4. [In 586 BC] Nebuchadnezzar the king of
Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into
his hand, with some of the vessels of the house
of God. And he brought them back to Babylon,
to the house of his god, and placed the vessels
in the treasury of his god.
(Dan 1:1–2 ESV)
5. Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz,
to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the
royal family and of the nobility, youths without
blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all
w i s d o m , e n d o w e d w i t h k n o w l e d g e ,
understanding learning, and competent to stand
in the king’s palace, and to teach them the
literature and language of the Chaldeans.
(Dan 1:3–4 ESV)
10. Class Projects
1. Interview someone from another
religion or visit a place of
worship (25 pts)
2. Report on a religious object,
text, ritual, holiday, or religious
person (25 pts)
Due April 3 (please don’t wait)
12. A religion is a system of beliefs and practices that by
means of its cultus directs a person toward
transcendence and, thus, provides meaning and
coherence to a person’s life.
(Winfried, 2014, p. 28)
13. A religion is a system of beliefs and practices that by
means of its cultus directs a person toward
transcendence and, thus, provides meaning and
coherence to a person’s life (Winfried, 2014, p. 28).
What’s the difference between a religion and
(a) ideology (b) philosophy of life?
14. Religion v. Philosophy
• Ultimate issues
• Sacred Rituals & Practices
• Sacred people, places & things
15. Ex. Marxism
• Political Ideology, but no ultimate issues
• Customs, traditions, but no
fi
xed practices
• Leading thinkers, but no sacred people
18. Group:
Describe a religious object in your home or place of worship.
1. Describe what it looks like?
2. Look up its origin on the computer?
3. How is it used in religious practice?
4. What can you learn about the religion through the object?
24. 1. Evolution of Religion
• Mana: spiritual forces
• Animism: spirits in things
25. 1. Evolution of Religion
• Mana: spiritual forces
• Animism: spirits in things
• Polytheism: many gods
26. 1. Evolution of Religion
• Mana: spiritual forces
• Animism: spirits in things
• Polytheism: many gods
• Henotheism: favorite god
27. 1. Evolution of Religion
• Mana: spiritual forces
• Animism: spirits in things
• Polytheism: many gods
• Henotheism: favorite god
• Monotheism: Only 1 God
28. What are some problems with
The Theory of Evolution of Religion?
33. Argument for Primitive Monotheism
1. Persistent story of a Creator God, Creation, and Fall
2. Ties together parallel stories in most global cultures
3. Evolution of Monotheism has not been observed & documented
4. Devolution of religion is readily observed & documented
39. All Religions Make Truth Claims
• Islam: Angel Gabriel revealed God’s truth to Muhammad
• Mormonism: Jesus revealed God’s truth to Joseph Smith
• Hinduism: We are all on a journey of reincarnation
• Christianity: Jesus physically rose from the dead
42. One truth • Pluralistic world
• Particularism - there can only be one truth
• Pluralism - but we live in a pluralistic world
• Inclusivism - we seek to be inclusive not exclusive
• Dialogue - we try to understand those of other faiths
• Sharing our faith - if we believe we have spiritual truth, we
want to share that with others.
43. Group:
What are some techniques you’ve found to live with the tension of
Believing some particular truths in a pluralistic world?