

The images shown above are symbols of the world major religions. Let
us now learn about some important terms in the study of religion

READINGS:

Worldviews, Belief systems, Religion, Spirituality, Theology and Philosophy of Religion.

• Worldviews or Belief systems, Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy of Religion and Theology

are all interrelated terms and some of these are used interchangeably. But for us to have
a better understanding about these terms let us define each ones.

• A worldview is the set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and
influence all one’s perceiving, thinking, knowing, and doing. One’s worldview is also
referred to as one’s philosophy, philosophy of life, mindset, and outlook in life, formula for
life ideology of faith or even religion.

• Belief systems are principles that help us to understand and define the world around us.
While religious belief systems are the most commonly recognized, there are also other
forms of belief systems such as spiritual, political and philosophical belief systems.

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• Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate to
spirituality and sometimes moral values. However, religion is a complex phenomenon
that has no single definition can accommodate all its varied manifestations. The term itself
originated from the Latin religio, which means “conscientiousness” or “reverence,”
referring to the awe or fear felt in the presence of a spirit or deity, and may be to the Latin
religare, which means “to bind fast.”

• Religion is a significant way through which human beings seek meaning and fulfillment.
Each particular religion is a worldview, a lens through which human beings see
themselves and their ultimate purpose and engage their fellow beings. Each religious
worldview manifests itself concretely through its three basic elements namely: creed,
code, and cult.

a) Creed refers to the theological beliefs and scriptures or holy writings of a religion.
A creed is a “summary” of the beliefs of a religion.
b) Code is a set of moral principles and guidelines that must be followed by the
adherents.
c) Cult refers to the way of worshipping, to the rituals that are practiced by followers
of the religion.

• Spirituality is a phenomenon related to religion. Some people describe themselves as

being spiritual but not religious and vice versa. Spirituality is about a person’s beliefs,
values, and behavior, while religiousness is about the person’s involvement with a
religious tradition and institution.

• Theology is the formal, systematic attempt to give a rational explanation of the beliefs
and practices of a religious institution and of the religious experiences of its adherents. It
is an intellectual exposition of a religious tradition from within its community of adherents.
In other words, theology is done by insiders, as practitioners of a religion expressing
personal convictions within a like-minded community.

• Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the nature and meaning of religion
which is consist of analyzing religious concepts, beliefs and practices of religious
adherents. While dealing with the same concerns as theology, it usually asks more critical
questions pertaining to a religious tradition, as it claims to be free from the religious
assumptions taken for granted by adherents and therefore, supposedly, more objective.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below

ACTIVITY 1.

Find two adult believers in your community. These can be your parent, relative,
godparent, or neighbor. Interview them separately using the guide questions below.

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Interviewee 1

1. What is one core belief in your religion? What is its relevance to your daily life?

2. What is the highest form of worship in your religion? Why is it considered so?

Interviewee 2

1. Name one important law observed by a follower of your religion. What does it bring
about in the individual and community?

2. Identify one story or myth that the community of believers read from your religion’s
sacred writings. What truth does it convey about life or relationships?

NOTE: Write your output in a long bond paper and attach it on this page.

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us now
enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 1.1

EVALUATION

I hope that the activity above was able to enrich your learning. Let us now
test the efficiency of your learning by answering the questions on
Worksheets 1.2 and 1.3

4
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 1 – Week 1
Lesson 2

Religion: History, Geographical Origin and its Effect

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture and religions.
HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIb-2.2, HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIb-2.3
▪ analyze the effects of religion to human beings. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIc-3.1,
HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIc-3.3

INTRODUCTION

ORIGIN OF RELIGIONS

Religion is as old as humankind. Since the beginning, human beings have looked
to powers outside of themselves for protection and reassurance. These beliefs predate
the written word, so we must look to archaeological finds for evidence of these ancient
religious beliefs. Of course, we cannot know exactly what these beliefs were, but we can
theorize.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have these exercises

REFLECTION

Why do millions of people every year journey to a church in Rome, a wall in Jerusalem,
a river in India, and a black cube in Mecca?

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 The answer to this question involves one word, religion, a phenomenon common to all
people in all times.

1. Do you know an event in history that was inspired by religion? What is that specific
event and how did religion inspire it?

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INSTRUCTION

We are done with our motivation part; let us now learn about the
development of religions throughout history

READINGS:

• Every culture throughout history has had their own religion and their own rituals of
worship. Some of the religions such as those of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and
Romans, as well as those of the Incans, Mayans and Aztecs are no longer practiced, but
are remembered through their architectures (temples, pyramids, etc.) and their literature
(mythology).

• Other religions such as Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam which are
now major religions started thousand years ago and continue to be vibrant and relevant
in our world today.

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 Let us now proceed to the places of origin of the major religions

• The places of origin of the world religions fall into two geographical areas, the Middle East
(Western Faiths) and the Far East.
• Western beliefs share a similar view of the world and concept because both Christianity
and Islam sprang from Judaism. That is also why these religions are called Abrahamic
religions. They are monotheistic which means having a belief in one God. Morality is
based on learning the will of God, understanding and living it out individually and as a
community. The Bible (Christianity), Torah (Judaism) and Qur’an (Islam) are the central
books studied and lived by.

• Eastern major religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism.
Some of these religions are polytheistic (many gods) while others are nontheistic (no
personal god). Their main concern is to live a good, happier, better life right here and
now. Creation contains God within it. All elements of creation from plants to animals have
an animated spirit. Meditation is central to the faiths. Time is viewed in cycles and there
is a belief in reincarnation or rebirth. Things can be made better or worse through Karma.

\ We already learned the places of origin of the major religions; let us now
discuss some of the effects of religion to the human persons.

• Religion is such a powerful influence on human beings, both on individuals and on

communities. Religion has inspired its adherents to do great and admirable things, but it
has also made people commit despicable acts of death and destruction.

SOME NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF RELIGIONS

• Throughout history in one way or another makes adherents become morally blind
because of a misguided sense of loyalty to their religious group. Example of this are the
phenomenon of people voting as a bloc for electoral candidates who are endorsed by
their religious leaders, and the willingness of religious people to cover up for and even
defend the crimes of their supposedly divinely-anointed officials.

• In daily life, religion is more likely to be a refuge during unusually stressful times and can
substantially uplift one’s morale. Nevertheless, religious practices that foster hatred
toward those outside one’s own group appear to be more efficient at bolstering morale
compared to more compassionate religious practices.

SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS OF RELIGIONS

• How does religion become a blessing? For the adherents religion changed their life for
the better. The encounter with the Sacred as personal experience stimulates reflection,
creativity and ethical behavior. For the adherents the encounters with the Sacred makes
them humbly and fully accept their strengths and weaknesses.
• Religion makes its adherents committed to an ethic of compassion. Religion made the
human persons fair and sensitive to the needs of all forms of beings, human or nonhuman
and as well as oneself.

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• Religion makes adherents emotionally resilient. The encounter with Sacred makes
adherents look forward the future with eagerness and trust in spite of risky and
challenging situations.

Let us now apply your learning by reflecting and answering the questions
below

1. Religion has positive and negative effects. As a student, how will you influence the
belief or religion of the people in your community?

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2. If you are to visit a holy place that your religion considered to be so, what or
where will it be and why?

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We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 1.4

EVALUATION

I hope that the activity above was able to enrich your learning. Let us test
the efficiency of your learning by answering the questions on Worksheet
1.5

8
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 2 – Week 2
Lesson 1

JUDAISM: Origin, Founders and Sacred Texts

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

• examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Judaism. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIId-4.3

INTRODUCTION

Favoritism, we are familiar with this situation, which happens even at home and in
school. As human beings, we tend to prefer being with some people over others. Could it
be the same case with divine beings? Does God play favorites?

According to Judaism and its adherents, God has especially chosen the
descendants of Israel as His own people, to whom He has given special blessings, but
who are expected to live distinctively and uprightly. Most people would rather be among
God’s favorites. But is it really better to be God’s favorite?

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have these exercises.

What do you know about Judaism? You may be right but be aware also of the possibility
that the information you have is flawed or inadequate. So, fill out the second and third
column of this table, and be open to gain new insights at the end of the visit. Do
not forget to answer column four once you are done with Lesson 2.

What I Want to
What I Know What I Learned
Know

Judaism

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 About the Hebrew
Bible/ Old
Testament

About the God of

Israel

About Jews

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about Judaism’s Origin, Founders and Sacred Texts

READINGS:

Origin and Founders

• Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, originating around 3,500 years ago. Despite
its relatively small population around the world and in the country, it has influenced
Western civilization.

• Judaism, the religious beliefs and practices of the people of Israel, traces its heritage to
the divine covenant made between God and their ancestor Abraham. In this covenant,
God promised Abraham in Genesis 12 several things: a great name, numerous
descendants, and a land of their own. The divine covenant was passed on to Abraham’s
younger son Isaac and later on to Isaac’s younger brother Jacob, who was be renamed
Israel. With his two wives and two concubines, Jacob/Israel begot twelve sons –
foreshadowing the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

• The family and descendants of Jacob ended up as immigrants in the empire of Egypt,
because Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, had risen from a mere slave to become vizier or
the Pharaoh’s prime minister. The people of Israel, as a growing foreign immigrant
minority ended up oppressed and enslaved by the native Egyptians under an insecure
Pharaoh. Their God, intervened by empowering the prophet Moses to ultimately lead the
people of Israel out of Egypt – the Exodus – after a showdown between God and the
deities of Egypt, recalled yearly at the Jewish feast of Passover.

• Led into the wilderness, God revealed the Torah to Moses and made a sacred covenant
with the people of Israel at the mountain of Sinai. This giving of the Law to Moses was

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 celebrated yearly for fifty days after the Passover in a harvest festival known as Shavuot
or Weeks. Provided with water, a mysterious food called manna, and even quail meat,
the people sent a purifying forty years wandering in the desert before they were permitted
to enter the promised land of Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua, son of Nun, the
successor of Moses.

Sacred Texts
• The Hebrew word Torah means “instruction.” Broadly understood, Torah is the
“instruction” or teaching of God contained in the entire collection of Hebrew Scriptures
called the Tanakh, as well as in the orally transmitted interpretations laid down later in
the Talmud. More narrowly, it refers to what is also known as the Pentateuch.

• Judaism is a tradition grounded in the worldview expressed in sacred texts called Miqra
[Hebrew “that which is read”] or, more often, the TaNaKh – an acronym for the three
collections of twenty four Biblical books, Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. These twenty
four books were written in Hebrew, an ancient Middle Eastern language.

• Also called the Pentateuch, the Torah is the collection of the first five books traditionally
attributed to the patriarch Moses, known in English as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books are the central source of Jewish law and
ethics. The Nevi’im and the Ketuvim are the books of history, prophecy, poetry, and
other sacred writings.

• Nevi’im [Hebrew “Prophets”], the second section of the TaNaKh, is a continuous

historical narrative about the wavering fidelity of the people of Israel to the Covenant with
God, accompanied by the messages of God’s messengers. Medieval rabbinic
commentators divide its eight books into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets.
The Former Prophets consist of the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The
Latter Prophets are the Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Prophets. The books
of the Twelve Prophets contains the minor [i.e., shorter] prophetic narratives of Hosea,
Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah
and Malachi. The prophets of Israel reprimanded the people for failing to live according
to the demands of the Covenant and constantly called upon them to manifest the holiness
of God by fulfilling the commandments.

• Ketuvim [Hebrew “Writings”] is a collection of eleven books comprising a variety of

material that were most likely compiled by the time of the destruction of the Second
Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. The books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Job consist of
poetry and pearls of worldly wisdom. Five shorter books originally written on small scrolls
are placed together: Song of Sons, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. The
remaining Ketuvim are historical narratives: the books of Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and
Chronicles.

• In addition, rabbinic Judaism asserts that God handed to Moses a written Torah as well
as verbal instructions, the oral Torah. While the written Torah may be found in the
Tanakh, the oral Torah may be found in the Talmud [“teachings”], which consists of
commentaries on the Torah by Jewish rabbis. Originally, the oral Law was not transcribed,
but rather, orally transmitted from father to son and from teacher to disciple. During the
second century C.E., fearing the loss of the oral Torah, Rabbi Yehudah ben
ShimeonHaNasi assembled contemporary Jewish scholars in Israel to collect and record
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all previous known oral teaching and had them compiled in the Mishnah, a relatively short
work in Hebrew.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below

ACTIVITY.

Read the Story of Samson in the Old Testament (Judges Chapter 13-16). Then, answer
the questions below.

1. How did the character/s in the story emphasize their belief in one God?

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2. Analyze Samson’s failures and success. Is it important to reflect on the actions

that we take in life? Why?

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We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning. Let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 2.1

EVALUATION

I hope that the activity above was able to enrich your learning. Let us
now test the efficiency of your learning by answering the questions on
Worksheet 2.2

12
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 2 –Week 2
Lesson 2
JUDAISM: Doctrines, God and Sects

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

• examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Judaism. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIId-4.3

INTRODUCTION

The God of Christians and Muslims is the same God that the Judaism adherents
worship that is why these three religions are regarded as Abrahamic religions. Despite
having the same God they differ in interpretations and doctrines. Just like other religions,
Judaism also has different sects or divisions. Let us now learn about Judaism’s doctrines,
God and its sects.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have these exercises

Are you familiar with the photo? What do you think is its
significance to Judaism?
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INSTRUCTION

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 READING: Doctrines, God and Sects

Let us first learn about the Doctrines of Judaism

• The Jewish tradition that there are 613 commandments in the Torah (also known as the
Law of Moses) began in the 3rd century CE, when Rabbi Simlai mentioned it in a sermon
that is recorded in Talmud. The 613 commandments include “positive commandments”,
to perform an act, and “negative commandments”, to abstain from certain acts.

• The 613 commandments have been divided also into 3 general categories: mishpatim;
edot; and chukim. Mishpatim (“laws”) include commandments that are deemed to be
self-evident, such as not to murder and not to steal. Edot (“testimonies”) commemorate
important events in Jewish history. For example, the Sabbath is said to testify to the story
that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7 th day and declared it holy.
Chukim (“decrees”) are commandments with no known rationale, and perceived as pure
manifestations of the Divine will.

• The Talmud notes that the Hebrew numerical value of the word “Torah” is 611, and
combining Moses’ 611 commandments with the first two of the Ten Commandments
which were the only ones heard directly from God, adds up to 613.

• The Ten Commandments were revealed by God to Moses in Mount Sinai after he led the
Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

We have already learned about Judaism’s doctrines. Let us now learn

about their perspective on God’s nature

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 SUMMARY OF WHAT JEWS BELIEVE ABOUT GOD

• God exists
• There is only one God
• There are no other gods
• God can’t be subdivided into different persons (unlike the Christian view of God)
• Jews should worship only the one God
• God is Transcendent:
o God is above and beyond all earthly things.
• God doesn’t have a body
o This means that God is neither female nor male.
• God created the universe without help
• God is omnipresent:
o God is everywhere, all the time.
• God is omnipotent:
o God can do anything at all.
• God is beyond time:
o God has always existed
o God will always exist.
• God is just, but God is also merciful
o God punishes the bad
o God rewards the good
o God is forgiving towards those who mess things up.
• God is personal and accessible.
o God is interested in each individual
o God listens to each individual

God sometimes speaks to individuals, but in unexpected ways.

We are done with Judaism’s conception of God, let us now learn about it
Divisions

Judaism through time has been divided into 3 major divisions. These are Orthodox,
Conservative and Reform Judaism.

ORTHODOX JUDAISM
Orthodox Judaism is a modern but dogmatic expression of Judaism, which
believes that Torah in both its written and oral forms – the Tanakh and the Talmud –
were received directly from God and consequently permits no modification. Orthodox
Jews hold that their tradition, which emphasizes the ongoing importance of fulfilling the
Biblical commandments, exclusively bears the proper interpretation of God’s Torah. The
Orthodox movement today has been described as “uncomfortably straddling the fence
between traditionalism and modernism.”

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CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM
Occupying the middle ground in modern Judaism, Conservative Judaism is a
North American movement associated with the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York
founded in 1887, but inspired by another German rabbi, the Jewish historian Zecharias
Frankel (1801 – 1975). It seeks to integrate the best tradition with the best of modernity,
and believes that “integrating the Jewish tradition with our own contemporary culture is
the best way to create a vibrant and meaningful form of Judaism for ourselves and our
descendants.” While avoiding authoritative statements, Conservative Judaism is strongly
committed to the people of Israel and its values, but open-minded in interpreting these
values according to the demands of changing times. It views Jewish religious law as
binding, but subject to historical development.

REFORM JUDAISM
In general, the Reform movement in Judaism is more accommodating, and holds
that Judaism and its tradition should be updated and made compatible with the
contemporary culture. It is the first to permit the use of vernacular language in worship
and the ordination of women as rabbis. Many branches of Reform Judaism assert that
Jewish law may be outdated and needs to undergo critical evaluation and renewal.
Traditional Jewish law is thus understood as a set of general guidelines rather than as a
list of restrictions that must be literally observed by all Jews. Believing that all human
beings are created in God’s image and are God’s partners in repairing the world, Reform
Jews strive to bring freedom, justice, and peace to all people.
Reform Judaism is also characterized by its commitment to racial and gender
inclusivity and equality. It considers a child to be Jewish, as long as the father and mother
is Jewish and the child is raised as a Jew. It permits women to become rabbis, cantors,
and synagogue presidents, and also allows people with homosexual orientations to
participate in the synagogue.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below

REFLECTION. Answer the following questions.

1. What is it about Judaism that I found inspiring? What did I find beautiful? Describe
how these affect your thoughts and feelings toward Judaism and its adherents?

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 2. Is there anything about Judaism that disturbs me? How would I like to express this
to its adherents?

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______________________________________________________________________

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on the Worksheet 2.3

EVALUATION

We are done with the enrichment part. Let us now test the efficiency of
your learning by answering the questions on the Worksheet 2.4

17
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 3
Lesson 1

CHRISTIANITY: Origin, Founder and Sacred Texts

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

• examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Christianity. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIe-f-5.3

INTRODUCTION

The cross is the well-known symbol of Christianity. However, the cross as a symbol
predates Christianity. Are you aware that it was rarely and reluctantly used during the first
two centuries of Christianity? Many inhabitants of the Roman Empire, particularly those
who were adherents of Christianity, were mindful that this symbol depicted a deliberately
agonizing and dreadful deliver of death to dissidents and criminals. Why, then, has the
cross, which originally signified doom, been transformed into a symbol of life and well-
being to so many? How could death be a victory rather than defeat?

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have these exercises

What do you know about Christianity? You may be right but be aware also of the
possibility that the information you have is flawed or inadequate. So, fill out the second
and third column of this table, and be open to gain new insights at the end of the
visit. Do not forget to answer column four once you are done with Lesson 2.

What I Want to
What I Know What I Learned
Know

About Jesus of
Nazareth

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 About the
Christian Bible

About the God

Christians Believe
In

About Christians

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about Christianity’s Brief History, Founder and Sacred
Texts

READINGS:

Brief History and Founder

• One of the world’s biggest religions with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide, Christianity
is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in Israel some 2,000 years ago.

• Christianity is a religion that has a lot of denominations, in the Philippines alone there are
more than 500 separate and distinct forms of Christianity. Despite the differences, what
makes a Christian is a faith based on an otherwise obscure Jewish teacher and prophet
who lived for only about 30 years in a remote outpost of the Roman empire 2000 years
ago – Jesus of Nazareth.

• In Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God and is the second person in the Trinity. It is
believed that through his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, God offered humans
salvation and eternal life. He is the Jewish messiah who is prophesied in the Hebrew
Bible, which is called the Old Testament in Christianity. These teachings emphasize that
as the Lamb of God, Jesus chose to suffer on the cross at Calvary as a sign of his
obedience to the will of God, as an “agent and servant of God”. Jesus died to atone for
sin to make humanity right with God. Jesus’ choice positions him as a man of obedience,
in contrast to Adam’s disobedience.

• Christians believe that Jesus was both human and divine – the Son of God. While there
has been theological debate over the nature of Jesus, Trinitarian Christians believe that
Jesus is the Logos, God incarnate, God the Son, and “true God and true man” – both fully

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 divine and fully human. Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered the
pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin.

• What is Christianity? It is true that all Christians agree on the centrality of Jesus Christ.
But there is a widespread disagreement on who Jesus was and is, and on how the moral
significance of His life is supposed to be brought to bear. Still all Christians agree that
without Jesus Christ, the faith they identify themselves will not exist. Many would believe
that the only evidence of who Jesus was and what he means is to be found in the Gospels.
Some claim that these accounts are indispensable and, perhaps, are the only way to
know and understand Jesus. But others claim that it is possible to know Him personally
and in an experiential way. Knowing this living Jesus is possible only because God did
not allow death to keep its hold on Him but raised Him from the death on Easter day. The
belief in the resurrection represents the way the disciples compressed into a single reality
their vivid memories of the prophet and teacher and their personal certainty that He was
still with them.

Sacred Texts
• The Christian Bible includes the Hebrew Bible as their Old Testament, but the bulk of its
early history is recorded in the New Testament. The New Testament is divided into four
parts: the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Revelation. There are
27 books. The Gospel follows the life and teachings of Jesus, and they were written by
the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Acts of the Apostles describe
the spread of early Christianity, after Jesus’ ascension at the end of the Gospel stories.
The epistles are letters to the early Christians, most of which are written by Paul. The
Revelation “foretells in symbolic language the triumph of Christianity”. Early Christians
continued for the most part to accept and read the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly those
books that they saw as foreshadowing the events of Christianity. The New Testament
books, therefore, were added to the Hebrew Scriptures already in existence. The
Christian canons thus include both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament.
Debates on the validity of the deuterocanonical texts remain to be the distinction between
some varieties of Christianity.

The Books of the New Testament

GOSPELS
Synoptics
Matthew (75-80 C.E.)
Mark (65-70 C.E.)
Luke (85 C.E.)
John (90-100 C.E.)

HISTORY
Acts of the Apostles (85 C.E.)
EPISTLES
Pauline Epistles (c.50-125 C.E.)
Romans
1-2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians

20
 Colossians
1-2 Thessalonians
1-2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
Universal Epistles (c.90-125 C.E.)
James
1-2 Peter
1-3 John
Jude
PROPHECY
Revelations (C.95 C.E.)

Let us now apply your learning by answering the questions below.

1. After learning the brief history of Christianity, how will you be able to strengthen
your faith in God?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. How will you defend the New Testament to unbelievers?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 3.1

EVALUATION

I hope that the activity above was able to enrich your learning. Let us
now test the efficiency of your learning by answering the questions on
Worksheet 3.2

21
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 3
Lesson 2

CHRISTIANITY: The Holy Trinity and Christian Doctrines

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Christianity. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIe-f-5.3

INTRODUCTION

Adherents of Christianity, like members of other Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism

and Islam, believe that there is only one God. However, they also believe that this one
God exists as a Trinity of co-equal divine Persons (Greek hypostases): the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.

This module will help us understand the Christian doctrines and concept about
God.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have this activity below

22
 1. Are you familiar with the photo? What do you think its significance to the doctrines
of Christianity?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about Christianity’s Doctrines

• The whole of Christian conviction could be summarized in Jesus’ two great

commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40)

TRINITY
• The essential Christian beliefs are recorded in creeds, and there are different versions of
such creeds. The common element, however, is the acknowledgment of the Holy – belief
in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It was the Father who created
the world, and Jesus often speaks about Him in the Gospels. Jesus is the only Son of
God, sent to save the world from sin. The Holy Spirit appeared in the Baptism of Jesus,
and was also sent down to the disciples to guide them in spreading Christianity. The Spirit
is believed to guide all believers. While the God of Christianity is agreed to as having one
entity, there are greater majority of Christians specially the Catholics who believe that this
one God is a Trinitarian one: Father, Son, and Spirit.

• The Christian doctrine of Trinity holds that God is one God, but three coeternal
consubstantial persons or hypostases – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – as “one
God in three Divine persons”. The three persons are distinct, yet are one “substance,
essence or nature”.

MARY AND VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS

• Mary is seen as having a singular dignity above the saints. The Catholic Church teaches
that she was conceived without original sin, therefore receiving a higher level of
veneration than all other saints.

• The virgin birth of Jesus is the doctrine that Jesus was conceived and born by his mother
Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit and without sexual intercourse with her husband
Joseph. The Orthodox churches accept it as authoritative by reason of its inclusion in the
Nicene Creed, the Catholic church likewise holds it authoritative for faith through the
Apostle’s Creed as well as the Nicene, and Protestants regard it as an explanation of the
mixture of the human and divine natures of Jesus; but although it has clear scriptural
backing in two gospels, the consensus of modern scholars is that its historical foundations
are very flimsy.

RESURRECTION AND LAST JUDGMENT

• Christians also believe in the life after death. After death, the soul of a person will be
judged according to his/her deeds in his/her life in the world, and will either go to Heaven,

23
to dwell with God, or to Hell and be separated permanently from Him. There is also a
belief in Purgatory, where there is a temporary punishment for those who do not yet
deserve to go either to Heaven or Hell. At the end of the time, there is a belief that all
souls will be reunited with their bodies, just as Jesus resurrected from the dead, and there
will be a final judgment.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below.

REFLECTION. Answer the following questions.

1. How will you defend the Virgin Birth of Jesus through Mary to unbelievers?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Knowing that there is Heaven or Hell after death, how will you live your life on
earth?
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning let us now
enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 3.3

EVALUATION

We are done with the enrichment part. Let us now test the efficiency of
your learning by answering the questions on Worksheet 3.4

24
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 3
Lesson 3

CHRISTIANITY: Sects and Societal Issues

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Christianity. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIe-f-5.3

INTRODUCTION

For about 300 years since the death of Peter and Paul, the Romans persecuted
Christians, Christianity was declared illegal, and many Christians died for their faith. But
when Constantine became the first Christian emperor of the Empire (East and West),
Christianity was more and more accepted, until it became the religion of the Roman
Empire at 380 CE.

As time went by Christianity was divided into many denominations and also faced
a lot of societal issues.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have this activity below.

1. Are you familiar with the photo? What do you think is the significance of the photo
to our lesson?

25
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What is your interpretation of the photo? What do you think is the implication of the
photo to your religion?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about the Christian denominations and some of its
societal challenges.

MAJOR DIVISIONS OF CHRISTIANITY

Over the last two millennia, Christianity as the world’s most widely professed
religious traditions, with about one third of the human population, has produced a variety
of denominations. Two major schisms (Greek “split/division”) in Christian history – one
during the “Great Schism” in 1054 between Western and Eastern Christianity, and
another in Western Europe during the Protestant Reformation beginning in the sixteenth
century – would result in the three major families of Christian confessional traditions.

Roman Catholicism
The English word catholic has its roots from the Greek adjective katholikos,
meaning “universal.” It refers to a certain variety of Christian communities led by bishops
who believe themselves to be in continuity with the original universal church founded by
the apostles chosen by Jesus. In particular, the adjective Catholic refers to a specific
variety of Christianity, which refers to itself as “Roman Catholic,” because of the
significance attributed to the primacy and universal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome,
who is considered the successor of the apostle Simon Peter.
According to the Canon Law, Roman Catholic Christians are “those baptized (who
are joined with Christ in its visible structure by the bonds of the profession of faith, the
seven sacraments, and ecclesiastical governance.”) The Canon Law also describes the
Catholic Church as governed by the successor of Peter (i.e., Bishop of Rome, a.k.a. ‘the
Pope’) and the bishops in communion with him.”

26
 As of 2013, the Roman Catholic Church has had 266 Bishops of Rome, the latest
being Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, better known as Pope Francis, who was
elected to replace Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger of Germany), who
resigned.

Eastern Orthodoxy
While its official name is the Orthodox Catholic Church, to avoid confusion, it is
simply referred to as the Easter Orthodox Church. While affirming the catholicity or
universality of the Church, it developed an equally firm understanding of the pure and
unchanging nature of Christian doctrine, thus calling itself Orthodox. The term orthodox
originates from the Greek words meaning “right belief,” i.e., conforming to the Christian
tradition of belief and practice as presented in the creeds of the primitive Church.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity descends directly from Greek-speaking Christian

communities in what was formerly the eastern half of the Roman Empire. The bishops of
Constantine’s new imperial capital in the east, Constantinople, later claimed greater
authority in the Church, competing with the Bishops of Rome in the west, as well as with
other principal leaders of the early Christian Church.

Like Roman Catholic Christians, Orthodox Christians believe the following: the
divine and human natures of Jesus; the sinless life of the virgin Mary, and the respect
due to her as the mother of Jesus; the ministry of deacons, presbyters, and bishops,
whose authority originates from the Eucharist – as the sacrifice that makes present the
body and blood of Jesus; and the veneration and invocation of saints and use of icons.
Orthodox Christianity, however, rejects the following Roman Catholic doctrines: the
cleansing of the dead in purgatory; the universal jurisdiction and doctrinal infallibility of
the Bishop of Rome; and the declaration of Mary’s Immaculate Conception.

Protestantism
In the sixteenth century, political struggles and corruption in the Church in the West
led to the upheaval known as the Protestant Reformation, which initiated the founding of
several new streams of Christian tradition. Whereas Western Christianity used to perceive
itself as a united Christendom or Christian kingdom, now it found itself further divided into
numerous denominations.

The word “Protestant” is often popularly understood as one protesting against the
errors of the Roman Catholic Church. Nonetheless, the Latin word from which it originates
primarily means to declare something formally in public, to testify, to make a solemn
declaration.

Since Protestant Christianity is a very varied phenomenon, each of its communions

or denominations usually has its own statement of belief, whether Lutheran, Anglican,
Methodist, Presbyterian, or Baptist. Virtually, all accept the fundamental dogmas of the
first four ecumenical councils. They agree with Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians
on the essential doctrines of the Trinity and of Jesus Christ as fully divine and fully human.

Sola Scriptura means that the Bible, as God’s divinely inspired Word, is the means
by which one is saved through faith in Jesus. Consequently, all Christian teachings,
beliefs, and practices must not contradict and be in accordance with what is explicitly
written in the Bible. Sola fide means that good works on the part of individuals are not
27
necessary to be declared by God as righteous; holiness is a gift of God, and not the result
of one’s action. Similarly, sola gratia insists that God grants grace independently, even
without any human cooperation whatsoever.

SOCIETAL ISSUES

Divergent views and interpretations of Christian teaching arising from

denominational divisions have resulted in seemingly irreconcilable disagreements
concerning pertinent issues. Ecumenism, contraception, homosexuality, and the
ordination of women are just few of them.

Ecumenism is a movement that aims to promote unity and cooperation among

the different branches of Christianity, inspired by the desire expressed by Jesus in the
Gospel according to John: “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in
you,…as we are one” (17:21-22). The ecumenical movement seeks to recover the
apostolic sense of the early church for unity in diversity, and it confronts the frustrations,
difficulties, and ironies of the modern pluralistic world.

Most Christians consider sexual activity outside marriage as less than good, if not
morally wrong. Consequently, abstaining from sex would be morally better than having
sex and using artificial contraceptives.

The Roman Catholic Church asserts that marriage is a permanent and indissoluble
lifetime commitment between a man and a woman that is intended for the proper
upbringing of children and for the unity and total well-being of the spouses. As such, it
totally prohibits sexual activity outside marriage and using artificial contraception, allowing
only natural methods of family planning, i.e., married couples having sex during a
woman’s infertile period.

As to homosexuality, the views range from the extreme of considering same-sex

unions as blessed by God, to the other extreme of treating homosexuality as a disorder,
and those who are afflicted with it, as abominations. Debate has arisen over the
interpretation of Biblical references to homosexuality – such as in the story of the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis, the “holiness code” in the
Book of Leviticus, and various passages in the letters of the apostle Paul – as to whether
these condemn people with homosexual orientation and their sexual activity.

Some Christian denominations regard homosexuality as a natural occurrence and

view it as a divine blessing. The United Church of Christ, some branches of Lutheran
Church and the Anglican Communion permit the blessing and celebration of same-sex
unions while the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church and other
conservative mainline Christians continue to oppose the practice of homosexuality.

Finally, there is also the issue of discrimination arising from the distinction
between laity and their ordained ministers. Although the purpose of the laying on of
hands during ordination is related to being set apart for service to the community, in
practice, there is an implied superiority that comes with ordination. This alleged
discrimination is heightened by the prohibition of the ordination of women in the Roman
Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

28
 In the more liturgical Christian traditions, sacramental ordination of ministers (i.e.,
bishops, priest, and deacons) is different from consecration into monastic or religious life
(i.e., monks, nuns, friars). While both women and men can be admitted into monasteries
and religious institutes, traditionally, only men have been ordained as priest, following the
argument that Jesus himself was male and chose only men to be part of the Twelve.

While human society continues to evolve and present challenging dilemmas to the
Christian community, the call to love remains an essential aspect of Christian life.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below.

REFLECTION. Answer the following questions.

1. Is it better for a religious community to have a clear and definite stance on

contemporary issues? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What is your stand on the societal issues that Christianity faced and is presently
facing?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us now
enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 3.5

EVALUATION

We are done with the enrichment part. Let us now test the efficiency of your
learning by answering the questions on Worksheet 3.6

29
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 4
Lesson 1

ISLAM: Origin, Founder and Sacred Texts

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Islam. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIg-h-6.3

INTRODUCTION

Islam is one of the fastest growing world religions today. It is the oldest recorded
monotheistic religion in the country. Revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad,
those who follow Islam are called Muslims. They believe that there is only one God –
Allah.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have these exercises

We open this lesson on Islam with an excerpt from the Qur’an, Chapter XCVI, The
Blood Clot (Beckerlegge 200, 147-48).

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created,
created Man of a blood-cot.
Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous
who taught by the Pen,
taught Man that he knew not.

No indeed; surely Man waves insolent,

for he thinks himself self-sufficient.
Surely unto thy Lord is the Returning.

30
 What thinkest thou? He who forbids
a servant when he prays
What thinkest thou? If he were upon guidance or bade to God - fearing
Did he not know that God sees?

No indeed; surely, if he gives not over,

We shall seize him by the forelock,
a lying, sinful forelock.
So let him call on his concourse!
We shall call on the guards of Hell.
No indeed; do thou not obey him,
and bow thyself, and draw nigh.

Process Questions. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the poem about?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What does it tell us about Islam?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. What valuable insight that you have gained from the poem?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about Islam’s Brief History, Founder and Sacred Texts

READINGS:

Brief History and Founder

Islam was born in the early 7th century Mecca. Most of the Arabian Peninsula was
desert or arid. Society was organized according clans, which made up tribes. The
shaykhs, leaders of the tribes, usually come from the wealthier clans of their respective

31
tribe. There was no central government. It is inevitable for them to resort to violence during
tensions and conflicts.

Muhammad’s message appealed to orphans, the poor, and the slaves, although
the message was intended for all human beings. The first followers of Muhammad came
from three groups: members of weaker clans, junior members of powerful clans who
experienced injustice from within their very clans, and the slaves and people who did not
belong to any clan. Since the Arabic society at the time was based on tribes, people who
fell out of their tribes sought refuge from other groups.

The wealthy and powerful clans of Mecca did not like Muhammad’s message. They
wanted to persecute Muhammad, but fortunately, his uncle Abu Talib who took him in
was the leader of the Banu Hashin clan. But after his uncle’s death, no one wanted to
protect him, so Allah advised him and the early Muslims to migrate from Mecca. On 622
C.E., they went to Medina, and this journey was called hijra, the occasion where Muslims
abandon their own clan or tribe to live in another Muslim community. It was the
establishment of the ummah, the Muslim community, which is a great element of their
religious life.

Medina was an agricultural settlement around an oasis, and at that time was
deprived of political order. Since Muhammad was known as wise, he was assigned a
political role to keep the peace in community. From then, many other people converted
to Islam. Once the Muslims have settled in Medina, they started challenging the abusive
trade system of Mecca. They had victories by harassing the food supply to Mecca, and
80% of their booty was declared public property and was shared among the Muslims. The
other 20% was used by Muhammad in “managing the affairs of the community.” Such
victories also created the military reputation of Muhammad, and were taken as proof that
he was really the messenger of God.

With the start of conflicts between Mecca and Medina, Muhammad realized that
peace is necessary for the prosperity of his people. He went back to Mecca, and this
pilgrimage was known as the Hajj. There, a truce was made: Muslims were allowed to
enter Mecca, but they must not touch the resources of Mecca. The conversion of the
Meccans to Islam continued. Eventually, when Mecca fell, Muhammad became the
supreme political and religious leader of the ummah.

Sacred Texts

Qur’an
The Qur’an is the sacred text of Islam. According to conventional Islamic belief,
the Qur’an was revealed by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca and
Medina beginning in 610 and ending with Muhammad’s death in 632 C.E. Since the
Qur’an is written in Arabic, the language is respected by Muslims. For them, the book is
a unique event in the history of mankind, held as eternal and unchangeable, just like
Allah.
The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters or surahs, each composed of verses or ayahs.
The shorter chapters are called Meccan surahs because they are believed to have been
revealed to Muhammad in Mecca, while the longer ones are called Medinan chapters,
believed to have been revealed later when Muhammad was in Medina. The Qur’an is
believed to be the last in a series of revelations by Allah himself, which includes the
32
Hebrew revelations recorded in Torah, and Jesus’s teachings recorded in the Christian
New Testament. These messages are held in high esteem, but Muslims believe that they
have been corrupted by the interpretations of men and women.

The Qur’an condemns any association of a person or thing with God. They believe
that it violates a fundamental Islamic principle that there is just one God. That is why they
reject the divinity of Jesus Christ. The Qur’an is supposed to correct the mistaken
interpretations of men and women.

Hadith
The Hadith is the collected traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, based on his
sayings and actions. It is revered and received as a major source of law and guidance,
second only to the authority of the Qur’an. The hadiths relate to a broad range of subjects,
from theological concerns such as revelation and the nature of God, to instructions on
daily worship and rituals, to legal advice.

Let us now apply your learning by answering the questions below

1. After learning the brief history of Islam and its sacred texts, how does it affect your
faith in your own religion?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 4.1

EVALUATION

I hope that the activity above was able to enrich your learning. Let us
now test the efficiency of your learning by answering the activity on the
Worksheet 4.2

33
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 4
Lesson 2

ISLAM’S DOCTRINES: Allah and The Five Pillars

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Islam. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIg-h-6.3

INTRODUCTION

Adherents of Islam, like members of other Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism and
Islam believe that there is only one God. However, they differ on the conceptions about
God. The Five Pillars of Islam is also one of the most basic and important doctrines of
Islam apart from God. But what is it all about?

This module will help us understand the Islam doctrines and concept about God.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have this activity
below.

Process Question. Answer the question below.

34
 1. What do you think is the significance of the image above to Islam?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about the doctrines of Islam.

ALLAH

Allah [Arabic “god”] cannot be properly represented by a graven image, as the

deity cannot be compared to anything that can be perceived by the senses. Allah is the
one deity who is complete, eternal, undivided, and unchanging. In the Islamic tradition,
Allah created the universe out of nothing, sustains it, and will judge it. The Qur’an
emphasizes the doctrine of the Unit and Oneness of God. Allah is not a tribal or ethnic
god but the Supreme Divine Principle in the Arabian language. As the summit of creation,
human beings were created by Allah to obey and serve Him, and were endowed with the
capacity to understand reality and to enter into a relationship with God and other human
beings.

While Allah alone is the Deity, just like in Judaism, Islam recognizes other celestial
beings, such as angels, who acts as messengers [like Gabriel] and as warriors who fight
on the side of believers, and the jinn [Arabic “hidden (from sight)”], who are creatures
made of fire halfway between angels and human beings.

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam serves as the basic doctrine and is the foundation of the
faith of the Muslims. They follow and practice these pillars. These are mentioned in the
Qur’an.

Shahadah (Creed)
“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.” This creed
summarizes the faith of a Muslim.” It is the first sentence whispered into the ears of a
newborn infant; it is recited daily in prayer; and it is written in Arabic everywhere inside
the domes of mosques and over their doors”. In this very short and simple creed, we see
its contrast to the Christian creed, which is long and emphasizes belief in the Trinity, and
belief that Jesus is divine. Muslims rejects this, because for them there is only one God,
and Muhammad is just a messenger, not divine like Jesus.

Salat (Prayer)
Muslims pray five times a day: before dawn, midday, midafternoon, sunset and
nighttime. Before prayer there is an individual cleansing ritual with water, washing the
hands, arms, face, neck, and feet. Muslims pray facing Mecca; there is a special arched

35
niche called mihrab inside the mosque that indicates the qibla – the direction of the Kaaba
in Mecca. The early Muslims prayed facing Jerusalem, but later revelations to Muhammad
instructed them to pray facing Mecca. “Friday is a day of public prayer. On the other days,
people may pray privately, at home or at work, as well as in a mosque.

Zakat (Charity)
Muslims donate certain percentage of their wages to the poor. In addition to
established yearly donations, a good Muslim is expected to perform isolated acts of
generosity and charity for the poor when such acts are called for in everyday life.

Sawm (Fasting on Ramadan)

Ramadan is a period of shared fasting among Muslims. Ramadan is the ninth
month in the Muslim calendar, which commemorates Allah’s first revelations to
Muhammad. During the month-long Ramadan, people abstain from food, drinks, tobacco,
and sex from dawn until dusk, except for travelers, pregnant women, and the sick. The
purpose of fasting is to discipline oneself, to develop sympathy for the poor and hungry,
and to give to others what one would have been eaten. Fasting is thought to be good for
individual spiritual growth.

Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

Pilgrimage is a religious journey by a believer to a sacred site. All Muslims (unless
prevented by poverty or sickness) are expected to visit Mecca at least once in their
lifetime. When Muhammad went back to Mecca after preaching in Medina, he continued
several practices of the pilgrimage, including veneration of the black meteorite which is
believed to be a special gift from Allah, carried to earth by the angel Gabriel.

Let us now apply your learning by doing and answering activities below

1. Interview a Muslim or research about their beliefs and practices. Write your output
below.

36
2. How does your interview or research affect you as an adherent of your own
religion?

We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 4.3

EVALUATION

We are done with the enrichment part. Let us now test the efficiency of
your learning by answering the questions on Worksheet 4.4

37
 HUMSS1- Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

MODULE 4
Lesson 3
ISLAM: Divisions and Societal Issues

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

At the end of the module, the learners are expected to:

▪ examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Islam. HUMSS_WRB12- I/IIIg-h-6.3

INTRODUCTION

As with all other world religions, Islam is represented by several major branches.
These branches started to develop after Muhammad’s death when people began to
disagree on the successor of the religion. Although different, the major denominations all
share some common beliefs of monotheism, holy books, etc.
Also, Islam faces several societal issues. Gender inequality, militant Islam and
migration are just some of them.

MOTIVATION

Before we proceed to our main topics let us first have this activity below

Process Questions: Answer the following questions.

38
1. What do you think is the significance of the image above to our lesson?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. How does marriage become a societal issue in Islam?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTION

Let us now learn about the Islam’s divisions and some of its societal
challenges

MAJOR DIVISIONS OF ISLAM

After the death of Muhammad, Islam experienced a schism over who should be
the prophet’s khalifah [Arabic “successor]. A group of leaders from both Mecca and
Medina quickly held an election, and the role of khalifah or caliph was given to Abu Bakr,
the prophet’s best friend and father of his favorite wife, A’ishah. Some disagreed,
however, and felt that the prophet’s cousin Ali ibn AbiTalib, who was also married to the
prophet’s daughter Fatimah, was the rightful khalifah. Unlike Abu Bakr, Ali was related to
Muhammad by blood. Furthermore, Ali (and all members of the prophet’s immediate
family) had been excluded from the act of choosing the khalifah. Still, those who had
chosen and sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr coerced Ali to endorse Abu Bakr as the rightful
khalifah.
In 656 C.E. after the death of the third Khalifah, Uthman ibn Affan of the powerful
Umayya clan, Ali was finally chosen as caliph. But, disappointed that one among them
had not been chosen, the Umayya clan refused to recognize Ali as the prophet’s fourth
khalifah and established their own caliphate. This disagreement over the right of Ali as
khalifah escalated until Islam broke into two main sects: Sunni/Sunnites and Shi’a/Shiites.

39
Sunni/Sunnites
The greatest majority of Muslims comprise the Sunni tradition of Muhammad and
the community of Islam, which is currently the largest religious denomination in the world.
The term Sunni is derived from Sunnah, the “custom/tradition” of the prophet Muhammad
as recorded in the collections of hadith.

Sunni Muslims believe that, since Muhammad died without explicitly appointing
khalifah, his rightful successor is elected by an electoral body of Muslim clerics. This
elected khalifah, however is not infallible nor will he have divine right.

Sunni Muslims are committed to following the Qur’an and the Hadith, both of which
are the bases of all Sunni religious education and jurisprudence. This tradition strongly
highlights the role of Islam in political life, with the shari’a (Islamic law) as the standard
for a broad range of social issues, such as business, marriage, divorce, inheritance, and
others.

Shi’a/Shiites
After the Umayya caliphate rejected and expelled Ali ibn AbiTalib, he was granted
the equivalent title of Imam [Arabic “leader, pattern”]. In Shi’a Islam, these Imams were
highly respected scholars chosen because of their descent from Ali and were regarded
as politico-religious community leaders.

The younger son of Ali and Fatimah and the third Imam of Shi’a Islam, Husayn ibn
Ali, was highly regarded because he, considering the rule of Umayya as unjust, refused
to swear allegiance to their second caliph Yazid ibn Mu’awiya. The people of Kufa pledged
allegiance to him instead and asked for his help. Traveling towards Kufa, his caravan was
intercepted by Yazid’s army at Karbala, where Husayn, along with most of his family and
companions were killed and beheaded in the year 680 C.E. His death and that of his
family and companions are remembered by Shi’a Muslims every year as a day of
mourning. Husayn’s death was perceived as martyrdom and became a symbol that
helped undermine and ultimately overthrow the Umayya caliphate.

Today, Shi’a Muslims are a minority that may be found prevalent in Bahrain, Iran,
Iraq, and Yemen.

Sufi/Sufism
Sufism is a mystical form of Islam, a school of practice that emphasizes the inward
search for God and shuns materialism. Sufism, known as tasawwuf in the Arabic-
speaking world, is a form of Islamic mysticism that emphasizes introspection and spiritual
closeness with God.
While it is sometimes misunderstood as a sect of Islam, it is actually a broader
style of worship that transcends sects, directing followers’ attention inward. Sufi practice
focuses on the renunciation of worldly things, purification of the soul and the mystical
contemplation of God’s nature. Followers try to get closer to God by seeking spiritual
learning known as tariqa.

For a time, beginning in the 12th century, Sufism was a mainstay of the social order
for Islamic civilization, and since that time it has spread throughout the Muslim world, and

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to China, West Africa and the United States. As Sufism spread, it adapted elements of
local culture and belief, making it a popular practice.

In modern times, the predominant view of Sufi Islam is one of “love, peace,
tolerance,”

SOCIETAL ISSUES

Gender Inequality

The prophet Muhammad established for the rights of women in a culture that
restricted many rights of women. He forbade infanticide and saved many baby girls from
death. He limited to four the number of wives a man could have and demanded that they
be treated equally. He considered women and men as equal in basic rights. Muhammad
legislated that wives as well as husbands could initiate divorce, and demanded that a wife
should receive financial support. Lastly, he prescribed the basic religious duties of prayer,
fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca for both men and women.

Despite these radical efforts on women, traditional Islam continues to reinforce

major social distinctions between men and women. For example, while men may have
four wives, a woman can only have one. More, while the Qur’an demands everybody to
dress modestly in public, social custom demands that women alone must cover their hair,
and for some, the veiling of a woman’s face. While men must wear robe of Abraham in
the pilgrimage, there is no such prescription for women. Neither are women allowed to
pray in the mosque with men at the Friday prayer, but if they do, they have a separate
section. Women primarily play a domestic role. Public life is reserved for men.

Islam Militant

Religion can be a potent weapon to mobilize and unite people, and it has been
used and misused in this way throughout human history. But religious militancy does not
arise in a vacuum. Throughout history, extremist religious movements have been a
response to historical circumstances, particularly arising when groups have felt
threatened.

Religious extremism develops when some portion of a community rejects, often

violently, the presence or influence of a challenge to its sense of self. Whether that
challenge is cultural, political, or economic or a combination of these, a violent or
threatening response is seen by extremists as religiously mandated.

Many scholars prefer to use the term Islamist rather than fundamentalist for Muslim
extremists. "Fundamentalist" implies that people are returning to an original practice of
the religion. Islamists, however, want to create a new, modern political structure informed
by a strict rereading of the Quran and hadith. They might want to create an Islamic state,
as the Islamic Republic of Iran has done, or make Islam the sole basis for law in society.

Most Muslims are not Islamist; that is, they don't want to revamp their governments
or their laws to abide by such a strict interpretation of Islam. Nor do most Islamists
advocate violence. Many people in the Middle East might agree with the anti-Western
attitude of the Islamists, because they see the West spreading a corrupt value system
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through globalization, or because they resent perceived exploitation by the West of other
peoples and lands. Others might want to live in a society where Islam has a greater role.
But the vast majority who hold those beliefs would oppose the use of violence to achieve
those ends.

Migration

Today in the post-colonial era, the Muslim world is expanding and experiencing
the challenges of both resurgence and worldwide migration.

Whereas, in the twentieth century Islam had played an important role in the
development of nation states in the Islamic world, in the last few decades certain groups
have begun interpreting Islam as a transnational ideology in ways that undermine the
nation state. Some of these groups such as al- Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Islamic State
in Syria and the Levant (ISIL) have dominated global headlines with terrorist acts
perpetrated against Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They typically conceive of the world
in terms of a “clash of civilizations,” in which they serve as the vanguard of Islam against
an unjust, corrupting, and materialistic West, although individual reasons for joining such
groups vary widely. Their actions have been roundly condemned by governments,
religious groups (including most Muslims), and citizens across the globe, though many
urge attentions to the conditions that have given rise to these groups, including the
legacies of colonialism, the lingering tensions between Israel and Palestine, and the
negative consequences of globalization.

In the post-colonial context, migration has also reshaped the Islamic world. The
number of emigrants from predominantly Muslim countries to Western Europe and the
Americas has increased significantly in the past thirty years, with the exodus including
highly-educated professionals, laborers, students and political refugees. There are now
thriving Muslim communities and magnificent mosques in Paris, London and Rome, as
well as New York, Vancouver and Mexico City. Immigrant Muslims, however, have often
faced considerable hostility, the product of both racial and religious prejudice in their new
homes.

Despite the myriad political, social, cultural, economic and other challenges faced
by Muslims today, the “Muslim world” continues to expand; Islam is the world’s fastest
growing religion. The adage, “Islam is one, Muslims are many” is clearly evident. Muslims
of every sect, nationality, and school of jurisprudence are represented in regions
throughout the world, together creating the ummah of the faith.

Let us now apply your learning by doing the activity below.

REFLECTION. Answer the following questions.

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 1. In what ways does our lesson in Islam bring about positive influence to you? How
are you going to share this positive influence to others?
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2. Is there anything in Islam that disturbs you? How would you address this feeling?
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We are done testing your commitment in applying your learning; let us

now enrich your learning by doing the activity on Worksheet 4.5

EVALUATION

We are done with the enrichment part. Let us now test the efficiency of
your learning by answering the questions on Worksheet 4.6

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